GF Vanilla Angel Food Cake

Gluten Free AngelFood Cake!

I almost forgot to share this recipe with you after our awesome 4th of July ice cream cake!  The vanilla angel food cake is delicious on its own, with a warm fruit topping or layered in the ice cream cake recipe.  It is a lesson in patience to make angel food cake from scratch… building the egg whites first to soft peaks, then stiff peaks… sifting and folding the small amount of flour very slowly, multiple times over.  It is all worth it when you have such a light cake to enjoy at the end of the day.  Give it plenty of time to cool.  Perfect for your Labor Day grill festivities!  Enjoy…

Gluten Free Vanilla Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup cake flour, sifted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 11 large egg whites (about 1 1/2 cups) – reserve yolks for another use
• 2 tsp warm water
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Powdered Sugar (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set aside a clean, dry angel food cake pan (tube style pan with a removable bottom)
2. Sift the first 3 ingredients into a medium bowl 5 times (yes, you must sift it 5 times!)
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a wire whisk, whisk the egg whites until frothy.
4. Add 2 tsp warm water and the 1 tsp cream of tartar.  Continue to whisk until soft peaks form.
5. Then, gradually add the remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla, whisk until stiff but not dry.  Batter will be almost to the top of the bowl by now!
6. Remove the work bowl from the stand mixer, gently sift the reserved flour mixture over the stiff egg whites in 1/4 cup increments.  Then, using a spatula, gently fold the sifted flour into the stiff egg whites.  Here’s where you need patience!  Don’t go too fast or hard with your “folding motion” or you will deflate the stiff egg whites.  Slow and gentle is all you need.
7. Transfer the batter to your prepared angel food cake pan.  Bake in center of the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top springs back when touched lightly.
8. Remove cake pan from oven and turn the pan upside down, place the center tube of the pan over a narrow bottle neck or funnel.  Cool upside down completely.
9. Once completely cool, use a serrated knife to cut around the sides and center of the tub to loosen the cake.  Then remove the bottom from the pan and cut the cake away from the bottom of the cake pan.  Transfer to a platter, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

We also enjoy this wonderful dessert with blueberry sauce or mango lime sauce.  It is awesome!