Angelfood Cake Recipe

I made this fluffy gluten free angel food cake for a Christmas party last year and it was a smash hit. Not only was the cake light and delicious, but it was also easy to decorate!

Lets look at the list of supplies and ingredients we'll need:

Kitchen appliances:

• Parchment Paper
• kitchen scale
• An angel food cake pan
• A mixing bowl and whisk
• A stand mixer or hand mixer

For the cake:

• 3/4ths cup gluten free flour blend with xanathan gum. (See Baking Tips page for precise blend). If desired, you can use a gluten free angel food cake mix, such as Kinnickinnick Gluten Free Angel Food Cake Mix- if you do, omit everything but 2 tsp pure vanilla extract and 12 egg whites (room temperature) and follow their baking instructions.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 12 large egg whites - cold (set aside four egg yolks for the cream angelaise)

For the Decoration (Sugared Berries):

Cut the berry amount listed by half if you don't want extra to serve on the side. When I made these for the Christmas party they were a huge hit and almost entirely eaten before we even started dinner, so having extra to serve on a serving tray tends to be appreciated!

• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 or 2 figs or another fruit of choice (I used apricots as they were the only thing available at the time)
• Decorative herbs (I used sage as it was the only thing available at the time, though rosemary and mint would also work well)

Making Creme Anglaise

This vanilla cream can be poured over the cake or served on the side to dip. It can be made 1 day ahead in order to save time.

• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large egg yolks, whisked
• ¼ cup powdered confectioner’s sugar
• ½ cup white sugar

Making the Cake:

1. Set the oven rack to the lowest position and then preheat to 350 degrees
2. Mix the cornstarch and flour together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. On medium speed, use a stand or hand mixer in a separate bowl to beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.
4. On high speed, beat in granulated sugar and powdered sugar into the same bowl, along with the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.
5. Continue beating the meringue until soft peaks form.
6. On medium speed, pour in the flour/cornstarch mixture 1/4th cup at a time until the flour is fully combined with the meringue.
7. Pour the mixture into an ungreased angel food cake pan. I used a bundt cake pan that was available to me, which made decorating the cake more difficult as bundt cake pans have bumps in them.
8. Bake for 35 minutes. When the cake is done baking, flip it upside down to cool. Use a butter knife to detach the cake from the pan's rim after cooled.

Making the Creme Anglaise:

1. Place a sauce pan on medium heat and combine the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract. Heat to a simmer and then remove from the heat.
2. Begin slowly mixing the mixture into a bowl with the egg yolks, ¼ cup at a time.
3. Heat the saucepan on low and slowly add the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Stir for 5 minutes until a custard forms.

Making the Sugared Berries:

1. Create a simple syrup by combining 3/4ths cup of water and 3/4ths cups of granulated sugar into a sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves before removing it and letting it cool for around 5 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, pour the syrup over the berries you want sugared, stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Separate the berries on a piece of parchment paper, silicon baking mat, or wire rack, so they do not stick together, and let sit for 1 hour.
4. Toss the berries in the remaining sugar before placing them back on the parchment paper and let sit for another hour.

Decorating the Cake:

1. Sift powdered sugar over the cake.
2. Arrange the sugared berries and sliced fruit on top of the cake to your liking. Intersperce decorative herbs between the berries.
3. Cut and serve the cake with the creme anglaise poured on top of each slice and enjoy.