Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

Feels Like Home With This Gluten Free Angel Food Cake You'll Be Sure To Love

Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake You'll Family Will Love

The Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake was a life save for me. Here’s why…

Let me set the stage for you: every single birthday growing up featured an angel food cake with chocolate frosting. Homemade, naturally. (As that was the type of mom I have. And no, I am NOT that type of mom.) But when it comes to this recipe, I thank God that my oldest daughter, who is also gluten-free, LOVES to bake. 

It was a staple. I’m the youngest of seven, so when you factor in my siblings, their spouses, and their kids, well, let’s just say my mom baked more angel food cakes than most bakeries do in a year.

And my mom?

She was always so happy when she was baking it.

There’s something truly magical about whisking egg whites into fluffy, cloud-like perfection.

As a kid, I genuinely thought my mom had figured out how to trap clouds and turn them into cake. It was mesmerizing.

But then, life happened. And the NEED to be gluten-free happened. Between my health and my daughter’s health, our house became 100% gluten-free.

And with that came the devastating realization: the birthday cakes were doomed. SHIT.

Cue the hero of this story: my mom and my daughter, tag-teaming the internet like the determined sleuths they are. They knew two things: not all gluten-free flour is created equal, and you can’t just swap it in willy-nilly and expect things to work out. (Trust me, I’ve got stories…but we’ll save those disasters for another day.)

That’s when they stumbled upon the diamond in the rough over at King Arthur Baking. Their gluten-free angel food cake recipe caught my daughter’s eye, and she wasted no time showing it to my mom.

My mom, with her cake radar finely tuned from decades of experience, gave it the thumbs up. Off to the store they went.

Now listen, I’m all about shortcuts. If there’s an easier way, you bet I’m trying it. But let me save you the time: you need King Arthur’s gluten-free flour for this recipe.

We’ve tried it with other gluten-free flours, and while the cakes turned out…fine, they didn’t hit the nostalgic sweet spot.

Trust me, this is one of those recipes where the ingredients really do matter. 

The first bite of that gluten-free angel food cake? It was like finding a long-lost treasure.

It tasted just like the cakes I grew up with—cloud-like, sweet, and perfect with a slathering of chocolate frosting.

It reminded me that not everything we loved growing up had to be left behind.

Some things just need a little tweaking.

So, here’s to preserving traditions, finding workarounds, and eating cake.

Lots and lots of cake.

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Gluten Free Angel Food Birthday Cake

Gluten Free Angel Food Cake


  • Author: King Arthur
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Yield: 1 10" cake 1x

Description

Enjoy this family-favorite recipe. It’s not an easy, quick 5-step recipe…but it’s one that’s absolutely worth the time, energy, and love. Enjoy!


Ingredients

Units Scale


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third; you want to give your cake plenty of rising room without danger of burning its top.

  2. Whisk together and then sift the flour, cornstarch, and 3/4 cup (143g) sugar. Set aside.

  3. In a large, clean (grease-free) mixing bowl, beat together the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until foamy.

  4. Add the flavorings. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer and continue beating until the egg whites have increased in volume, and thickened.

  5. Gradually beat in the 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (167g) sugar, a bit at a time, until the meringue holds soft peaks.

  6. Gently fold in the sifted flour/sugar blend 1/4 cup at a time, just until incorporated.

  7. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10″ round angel food pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter and remove any large air bubbles.

  8. Bake the cake until it’s a deep golden brown, and the top springs back when pressed lightly, about 45 minutes.

  9. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan onto the neck of a heatproof bottle or funnel, to suspend the cake upside down as it sets and cools, about 2 hours.

  10. Remove the cake from the pan by running a thin spatula or knife around the edges of the pan, and turning the cake out onto a plate.

  11. Now it’s time to grab your favorite frosting and frost your cake!

Notes

Can you substitute regular granulated sugar? Yes, it’ll take much longer for the egg whites to attain their required volume, and the cake’s texture won’t be as fine.

Be sure your mixing bowl is absolutely clean.

Also, separate your egg whites carefully. The tiniest bit of fat or speck of egg yolk will inhibit the egg whites from beating up thick and foamy. Trust me, you’ll know if a speck got in there!

Need an Angel Food Cake Pan? You can add this cake pan to your Amazon cart. 

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 40-50 mins
  • Category: Dessert
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