• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Contact
  • Podcasts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet
  • Recipes
  • Cooking Classes
    • Gift Certificates
    • Testimonials
  • Videos
  • Lifestyle
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Lifestyle
  • Cooking Classes
    • Gift Certificates
    • Testimonials
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • Cinde wearing a white Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet apron; standing at the counter chopping tomatoes, peppers and cucumber.
      How To Cook A Meal For A Celiac
    • Food Allergy Survival Kits made with an eraser, a penny, a marble, a elastic, a paper clip and a small heart to match the saying on the printed card inside.
      Food Allergy Club at School
    • Someone holding a full sheet of pasta in front of the hand-cranked pasta machine.
      Homemade Gluten Free Pasta Dough
    • Gluten Free Chicken Pesto Pasta in a blue bowl
      Chicken Pesto Pasta
    • A card listing many edible flowers you can grow surrounded by fresh edible flowers from my garden.
      How to Use Edible Flowers in the Kitchen
    • If you went to the trouble of cutting brownies with perfect edges you get to eat all the leftover edge pieces. I say it's worth it every time!
      Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
    • Gluten free recipes for Cinco De Mayo
      Cinco De Mayo Recipe Ideas
    • A metal rack with cheese buns and someone pulling one apart showing how stretchy they are.
      Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)
    • A bottle of Balsamic Glaze vs Balsamic Vinegar surrounded by fresh tomatoes, basil, bocconcini and olive oil.
      Balsamic Glaze vs Balsamic Vinegar
    • Grilled Salmon with West Coast Dill Barbecue Sauce on top of cooked asparagus with a purple pansy garnish.
      Grilled Salmon with West Coast Dill Barbecue Sauce
    • Asparagus with Black Bean Butter Sauce
      Asparagus with Black Bean Butter Sauce
    • Dinner Club Thai Menu
      Dinner Club: A Thai Menu
    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Angel Food Cake

    Published: May 27, 2016 · Modified: Jul 17, 2023 by Cinde LittleThis post may contain affiliate linksLeave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A gluten free Angel Food Cake from scratch! That's the kind of culinary challenge I like so this is what I made in honour of Celiac Awareness Month.

    Contents show
    1 PIN for later...
    2 What Flowers Are Edible
    3 Get The Tools
    4 Gluten Free Cake Flour Blend
    5 Baking By Weight
    6 Filling For Angel Food Cake
    7 More Gluten Free Cake Recipes
    8 Angel Food Cake
    8.1 Equipment
    8.2 Ingredients 1x2x3x
    8.2.1 CAKE FLOUR BLEND
    8.2.2 ANGEL FOOD CAKE
    8.2.3 WHIPPED CREAM FILLING
    8.2.4 GARNISH
    8.3 Instructions
    8.3.1 CAKE FLOUR BLEND
    8.3.2 ANGEL FOOD CAKE
    8.3.3 FILLING
    8.3.4 ASSEMBLY
    8.4 Notes

    For many years I made (and later bought) an Angel Food Cake for my friends annual piano soiree. It was a fun get together where we each performed a piano piece and then enjoyed champagne and dessert. My annual contribution was a beautiful Angel Food Cake filled with fruit and whipped cream then decorated with edible flowers.

    When I could buy an Angel Food Cake at the store this was a pretty simple dessert; cut it in half, fill it and add the flowers. Finally I wanted to make a gluten free version from scratch.

    PIN for later...

    Angel Food Cake decorated with fresh pansies.

    This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase using these links your cost is the same, but I receive a few cents for every dollar spent. I appreciate your support for this website.

    What Flowers Are Edible

    Some occasions simply call for cake and for me, it's going to be homemade and it should have a gourmet presentation. Using edible flowers is a simple way to do that.

    To learn more about what flowers I plant and how I use them check out this post, How To Use Edible Flowers in the Kitchen.

    A card listing many edible flowers.
    How to Use Edible Flowers in the Kitchen -photo credit Jim Little

    Get The Tools

    Angel Food Cake is a light, airy sponge cake made with a dozen egg whites whipped full of air. Egg whites from real eggs are essential. Do not use egg whites from a carton which have been heated in processing.

    For the classic look this cake should be cooked and cooled in an Angel Food Cake pan with tall sides. Modern versions include Angel Food Cake pans with a removable bottom, which would be nice to have but for a once-a-year cake I borrow my sisters pan. If you like the idea of making Angel Food Cake then purchase a good quality pan, and lend it to your sister if you have one.

    Two essential steps for baking an Angel Food Cake are to bake the cake in an ungreased pan and cool it upside down. Yes, really. Not greasing the pan allows the cake to stick to the sides of the pan and climb up it as it bakes. Cooling it upside down helps maintain the light, airy texture. I remember my mom cooling her Angel Food Cake upside down balanced on an inverted drinking glass. I wonder if that is the pan my sister now calls hers.

    Gluten Free Cake Flour Blend

    Only when you start to cook gluten free do you realize the amazing properties of wheat flour. Purchased gluten free flour blends work for some recipes but not all. The more gluten free baking you do you start to notice all the different flour blends. There are blends for cookies and pancakes, pizza dough and bread, and the list goes on.

    This is the reminder that no single gluten free flour can replace all the properties of wheat flour.

    Gluten free bakers need a positive mindset in the kitchen. Follow my year-long blog post series on How To Use Gluten Free Flours if you're interested in learning more.

    For this once-a-year cake I wanted it to be fabulous, not just okay. I knew I needed a light cake flour recipe rather than the blend I use for muffins. For this light, airy Angel Food Cake I needed to made a special flour blend.

    I know that including a flour blend in a recipe suddenly makes the list long and appear complicated. The cake itself isn't complicated so my best tip is to consider a special flour blend as a special project. Make that flour blend in advance and get it in the cupboard before the day you bake.

    Baking By Weight

    Serious bakers bake by weight for accuracy and best results. I measure all my flour blends by weight using a digital scale yet most of my everyday recipes using cup measurements. For this recipe I wanted it to work the first time so I measured the flours by weight.

    If you're interested in learning to bake using weight measurements check out this post called Baking By Weight.

    Filling For Angel Food Cake

    If you've ever made an Angel Food Cake then you've thought about what to make with the twelve egg yolks you have leftover. My mom always made this homemade lemon curd so that's what I make. Include it in the filling for this cake or make it the next day. I'm sure you'll have no trouble thinking of ways to enjoy it.

    Thanks to Nicole over at Glutenfree On A Shoestring for her homemade cake flour blend recipes. She's a master in the kitchen and has lots of wisdom to share.

    Let me know in the comments below if you made an Angel Food Cake and how it turned out.


    More Gluten Free Cake Recipes

    Use up this cake flour blend in any of these cake recipes.

    Australian Lamingtons

    A tray of gluten free lamingtons with one cut and ready to bite into.
    Australian Lamingtons -photo credit Jim Little

    Orange Cupcakes with Orange Icing

    A pedestal tray filled with gluten free Orange Cupcakes.
    Orange Cupcakes with Orange Icing -photo credit Jim Little

    Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing

    Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing
    Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing -photo credit Jim Little
    A Gluten Free Angel Food Cake filled with whipped cream and berries garnished with yellow and purple pansies.

    Angel Food Cake

    Cinde Little
    Yes, you can make a gluten free Angel Food Cake from scratch! It's light and airy and perfect for any occasion.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Final Assembly 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Canadian
    Servings 12 people

    Equipment

    • 1 Angel Food Cake pan

    Ingredients
      

    CAKE FLOUR BLEND

    • 90g white rice flour
    • 73g cornstarch
    • 43g tapioca starch
    • 40g brown rice flour
    • 30g non fat dry milk powder (substitute soy milk powder for dairy free)
    • 10g potato starch
    • 5g xanthan gum

    ANGEL FOOD CAKE

    • ¾ cup icing sugar (first amount)
    • 140 g cake flour blend (recipe above)
    • ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 12 egg whites, room temperature
    • ⅓ cup warm water
    • 1½ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
    • ¾ cup icing sugar (second amount)

    WHIPPED CREAM FILLING

    • 2 cups whipping cream
    • 2 tablespoon icing sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    GARNISH

    • fresh fruit and edible flowers

    Instructions
     

    CAKE FLOUR BLEND

    • Make cake flour blend in the bowl of a food processor. Process for one minute to finely grind the milk powder and evenly combine the ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

    ANGEL FOOD CAKE

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. DO NOT grease the Angel Food Cake pan.
    • Place a strainer over a bowl and add first amount of icing sugar, cake flour, xanthan gum and salt straining it into the bowl. Move the strainer over a second bowl and again sift the mixture into that bowl. Repeat sifting the mixture 4 times.
    • In the large bowl of a stand mixer beat the egg whites, water, cream of tartar and vanilla on medium-high speed.
    • Gradually add the second amount of icing sugar a few tablespoons at a time. Continue beating on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 3-4 minutes. Increase speed to high and beat until peaks become stiff and glossy, 2-3 minutes.
    • In stages sift the flour mixture onto the egg white mixture and gently folding it in. Pour the batter into the Angel food cake pan. Lightly tap the pan on the counter a few times to settle the batter.
    • Bake in preheated oven 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake upside down on an inverted glass or bottle until completely cooled, about 2 hours.

    FILLING

    • Whip the cream to soft peaks. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until it forms stiff peaks.

    ASSEMBLY

    • Remove cooked cake from the pan using a small plastic spatula to loosen the sides if needed. Using a serrated knife cut the cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom half on a serving tray.
    • Top with half of the whipped cream and most of the fruit. Place the top piece of cake on top.
    • Drop whipped cream onto the top of the cake by the spoonful pushing it close to the edges. Decorate with more fruit and/or fresh edible flowers. Refrigerate until serving.

    Notes

    HOMEMADE FLOUR: To make a special cake I'm willing to make a special flour blend for a single recipe. I may only make one Angel Food Cake a year so I want it to turn out. Use the remaining flour in any recipe where you want a light texture like muffins, pancakes or waffles.
    Keyword Angel Food Cake
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Dessert

    • Close up of small glass dishes with coconut ice cream topped with mango and peanuts.
      Coconut Ice Cream (Dairy Free)
    • Three dishes of Lemon Curd with a hand taking a spoonful out of one.
      Homemade Lemon Curd
    • A jar of Homemade Caramel Sauce wrapped and labelled for a gift; beside a sauce boat with caramel sauce on a ladle dripping back into the dish
      Easy Caramel Sauce
    • A white tray with slices of Light Christmas Fruitcake surrounded by holiday greenery and berries.
      Light Christmas Fruitcake
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Cinde Little, Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet

    Welcome! I’m Cinde, a foodie who loves teaching people to cook and have fun in the kitchen. I know you can learn to make the foods you miss and create a gluten free lifestyle you love.

    More about me →

    You might also like

    • A boule of Gluten Free Crusty Bread right from the oven.
      Homemade Crusty Bread
    • A stack of Chocolate Chip Cookies with teff flour.
      Chocolate Chip Cookies with Teff
    • Four bowls of gluten free flour for my EGFG flour blend; millet, sorghum, sweet rice flour and potato starch.
      EGFG Gluten Free Flour Blend
    • Three gluten free Banana Muffins resting on a turquoise tea towel waiting to be eaten warm.
      Banana Muffins

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Cinde
    • New to Gluten Free?
    • Contact

    Newsletter

    • Sign up here for updates and free resources

    Cooking Classes

    • Class Calendar
    • Gift Certificates

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Disclosure Policy

    Copyright © 2023 Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet