Gluten Free Angel Food Cake

This Gluten Free Angel Food Cake is one of the most impressive things I make in my kitchen and one of the recipes I am most proud of. Angel food cake has a reputation for being intimidating but once you understand the technique it is actually very approachable and the result is a light and airy cake so delicious that nobody at the table will suspect it is gluten free.

I make this with Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour and both produce a beautiful cake with a soft white crumb and a perfectly golden crust.

As someone with celiac disease I spent years missing out on angel food cake because the store bought versions and the mixes all contain gluten. Making it from scratch with the right gluten free flour blend completely solved that problem.

The secret to getting that classic light and fluffy texture is all in the egg whites. They need to be at room temperature, whipped to stiff peaks, and folded gently into the flour mixture without deflating them. Take your time with those steps and the cake will reward you with a texture that rivals any traditional version.

Serve it with fresh strawberries and whipped cream and it becomes one of the most beautiful and crowd pleasing desserts you can put on a table.

I topped the cake in these photos with my gluten free strawberry rhubarb sauce.

You can find all of my cake recipes here: Gluten Free Cake Recipes

Ingredients

• Gluten Free Flour
• Confectioner's Sugar
• Arrowroot Powder
• Egg Whites
• Cream of Tartar
• Sea Salt
• Vanilla Extract
• Almond Extract

Instructions

Move your oven racks to the lowest height. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Do not grease your tube pan!

Sift and then whisk together gluten free flour, 1 cup confectioner's sugar and arrowroot powder in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer on medium speed whisk together egg whites, cream of tartar and sea salt until light and foamy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Increase the speed of your mixer to medium-high and whisk the mixture until the egg whites have increased in volume and are thickened.

Add 1 cup of confectioner's sugar gradually and whisk until a stiff meringue forms. You can check this by removing your whisk attachment and seeing if you have peaks that don't fall.

Fold in the flour mixture using a spatula.

Spoon the cake batter into your tube pan. Do not grease your tube pan!

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. The cake will be lightly browned, the top of the cake will look dry and slightly cracked and will spring back when you touch it when it's done.

Remove the cake from the oven and invert the tube pan either on its legs or over a bottle.

Cool your cake for at least one hour and then using a knife go around the edges of the pan to remove the cake from the tube pan.

Serve your cake with whipped cream and berries or my Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce.

Supplies

If you make this Gluten Free Angel Food Cake I would love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment below and let me know or tag me on Instagram so I can see your beautiful cake.

This is one of those gluten free baking achievements that feels so rewarding when it comes out perfectly. Save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board so you always have it ready for summer entertaining, holiday gatherings, or any occasion that calls for something light and special!

Storage Instructions

Store leftover gluten free angel food cake in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature for an hour before serving. The cake freezes beautifully and is a great make ahead option for summer entertaining.

Why Angel Food Cake Is Actually Easy to Make Gluten Free

Angel food cake barely needs any flour and the only flour a traditional version uses is cake flour which has the least amount of gluten of any traditional flour type. This is why it is a surprise to no one that a gluten free angel food cake looks and tastes just like the classic version.

The structure and lift of angel food cake comes almost entirely from whipped egg whites rather than from gluten. This means that switching to a gluten free flour blend has very little impact on the final texture compared to other baked goods like bread or pizza dough where gluten is doing most of the structural work. For celiac disease baking angel food cake is genuinely one of the most forgiving recipes to convert.

The Most Important Technique: Whipping Egg Whites

Getting the egg whites right is the single most important step in this recipe. Here is everything you need to know.

• Start with room temperature egg whites. Cold egg whites do not whip up as well as room temperature ones. Separate your eggs while they are still cold since cold eggs separate more easily, then let the whites sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before whipping.
• Use a completely clean bowl and whisk. Any trace of fat, oil, or egg yolk in your bowl or on your whisk will prevent the egg whites from whipping properly. Wipe your bowl and whisk attachment with a paper towel dipped in white vinegar before you begin.
• Whip to stiff peaks. The egg whites should be whipped until they hold firm glossy peaks that stand straight up when you lift the whisk. Under whipped egg whites produce a dense cake. Over whipped egg whites become dry and clumpy and are also difficult to fold without breaking down.
• You can use carton egg whites as a time saving shortcut. Carton egg whites are pasteurized and sometimes do not whip up as much as fresh egg whites but many bakers have had success with them in this recipe. Fresh egg whites are still the recommended option for the best volume and texture.
• Fold gently. Once the egg whites are whipped fold the flour mixture into them using a large rubber spatula with slow and deliberate strokes. The goal is to combine the flour and egg whites without deflating the air you just whipped in. Do not stir or mix aggressively.

The Critical Cooling Step

The most important post baking step is inverting the cake immediately after it comes out of the oven and propping it upside down. Without this step the cake will sink as it cools and you will lose all the beautiful height and airy texture you worked for.

Most tube pans have small feet on the rim that allow you to invert the pan on a flat surface and let air circulate under the cake. If your pan does not have feet insert a bottle through the center tube and let the pan hang upside down over the bottle.

The cake must cool completely in this inverted position for at least one hour before you attempt to remove it from the pan. Running a thin knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan helps release the cake cleanly once it has cooled.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

A sticky or gummy texture usually means there was too much moisture or the cake was not baked long enough. It can happen if the egg whites were over whipped, the air was humid, or the flour blend had too much starch. Bake until the top is golden and springs back when touched and always let the cake cool completely upside down so the crumb sets properly.

• My cake sank in the middle. This almost always means the cake was not cooled upside down or was removed from the pan before it had cooled completely. Always invert immediately after baking and wait the full cooling time before removing.
• My cake is dense rather than airy. This usually means the egg whites were not whipped to stiff peaks or were deflated during the folding step. Take extra time on the whipping step and fold as gently as possible.
• My cake browned too quickly on top. Place the pan on the lower rack of your oven rather than the middle or lower middle rack to prevent the top from browning before the inside is fully cooked.

Which Gluten Free Flour Works Best

Not all gluten free flour blends perform equally in angel food cake. This recipe is specifically tested with Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour. Both are one to one flour blends that already contain xanthan gum which is important for the structure of this cake.

Avoid flour blends that are primarily made from bean flours since they can produce an off flavor in delicate baked goods like angel food cake where the flour is meant to be a neutral background to the egg white and vanilla flavors.

Do not use almond flour or coconut flour as a substitute since neither has the right starch and protein content to support the egg white structure in this recipe.

Serving Suggestions

This gluten free angel food cake is a blank canvas for beautiful summer desserts. Here are my favorite ways to serve it.

• Classic strawberries and whipped cream. Slice the cake and serve with a generous spoonful of fresh sliced strawberries macerated in a little sugar and a cloud of freshly whipped cream. This is the quintessential angel food cake serving and it is perfect for a reason.
• Summer berry topping. Use a mix of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for a colorful and impressive presentation that works beautifully for summer entertaining and Fourth of July gatherings.
• As strawberry shortcake. Split the cake horizontally into two layers and fill with whipped cream and sliced strawberries for a stunning layered shortcake that serves a crowd beautifully.
• As a trifle. Cut the cake into cubes and layer with vanilla pudding, fresh berries, and whipped cream in a trifle bowl for one of the most impressive and easy desserts you can make for a potluck or party.
• Plain with coffee. A slice of this cake with a cup of coffee is a genuinely wonderful breakfast or afternoon treat that does not need any additional toppings at all.