Chocolate Angel Cake
Submitted by panda
Chocolate angel food cake made with cocoa folded into billowy egg white batter, baked fat-free in a tube pan. A light, airy chocolate cake garnished with raspberries and nectarines.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
60 minREADY
80 minTwelve egg whites whipped to stiff peaks with sugar, then folded with cocoa dissolved in hot water and sifted cake flour. No butter. No oil. No egg yolks. This angel food cake gets its lift entirely from beaten egg whites and its chocolate flavor from pure cocoa.
The technique is all about preserving air. Beat the whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, sift the flour mixture over in two batches (don’t dump), and fold gently. The cocoa mixture gets incorporated through a portion of the whites first, then folded back into the main batter. This staged approach prevents deflating all that carefully whipped volume at once.
Running a knife through the batter after pouring it into the tube pan removes hidden air pockets that would create holes in the finished cake.
Cooling the cake inverted (tube over a bottle neck) prevents it from collapsing under its own weight. Angel food cakes need to set upside down.
Chef Tips
- Use a completely clean, grease-free bowl for whipping whites. Even a trace of fat prevents them from reaching full volume.
- Don’t grease the tube pan. The batter needs to cling to the sides as it rises. Grease causes it to slide down.
- The cake is done when it springs back to a light touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Garnish with fresh raspberries and nectarine slices for color contrast against the dark chocolate.
Variations
- Mocha angel cake: Dissolve instant espresso in the hot water with the cocoa for a coffee-chocolate version.
- Chocolate glaze: Drizzle a thin chocolate ganache over the cooled cake for a more indulgent finish.
Ingredients
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350? F.
In a medium bowl, combine cocoa and hot water.
Mix well; cool.
In a small bowl, combine ¾ cup of sugar, flour, and salt.
Mix well; set aside.
2 In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat egg whites until foamy.
Add cream of tartar; continue beating until soft peaks form.
Gradually add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.
- Sift half of flour mixture over egg white mixture; fold gently until Repeat with the remaining flour mixture. Stir 1 cup of egg white mixture into cocoa mixture. Gently but thoroughly fold cocoa mixture into remaining egg white mixture until combined.
- Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Run a small knife through batter to remove air pockets. Bake until springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
- Invert pan and place center tube over the neck of a bottle. Cool completely. Using a knife, loosen cake edges. Invert the cake onto a serving plate; garnish with raspberries and nectarine slices.
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