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This Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake is so tender and fluffy that you’d never guess it’s gluten-free! Pile slices high with whipped cream and berries, drizzle with chocolate sauce, or make a gluten-free trifle – it’s a light-as-air cake dream.
Easy Gluten Free Angel Food Cake
Do you love angel food cakes? I certainly do! Angel food cake is like a giant marshmallow of a cake that just melts in your mouth with every bite. Angel food cake also easily translates into a gluten-free cake recipe because it doesn’t call for that much flour. You’ll need just one cup of flour for the entire batter, making it super simple to swap out for gluten-free flour.
A traditional angel food cake gets most of its height from whipped egg whites, and this gluten-free version follows that same principle. You won’t need any baking powder or baking soda here, but make sure to beat a lot of air into the egg whites when you’re making the batter!
I love this angel food cake recipe for its simplicity. You need just 6 ingredients and they are absolutely unfussy. A little bonus of making angel food cake is that you’ll have a lot of egg yolks left over, so definitely save them and use them in other recipes such as an egg yolk-based pudding, vanilla pastry cream or a luscious citrus curd.
It’s important to the overall structure of the cake to whip as much air into the egg whites as possible, so while it may feel like it’s taking a long time to whip the whites, don’t skimp on this step. Bringing your egg whites to room temperature before beating them will also help you achieve a perfect gluten-free angel food cake.
Why is it Called Angel Food?
Angel food cake gets its name from its incredibly light texture. It has been called a “heavenly cake” with the idea that it’s such a light cake that angels could eat it and still be able to fly without being weighed down.
With its soft, springy texture and neutral flavor, angel food cake lends itself perfectly to all sorts of toppings and additions. Check out my variation ideas below and let your imagination soar!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is such a lovely recipe. From its incredibly soft and spongy texture to its versatility, here are a few reasons why you’re going to love this cake as much as I do!
- Easily adapted to be gluten-free. As mentioned above, a regular angel food cake recipe needs just one cup of flour in the whole batter. So you can just slip in your favorite gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour with great results.
- So versatile. Angel food cake is amazing plain but because this recipe uses just a little bit of vanilla for flavoring you can add as many toppings as you wish. I’ve outlined some suggestions below but may I point you in the direction of lots of softly whipped cream and fresh berries as the best topping ideas?
- The light-as-air texture. Angel food cake is so special because of its texture, which is unique among cakes. The 12 egg whites create a spongy, fluffy cake that’s hard to resist.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s the ingredients list for what you’ll need to make gluten-free angel food cake. The recipe card at the end of this post will includes full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Sugar: If you can find superfine sugar this will help the sugar better dissolve into the batter and create a smoother cake. Or you can simply use a food processor to grind down granulated sugar.
- Gluten-Free Flour: Use your preferred 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill.
- Salt: Use fine sea salt or table salt in this recipe.
- Egg Whites: Save the egg yolks to use in other recipes, such as a chocolate pudding or flan that uses only egg yolks.
- Cream of Tartar: This helps the egg whites to achieve the most height. You can get away with not using it if you don’t have any, but you may need to beat the egg whites longer.
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
How to Make Angel Food Cake
Here is my easy method for making gluten-free angel food cake. Note that the oven is set a little lower when you bake this cake, to 325°F.
- Preheat the oven. Adjust the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Prepare the dry ingredients. Pulse the granulated sugar in a food processor for about 1 1/2 minutes until the grains are slightly finer. Remove 1 cup of the sugar and set aside. Add the gluten-free baking flour and salt to the remaining flour in the food processor and pulse a few times to help mix and fluff the ingredients. Set aside.
- Whip the egg whites. In a large mixing bowl add the 12 room-temperature egg whites and cream of tartar. With a handheld or stand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium until foamy, about 1 minute. Slowly add the 1 cup of fine sugar (previously pulsed in the food processor)then beat on high for about 6 minutes until soft peaks form. Blend in the vanilla extract.
- Sift in the flour mix. Use a fine mesh sieve to sift one-third of the total flour mixture gently onto the top of the egg white mixture. Use a rubber spatula to very gently fold the flour mixture in. Take care not to deflate the egg whites. Add more of the flour mixture in the same manner in two more additions.
- Pour the batter carefully into a tube pan. Pour the batter into a 9 or 10-inch tube pan. It’s important that you don’t grease or spray the pan because this could affect the rise. Use the rubber spatula to gently smooth out the surface of the cake
- Bake the cake. Bake the cake on a rack situated in the bottom third of the oven for 40-45 minutes. Check the cake at 40 minutes with a long wooden skewer to see if it comes out clean – this means it’s done. The top should be golden brown.
- Cool the cake. The tube pan needs to be inverted (upside down) while the cake cools for a couple of hours. If your tube pan has feet on it for this purpose, you can invert it directly onto the counter top. If it doesn’t have feet, you can invert it onto a wine bottle or other bottle that the center of the tube pan can fit through.
- Now remove the cake from the pan. Once the cake is completely cooled, use a thin knife to go around both the inner and outer edges of the tube pan. Remove cake from pan.
Ways to Eat Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake is amazing when dressed up with a variety of toppings and sauces. You could also use it in other recipes, such as gluten-free trifle or tiramisu.
Toppings
- Top with whipped cream and fruit. This is my preferred way to serve angel food cake! It’s so simple and so satisfying. The soft, spongy cake is amazing topped with sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries.
- Whipped coconut cream. If you would like to keep your angel food cake entirely dairy-free, topping slices with whipped coconut cream is a great way to add a rich topping without dairy. You can buy cans of coconut cream or skim the cream off the top of a can of coconut milk. Then whip the coconut cream the same way you’d whip heavy cream.
- Drizzle with strawberry, chocolate, or caramel sauce. Any one of these sauces would make a wonderfully simple topping for slices of angel food cake. Add some toasted almonds or honey glazed walnuts for crunch.
- Sprinkle with crushed pineapple. For a more tropical treat, top your angel food cake with crushed pineapple and a cloud of whipped cream.
Variations
- Make it a lemon angel food cake. Adding citrus zest to the batter will give your cake a wonderful flavor. I love adding lemon zest to the batter along with the flour, but you could make it a lime or orange angel food cake, too.
- Bake a chocolate angel food cake. Substitute half of the gluten-free flour for unsweetened cocoa powder to make a chocolate angel food cake.
Other ways to use it
- Turn it into a trifle. Trifle is a layered confection of angel food cake, berries, and whipped cream. This angel food cake recipe would work perfectly in a trifle.
- Use in tiramisu. To make a gluten-free tiramisu, substitute slices of this gluten-free angel food cake for the lady finger cookies.
- Build a sundae. Use slices of angel food cake, top with your favorite ice cream, layer on some chocolate glaze and whipped cream, and make a gluten-free cake sundae! You could also just top slices with ice cream for a decadent treat.
FAQS
Angel food is not traditionally gluten-free because it uses flour in the batter.
Angel food cake is considered a healthier cake because it doesn’t need any fat, such as oil or butter, and uses egg whites. This results in an entirely fat-free cake.
How to Store
Here’s how to store leftover gluten-free angel food cake:
Counter – Store angel food cake, wrapped tightly in plastic, on the counter for up to 2 days.
Fridge – Place leftover angel food cake in an airtight container or wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then place it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature on the counter before serving it.
Can You Freeze Angel Food Cake?
Yes, you can freeze angel food cake. You can freeze the whole, uncut cake by first wrapping it in plastic wrap and then foil. Place the cake in the freezer and store for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before using.
If you wish to freeze individual slices, wrap each slice in plastic wrap and then place the slices in an airtight freezer-safe bag. Place in the freezer and store for up to 3 months. Defrost the slices of cake in the fridge before eating.
What Kind of Pan Do You Use?
Angel food cake is best when baked in a tube pan. You will not need to grease the tube pan and it’s important that you don’t do so so that the oil doesn’t affect the texture of the cake! And while you may be tempted to use a regular cake pan, it unfortunately will not work for baking an angel food cake. In a pinch, you can use a loaf pan. If you do use a loaf pan, line just the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper. You may also need to adjust the baking time if you use a different pan.
Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup/ 325 grams sugar
- 1 cup/112 grams 1:1 gluten-free baking flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
- Pulse the granulated sugar in a food processor for about 1 1/2 minutes until the grains are slightly finer. Remove 1 cup of the sugar and set aside. Add the gluten-free baking flour and salt to the remaining flour in the food processor and pulse a few times to help mix and fluff the ingredients. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add the 12 room-temperature egg whites and cream of tartar. With a handheld or stand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium until foamy, about 1 minute. Slowly add the 1 cup of fine sugar (previously pulsed in the food processor)then beat on high for about 6 minutes until soft peaks form. Blend in the vanilla extract.
- Use a fine mesh sieve to sift one-third of the total flour mixture gently onto the top of the egg white mixture. Use a rubber spatula to very gently fold the flour mixture in. Take care not to deflate the egg whites. Add more of the flour mixture in the same manner in two more additions.
- Pour the batter into a 9 or 10-inch tube pan (do NOT spray the pan with cooking spray). Use the rubber spatula to gently smooth out the surface of the cake
- Bake the cake on a rack situated in the bottom third of the oven for 40-45 minutes. Check the cake at 40 minutes with a long wooden skewer to see if it comes out clean – this means it's done. The top should be golden brown.
- The tube pan needs to be inverted (upside down) while the cake cools for a couple of hours. If your tube pan has feet on it for this purpose, you can invert it directly onto the counter top. If it doesn’t have feet, you can invert it onto a wine bottle or other bottle that the center of the tube pan can fit through.
- Once the cake is completely cooled use a thin knife to go around both the inner and outer edges of the tube pan. Remove cake from pan.
- Cake can be decorated with powdered sugar and berries if you like.
- Use a serrated knife to cut to help prevent crushing the cake while cutting. Serve with whipped cream (dairy or non-dairy), and berries.
Notes
- I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free baking flour
- To measure the correct amount of flour for this recipe, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and then use a knife to sweep the excess off. If you scoop the flour with the measuring cup and then sweep off the excess you will end up with too much flour.
- You do not want any of the other yolk or other fat to contact the egg whites or they will not whip properly. Carefully separate the eggs. It is best to separate them while very cold, using a small bowl to separate each one individually, then adding that one egg white to the rest of the whites after checking there is no yolk in it. You can also slightly dampen a paper towel with a bit of white vinegar to wipe out the mixing bowl and whisk attachment to remove any residual oils from previous recipes.
- It is best to use room-temperature egg whites as warm egg whites whip to a higher volume than cold egg whites. Egg whites need to be whipped until medium-soft peaks form, not stiff peaks. If you whip to stiff peaks the cake can become too dense and chewy. A medium soft peak will hold its shape but the tips will still flop back a bit when the beater is inverted, whereas stiff peaks stand straight up.
- Do not grease or spray the tube pan. The eggs are the only leavening agent in this recipe so as the cake rises in the oven it needs to cling to the edges of the tube pan to maintain its height. If the sides are too slippery it will not rise enough while baking and will deflate while cooling – or fall out of the pan. I used a tube pan that is advertised as non-stick and it worked fine.
Did you make this?
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This cake turned out absolutely amazing! My whole family loved it. Will definitely be making it again!
This is so yummy with fresh strawberries and cream. Great recipe