Light and airy Gluten Free Angel Food Cake is the perfect summer dessert. It’s easy to make and pairs well with many different toppings.
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Gluten Free Angel Food Cake
You don’t need a gluten free angel food cake mix to make a fantastic angel food cake. In fact, all you need is a few ingredients to make the best homemade angel food cake that just happens to be gluten free!
Angel Food Cake is one of those recipes that everyone loves. It’s an old-school family favorite that disappears at any gathering.
And since it’s a relatively light dessert, it feels almost guilt free.
Is Angel Food Cake Gluten Free?
Traditional Angel Food Cake is not gluten free because it’s made with All-Purpose Flour. While there isn’t as much flour in angel food cake as there is in a layer cake, the flour makes it unsafe to eat for those who are gluten free.
Luckily, you can easily make a Gluten Free Angel Food Cake using gluten free flour in place of all-purpose flour!
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
What You Need To Know About This Gluten Free Angel Food Cake Recipe
I use a “homemade” gluten free cake-flour in this angel food cake to give it a lighter texture. To make gluten free cake flour, I combine King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour with cornstarch.
It’s the same technique I used when making my Gluten Free Yellow Cake. You’ll get a lighter, fluffier cake when you have a higher starch:flour ratio.
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Angel Food Cake Ingredients
- King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- Caster Sugar or Super Fine Sugar – you can process granulated sugar in the food processor to make your own super fine sugar if needed.
- Cornstarch
- Egg Whites (from whole eggs that have been separated)
- Fine Sea Salt
- Cream of Tartar – helps to stabilize the egg whites
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract – optional but a traditional flavor in Angel Food Cake
Equipment Needed to Make Angel Food Cake from Scratch
- 10-inch Angel Food Cake Pan – for best results, use a Tube Pan with Feet because angel food cake has to cool upside down. This will give the cake enough height for air to circulate under the cake. If your pan doesn’t have feet, invert the cake pan onto a glass bottle or prop it up on heat proof makeshift feet.
- I used three of these Stainless Steel Metal Condiment Cups to prop my pan up on the cooling rack.
- Mixing Bowls – you’ll need 1 large bowl and 1 small/medium bowl. Be sure there is no oily residue or grease in the bowl you’ll be using to whip the egg whites.
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Fine Mesh Strainer
- Standard Baking Tools – measuring cups, measuring spoons, silicone spatula
- Cooling Rack
How to Make Angel Food Cake Gluten Free
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, making sure the middle rack is in the lower third of the oven.
Step 2. In a small bowl, sift and whisk together the gluten free flour, 3/4 cup caster sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
Step 3. Add the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to a large grease-free bowl. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Continue to beat the egg whites at medium speed until the egg whites have thickened and increased in volume. Add the remaining caster sugar a few tablespoons at a time until the meringue is shiny/glossy and holds a soft peak.
Step 4. Set the mixer aside and use a silicone spatula to fold 1/4 cup of the flour mixture into the meringue. Continue to fold 1/4 cup of the flour into the meringue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
Step 5. Transfer the batter to an ungreased 10-inch tube pan (angel food cake pan) and spread it evenly in the pan. Tap the pan on the counter (gently) a few times to release any large air pockets. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when gently pressed. Using a cake tester is not recommended for angel food cakes.
Step 6. When done, remove the cake from the pan and invert the pan onto a metal rack if your angel food cake pan has feet. If not, invert the pan onto a glass bottle or prop up on small heat proof containers, such as these condiment cups. Let the cake cool, upside-down, in the pan for at least 2 hours or until completely cool. Once cool, use a thin spatula (I use an offset spatula,) to loosen the cake from the pan and turn the cake onto a cake plate.
Angel Food Cake Toppings
- Fresh Berries
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- White Chocolate Ganache Whipped Cream
- Chocolate Ganache
- Lemon Curd
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Crushed Pineapple
- Raspberry Sauce
Can you Freeze Angel Food Cake?
I love to freeze individual slices of leftover cake and luckily, Angel Food Cake freezes really well too! To freeze, slice the leftover cake into individual pieces. Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and then store the wrapped slices in a freezer-safe bag, being sure to squeeze out as much air from the bag as possible.
Angel Food Cake will keep in the freezer for several months. Defrost at room temperature when ready to serve.
Tips for Making Angel Food Cake
- Use the right pan. For best results, you need an Angel Food Cake Pan (aka Tube Pan) to bake this cake. It just won’t come out the same if baked in another type of baking pan.
- Don’t use egg whites from a carton. They may not whip up properly and therefore, won’t provide the right structure to the cake.
- Whip the egg whites to soft peaks instead of stiff peaks. Over-whipped egg whites can result in a dense or rubbery angel food cake. An angel food cake baked with egg whites whipped to soft peaks will also rise higher.
- Don’t add all the dry ingredients at once – it will be too heavy and will deflate some of the egg whites.
- Fold in the dry ingredients instead of stirring them in. Folding is a gentle way to incorporate the dry ingredients without deflating the egg whites.
- Angel Food Cake Batter should be pourable instead of spoonable. If your egg whites are whipped properly (to soft peaks, as mentioned above), the batter won’t be stiff. The batter also won’t be liquidy/fluid but will be fluffy and thin enough to pour into the cake pan. It reminds me somewhat of French Macaron batter.
- Don’t grease the pan! Angel food cake needs to stick to the sides of the pan while it bakes so it can use the sides to “climb”. If you grease the pan, the cake won’t stick and it won’t rise and it will turn out heavy and dense.
- Don’t open the oven while the cake is baking! The oven temperature will fluctuate when you open the oven door. Keep the door closed to prevent the cake from collapsing.
- Cool the cake upside down in the pan until it’s completely cool.
- Use a serrated knife (bread knife) to slice using a sawing back-and-forth motion.
Other Gluten Free Summer Dessert Recipes To Try
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Gluten Free Angel Food Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Caster Sugar or superfine sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups egg whites from 10-12 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, making sure the middle rack is in the lower third of the oven.
- In a small bowl, sift and whisk together the gluten free flour, 3/4 cup caster sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Add the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to a large grease-free bowl. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts.
- Continue to beat the egg whites at medium speed until the egg whites have thickened and increased in volume. Add the remaining 3/4 cup caster sugar a few tablespoons at a time until the meringue is shiny/glossy and holds a soft peak.
- Set the mixer aside and use a silicone spatula to fold 1/4 cup of the flour mixture into the meringue. Continue to fold 1/4 cup of the flour into the meringue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to an ungreased 10-inch tube pan (angel food cake pan) and spread it evenly in the pan. Tap the pan on the counter (gently) a few times to release any large air pockets.
- Bake in the lower third of the oven for 45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when gently pressed. Using a cake tester is not recommended for angel food cake.
- When done, remove the cake from the pan and invert the pan onto a metal rack if your angel food cake pan has feet. If not, invert the pan onto a glass bottle or prop up on small heat proof containers, such as these condiment cups.
- Let the cake cool, upside-down, in the pan for at least 2 hours or until completely cool. Once cool, use a thin spatula (I use an offset spatula,) to loosen the cake from the pan and turn the cake onto a cake plate.
- Use a serrated knife to slice. Serve immediately with desired toppings (see blog post for suggestions) or wrap tightly in plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Notes
- Read the blog post for helpful tips on making Gluten Free Angel Food Cake.
- Recipe adapted from King Arthur Baking Company.
- You can make your own superfine sugar by processing granulated sugar in the food processor or purchase it online.
- Store leftovers at room temperature wrapped in tightly in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for 1-2 days. See post for freezing instructions.
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren’t always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
Fabulous recipe!
Thank you, Tammy!