A chocolate angel food cake to fall in love with - Kitsap Sun

Anne Willhoit  |  Special to the Kitsap Sun

I love this cake! I'm not sure that's a professional way to begin a recipe headnote, but I just had to say it. I love it so much! This cake has been in my files for over 20 years when, during a first grade collage project, a student tore it from a magazine, handed it to me, and insightfully said, "You like cake." I've played with it, forgotten about it, messed it up a few times, and then recently brought it back out to scribble on and love all over again. I haven't much use for regular angel food cake (sorry, I don't love meringues either), but this cake. This cake! It has such a depth and texture to it. It's craveable and it's very different from your usual chocolate cake.

Angel food cake is a good companion to summertime not only because it pairs well with berries, but because it's the perfect thing to make with the egg whites left over from ice cream making. When separating eggs, save the whites in a jar for a couple of days. Some people freeze them and, if you do this, be sure to label how many you've put in the container. Before using, thaw completely in the fridge overnight. 

If you're afraid of making meringue, convince yourself to give it a go. (This cake is worth it!) Yes, you have to pay attention and yes, you have to trust your instincts. But it's doable. There are a lot of different recipes that encourage different techniques to tell if your egg whites are beaten perfectly, but it wasn't until I saw the contestants on the Great British Baking Show absurdly holding the bowls upside down over their heads that I really began to nail it. It's true. Look for beaten peaks that don't wiggle when you tilt the bowl. Or hold it over your head, if you really must. I'm not that brave.

Chocolate angel food cake

need: one ungreased tube pan with removable bottom

for cake:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. sugar + 3/4 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

10-11 egg whites (about 1 1/2 c.)

2 tsp. vanilla

for optional glaze:

2 c. confectioner's sugar, sifted

3 tbls. warm coffee

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. Prepare your tube pan. Dust it off because you probably haven't used it in awhile and put it on the counter. That's it. Don't do anything else. Greasing the tube pan is a bad idea. As this delicate cake bakes and grows, clinging to the side is what gives it structure.
2. Preheat the oven to 325F.
3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and salt on medium with a whisk attachment until they start to hold a shape. Slowly pour in the 3/4 c. sugar as you beat on high. Look for glossy, stable peaks. 
5. Add vanilla and beat just a few seconds more.
6. Gently fold in about one third of the flour mixture until it looks uniform. Then fold in the rest of the flour mixture in even more gently. (Think: scoop and fold.)
7. Pour the batter into the pan and, using a butter knife, chop through it to remove air bubbles. Smooth the top.
8. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
9. After you remove the cake from the oven and flip it upside down to preserve the light texture. (If your pan doesn't have feet, use the age old trick of letting the tube rest on a bottle or can.) Let it cool completely.
10. To remove the cake from the pan, run a butter knife around the outside edge and around the middle tube. Run it also along the inside of the bottom lip (as you look at the bottom of the pan.) Take off the outside pan. Hold the cake top side up, with the bottom of the pan in your hand. Run a knife along the flat part of the bottom, detaching the cake from the pan. A swift flip will get it off the tube and back onto the rack in one piece.
11. If glazing, stab the top of the cake all over with a toothpick. Set the rack on a baking sheet to catch the drips. Mix the glaze ingredients together and pour it on. When dry, move the cake to your cake plate.

Anne Willhoit is an educator, community volunteer, and enthusiastic baker who likes to create recipes that use from-scratch techniques and are inspired by local, seasonal ingredients. Find her on Instagram at @aawillhoit or drop her an inquiry at FromScratchKS@gmail.com.  

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