Angel Food Cake: Keto-Friendly Indulgence?

Angel food cake is a light and airy vanilla sponge cake. It is typically made with egg whites, flour, and sugar, and no butter or fat. But can you make it keto?

The answer is yes! Keto angel food cake is light, fluffy, and has the same flavor as traditional angel food cake but without the sugar and flours. It is also gluten-free and diabetic-friendly.

To make a keto-friendly angel food cake, you can use super-fine blanched almond flour, coconut flour, and powdered monk fruit sweetener. The process is a little finicky, but the results are worth it. You'll need to separate your eggs, beat the egg whites until frothy, and then carefully fold in the dry ingredients. Don't grease the pan, as the cake needs to climb up the sides.

So, if you're craving a sweet treat that's low in carbs, give keto angel food cake a try!

The ingredients you'll need

Ingredients You'll Need

The Basics

To make a keto-friendly angel food cake, you'll need eggs, flour, a sweetener, and flavouring.

Eggs

The eggs are the most important ingredient in this recipe, as they provide the bulk of the cake's structure. You'll need to separate the whites from the yolks, as the whites will be beaten until stiff peaks form. This will give the cake its signature light and airy texture. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start, as this will make them easier to separate and will help them whip up better. You'll need about 10-12 egg whites in total.

Flour

For a keto-friendly version, you'll want to use a flour alternative like almond flour, coconut flour, or arrowroot starch. These flours are lower in carbohydrates than traditional wheat flour and will give the cake a light and airy texture. You'll need about 1-1.5 cups of flour in total.

Sweetener

To keep the cake keto-friendly, you'll want to use a sugar alternative like erythritol, monk fruit, or allulose. You can use a granulated or powdered form, but be aware that the powdered form will dissolve more easily and give a less gritty texture to the cake. You'll need about 1/2-3/4 cup of sweetener in total.

Flavouring

Vanilla and almond extracts are classic flavourings for angel food cake, but you can also experiment with other options like lemon zest or orange peel. You'll only need about 1-2 teaspoons of flavouring in total.

Optional Ingredients

Some recipes also call for additional ingredients like cream of tartar, protein powder, or xanthan gum. These ingredients can help stabilize the egg whites, add structure to the cake, or improve the texture. However, they are not strictly necessary, and you can make a delicious angel food cake without them.

Tools and Equipment

In addition to the ingredients, you'll need some basic baking tools and equipment:

• Two large mixing bowls (one for the egg whites and one for the dry ingredients)
• A hand mixer or stand mixer
• A rubber spatula for folding the ingredients together
• A tube pan or angel food cake pan (ungreased)

How to make the batter

To make the batter for a keto-friendly angel food cake, you will need to follow a few precise steps. Here is a detailed, step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients

First, gather and measure out all the dry ingredients for your cake. The exact quantities and types of dry ingredients may vary depending on the recipe, but typically, you will need some kind of flour (such as almond flour, coconut flour, or arrowroot starch) , a sweetener (such as erythritol, monk fruit, or allulose), and possibly additional ingredients like cream of tartar, protein powder, or baking powder.

Step 2: Separate the Eggs

Separate the egg whites from the yolks, making sure that no yolk gets into the whites. You can do this by cracking each egg and transferring the white to a separate bowl before adding it to the large mixing bowl. This way, if you accidentally break a yolk, you can easily discard it without contaminating the other egg whites. The number of eggs you need will depend on the recipe, but most angel food cake recipes require a significant number of eggs as they are the bulk ingredient that gives the cake its volume.

Step 3: Beat the Egg Whites

Use a stand mixer or an electric mixer to beat the egg whites until they are frothy and form soft peaks. This step is crucial, as it incorporates air into the batter, giving the cake its light and airy texture. Make sure to use a large bowl, as the volume of the egg whites will increase significantly during this process. You may also add cream of tartar at this stage to help stabilize the egg whites.

Step 4: Add the Sweetener

With the mixer still running, slowly add the sweetener to the egg whites. Continue beating until the mixture forms soft, glossy peaks. Be careful not to overmix or form stiff peaks, as this can affect the texture of the cake.

Step 5: Combine Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour(s) and any remaining dry ingredients, ensuring there are no lumps. You may also want to sift the dry ingredients through a fine mesh sieve to ensure a light and airy texture.

Step 6: Fold in the Dry Ingredients

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture, working in small batches. Be careful not to deflate the egg whites during this process. Gradually sift in the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently combine the ingredients until just incorporated.

Step 7: Transfer to a Pan

Gently scoop the batter into an ungreased tube pan. Do not grease the pan, as the cake needs to "climb" up the sides of the pan as it bakes. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula and wipe off any drops of batter from the sides.

Your keto angel food cake batter is now ready to be baked! Simply follow the baking instructions in your chosen recipe, and enjoy your delicious, keto-friendly treat.

Baking the cake

Ingredients

• 12 large egg whites (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sweetener (divided)
• 1 cup arrowroot starch or tapioca starch or 1 3/4 cups almond flour or 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 325-350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-10 inch tube pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, sea salt, and half the sweetener. Make sure there are no lumps.

In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or an electric mixer to beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.

Slowly beat in the remaining sweetener, a little at a time, until soft glossy peaks form.

Slowly beat in the dry ingredients, a little at a time, until smooth. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Gently scoop the batter into the pan, being careful not to break down the egg whites. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 35-50 minutes, until the top is uniformly golden and springs back when lightly pressed.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then, turn the pan upside down and let it cool completely.

Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan and the centre tube to loosen the cake. Invert the pan over a cake plate and tap the bottom to release the cake.

Cooling the cake

There are three ways to cool the cake upside down:

• On a bottle: Place the neck of a sturdy glass bottle into the hole in the centre of the tube pan, then invert the pan so that the bottle stands upright and the tube pan is upside down on it, floating with airflow underneath.
• On a wire rack: Place the inverted pan over a wire rack to cool. However, if your cake has overflowed, the rack may leave marks on top.
• Use a pan with feet: Special tube pans have feet that lift the pan off the counter, allowing airflow underneath.

The cake must be allowed to cool completely upside down before removing it from the pan. This usually takes about 2 hours, but can take up to 3 hours. Once the cake is completely cool, run a knife along the edges of the pan to release it, then gently remove the cake from the pan.

Storing the cake

Angel food cake is best enjoyed fresh, but it can be made ahead and stored for later. If you're not planning on eating it right away, it's important to let the cake cool completely before storing.

Once the cake has cooled, you can store it at room temperature, covered, for up to 4 days. If you want to keep it longer, it's best to freeze it. To freeze the cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to prevent drying out. When you're ready to enjoy it, simply thaw the cake at room temperature and it will be as good as new!

If you have any leftover egg yolks from making the angel food cake, you can store them in the fridge for 3 days or so. You can also freeze them for later use.

• Place plastic wrap over any cut ends of the cake to keep them from drying out.
• If you plan to freeze the cake, it's best to slice it first and then wrap the slices individually. That way, you can easily take out a slice whenever you crave a sweet treat without having to thaw the entire cake.
• To thaw a frozen cake, simply let it sit at room temperature until it's soft and ready to be enjoyed.
• You can also get creative with your leftovers by using them in other keto-friendly recipes, such as adding a few extra egg yolks to an omelet or quiche.

Frequently asked questions