Choco-Cinnamon Angel Cake

This angel food cake adds cocoa powder and cinnamon to the classic all-white batter, creating a cake that’s still cloud-light and fat-free but with a warm, chocolatey flavor that regular angel cake can’t deliver. The combination of cocoa and cinnamon together gives it a Mexican hot chocolate character without any heaviness.

Angel food cake lives or dies by the egg whites. A cup and a half of whites (about 10 to 12 eggs worth) get beaten with cream of tartar and vanilla to stiff peaks, then the sugar goes in gradually while beating. The dry ingredients, sifted together and then folded in by fourths, get incorporated with the lightest possible hand to preserve all that precious air.

Baking on the lowest rack in an ungreased tube pan and inverting immediately after baking are both critical to the structure. The batter clings to the ungreased sides as it rises, and inverting prevents the cake from collapsing under its own weight as it cools. The top should spring back when lightly touched.

Chef Tips

• Bring egg whites to room temperature first. Warm whites whip to a greater volume than cold ones. Leave them out for 30 minutes before starting.
• Sift the dry ingredients thoroughly. Cocoa powder clumps badly. Sifting it with the flour, powdered sugar, and cinnamon ensures no brown pockets in the finished cake.
• Fold in fourths, not all at once. Adding all the dry ingredients at once collapses the egg whites. Four gentle additions preserve the volume.
• Do not grease the pan. The batter needs to grip the sides to rise properly. A greased pan means a collapsed cake.

Variations

• Dust with powdered sugar for a simple, elegant finish.
• Espresso angel cake: Replace the cinnamon with a tablespoon of instant espresso powder for a mocha version.
• Serve with whipped cream and berries to contrast the light, airy cake with fresh fruit and richness.