No-Cholesterol Chocolate Angel Food Cake
Submitted by sherrita
Cloud-light chocolate angel food cake that’s fat-free and cholesterol-free, leavened entirely by whipped egg whites and flavored with cocoa. An airy, guilt-light dessert with deep chocolate flavor.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
30 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsAll the airy, cloud-like texture of angel food cake, now in chocolate, and with zero fat or cholesterol. There are no yolks, no butter, no oil; the entire cake rises on nothing but whipped egg whites.
That makes technique everything. Beat the whites with cream of tartar (which stabilizes them) to stiff, glossy peaks, then fold in the cocoa and flour with a gentle under-and-over motion. The recipe walks you through the exact folding strokes, and for good reason: rough mixing deflates the whites and you lose the rise.
Bake it in an ungreased tube pan. The batter needs to climb and cling to the dry sides as it rises; a greased pan would make it slip and sink.
And don’t skip inverting the pan to cool. Hanging upside down keeps the delicate cake from collapsing under its own weight before it sets. Serve plain or with a fruit compote.
Pro Tips
- Beat the egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks; they’re the only leavening in the cake.
- Fold the flour-cocoa in gently with an under-and-over motion to keep the whites airy.
- Use an ungreased tube pan so the batter can climb and cling as it rises.
- Cool the cake inverted, at least two hours, so it doesn’t collapse before setting.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Serve with fresh berries, fruit compote, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Drizzle with a thin chocolate glaze if you’re not keeping it fat-free.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
In a small bowl, combine flour and cocoa with ¾ cup sugar.
Mix well and set aside.
Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl.
Add salt and cream of tartar.
Beat at high speed of an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Test by turning off machine and raising beater slowly.
Gradually add the remaining sugar, ¼ cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
Continue beating until stiff peaks form when you remove the beaters.
With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the vanilla.
Then sprinkle a fourth of the flour mixture over the beaten egg whites.
Using an under-and-over motion, gently fold in the flour with the spatula.
Do 5 strokes, rotating the bowl as you fold in the flour.
Repeat three more times, until the flour mixture is all used up.
Then fold an additional 10 strokes. Flour mixture should be blended into the egg whites.
Gently pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Invert tube pan over the neck of a glass bottle.
Keep the cake inverted until completely cool, at least two hours.
With a sharp knife, carefully loosen cake from the pan.
Serve plain or garnished with a fruit compote.
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