Gluten-free Angel Food Cake #recipe from author @DarylWoodGerber + book #giveaway

From Daryl:

There's a book giveaway below so don't miss it.  Why a giveaway? Because my new novel of suspense comes out next week.  DESOLATE SHORES.  It's already getting great reviews on Net Galley and Goodreads...  On my website, I share why I wrote the book and a bit about the characters.  Plus there's a book trailer and book club questions. You can view all that HERE.

In the meantime, I love angel food cake, but I've been afraid to make it ever since I became gluten-free (20 years ago) because I felt it would fall flat. Who needs a flat angel food cake? Ugh. 

But feeling adventuresome, I searched the Internet for inspiration. I found a number of recipes, but when I landed on the King Arthur version, I knew I was good to go. Why? Becuase they had a step-by-step video to prove to me it would work.

Now, here's a tip. Do NOT use boxed or bottled egg whites. They won't work. For any angel food cake.

FYI, I took samples of the cake to my sister, who is also gluten-free. She became a convert.  And it freezes well. How about that? 

Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

King Arthur’s recipe

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/gluten-free-angel-food-cake-recipe (for step by step video)

3/4 cup gluten-free flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 superfine sugar (*YES, THIS MATTERS!)

1 1/2 cups egg white (10-11 large eggs separated; maybe reserve yolks for a pound cake)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

Questions answered on the King Arthur site and from me:

*Can you substitute granulated sugar? Yes, but it’ll take much longer for the egg whites to attain their required volume, and the cake’s texture won’t be as fine.

*Can I use bottled egg whites? No. They will not fluff up like real eggs. I TRIED. Ugh.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third. You want to give your cake plenty of room to rise without burning the top.

In a small bowl, whisk together and then sift the flour, cornstarch and ¾ cup superfine sugar. Set aside.

In a large, clean (grease-free) mixing bowl, beat together the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until thick and foamy. 

Add the vanilla and almond extract.  Gradually increase the speed of the mixer and continue beating until the egg whites have increased in volume and thickened.

Gradually beat in the 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, a bit at a time, until the meringue holds soft peaks.

Gently fold in the sifted flour/sugar blend 1/4 cup at a time, just until incorporated.

Spoon the batter in an ungreased 10” round angel food pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter and remove any large air bubbles.

Bake the cake until it’s a deep golden brown and the top springs back when touched, approximately 45 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan onto the neck of a heatproof bottle or funnel to cool the cake upside down for 2 hours.

Remove the cake from the pan by running a knife around the edge of the cake. Turn the cake onto a plate.

Cut the cake with a serrated knife.  If it’s difficult to slice, wet the knife and clean in between each slice.

Serve with whipped cream and fruit. Wrap any leftovers in airtight saran.  Refrigerate.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS FROM KING ARTHUR:

Tips for success:
Be sure your mixing bowl is absolutely clean; also, separate your egg whites carefully. The tiniest bit of fat or speck of egg yolk will inhibit the egg whites from beating up thick and foamy.

Cold eggs are easiest to separate. Don't worry about warming your egg whites to room temperature; they'll warm slightly while you're getting your other ingredients ready. 

Don't over-whip your egg whites. Many recipes tell you to whip the whites until they hold a stiff peak, but it's better to whip only until the peaks are still soft enough to slump over at their peak. Under-beating slightly allows the air cells in the beaten whites to expand during baking without rupturing.  

Directions call for you to both whisk and sift the dry ingredients. This might seem excessive in this time-challenged era, but each action performs a separate function: whisking makes sure the ingredients are evenly distributed; and sifting lightens them, removes any lumps, and allows the mixture to be mixed into the egg whites with little effort. 

Finally, to retain the egg whites' volume, use the whisk attachment from a stand mixer, or a balloon whisk, to gently “fold” the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites.

GIVEAWAY

ANY of my books except for my new book DESOLATE SHORES because I don't have any copies yet.  Leave a comment and tell me whether you pre-order books? Or tell me if you watch foodie demonstrations before you cook. What do you like about them?

What is the first Aspen Adams novel of suspense about?

A chilling murder, an elusive killer, and a family mystery that hits too close to home . . .

After finding the body of her best friend on the icy shores of Lake Tahoe, Aspen Adams refuses to stand by and watch as the local sheriff’s department begins their search for the killer. Launching her own investigation, she’s soon confronted with a growing array of secrets—both about the friend she thought she knew and about many of the people in her own life. As fragmentary clues and escalating dangers threaten to derail her, she must also cope with the disturbing behavior of her deadbeat sister and troubled teenage niece.

Determined to overcome her personal demons over past failures, Aspen is driven to unravel the conflicting evidence and a shifting range of suspects to bring the killer to justice, even as a family trauma unfolds that threatens to upend her life. And as her investigation inexorably leads her to a shocking discovery and taunts her with a solution that is just out of reach, Aspen realizes that the killer wants nothing more than to see her and her niece dead . . .

Preorder HERE, trade paperback and e-book, coming August 13th.

SAVOR THE MYSTERY!

 

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