GF Angel Food Cake with Peach Sauce
Enjoy angel food cake that is pretty easy to make and gluten free! Be sure to sift your dry ingredients well to keep the texture of the cake soft and clump-free and that process only takes minutes to do. This cake can easily double as a lighter shortcake-style dessert by switching out peaches for strawberries.
GF Angel Food Cake with Peach Sauce
Ingredients
Bakers Note: I have found that making a gluten-free cake flour mixture at home is super easy following our friend Nicole from Gluten Free On A Shoestring's cake flour calculations and Better Batter products. This makes for a light, airy texture which is just what you need when making angel food cake.
For the cake:
- 1 1/2 c Powdered Sugar, divided
- 1 c gluten free cake flour (115 grams Better Batter All-Purpose Flour + 25 grams cornstarch or arrowroot powder)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 c egg whites, at room temperature (this is the whites from approx. 12 eggs, or try egg substitute such as aquafaba)
- 1/3 c warm water
- 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or try subbing the same amount of white vinegar like I did)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
For the peach sauce:
- sliced peaches from 7-8 whole, ripe peaches
- 2-3 Tbsp sugar
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- For the whipped cream:
- 1 c heavy cream or dairy free sub
- 3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Other tools you will need include:
- parchment or waxed paper
- a sifter or hand-held sieve
- stand mixer or handheld electric mixer
- 10-in tube baking pan with a removable bottom
Instructions
Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. The tube pan needs no preparation.
Sift the dry ingredients. Combine 3/4 c of powdered sugar, the cake flour and the salt in a medium bowl. Sift this mixture a total of 4 times: alternate sifting onto the parchment/wax paper then sifting back into the bowl, repeating twice so the flour mixture becomes completely free of lumps and clumps.
Prepare the meringue. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a handheld mixer in a large, non-reactive bowl, beat the egg whites, warm water, cream of tartar (or white vinegar), and vanilla extract on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes. Lower the speed and gradually add the remaining 3/4 c powdered sugar in 3 batches. Resume medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Beat on high speed and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 1-2 more minutes. Switch to a large spatula and carefully fold in, by hand, the flour mixture. Do this in 3-4 small batches being careful not to deflate the egg white meringue. Fill and bake.
Spoon the cake batter into an ungreased tube pan. Remove pockets of air or trapped bubbles in the batter by running a butter knife slowly through the batter. Smooth the top with the spatula.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and springs back when gently touched. A toothpick inserted in the center will also come out clean. If the top begins to burn during baking tent with foil. Cool the cake upside down.
Remove the cake from the oven and carefully invert it over a long neck bottle (like a beer, wine, or oil bottle) for an hour to cool. Or if your tube pan has feet on top, invert onto the feet to cool. Run a knife around the outside edge of the cake and push up the pan's removable bottom to release the cake.
Slice with a serrated knife and serve with peach sauce and whipped cream.
Store any extra whipped cream and peaches in the refrigerator. Wrap extra cake well and store at room temperature.
Make the peach sauce and whipped cream. While the cake is cooling, make this easy fruit sauce and whipped cream. Using ripe peaches, remove the peach pits and skin using a sharp knife. My peaches were perfectly ripe so I was able to pull the skin off with my fingers. Slice each whole peach into 12-16 thin slices.
Place the peach slices in a large bowl, and sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar.
Gently toss peaches and cover with plastic wrap so they keep their bright, fresh color. Let stand at room temperature for 30-60 minutes or until a juice begins to form in the bottom of the bowl.
Whip together the heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl with a handheld mixer 2-4 minutes or until soft peaks form.