Keto Angel Food Cake

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Cool Time: 2 hrs

Total: 3 hrs

Servings: 12 slices

Yield: 1 cake

Angel food cake is a light and fluffy dessert cake made with a base of whipped egg whites. Typically served with whipped cream and a mix of fresh berries, angel food is a cake reminiscent of meringue. It’s a large cake made in a tube pan that generally yields at least twelve servings. Though it has a base of eggs, it isn’t keto-friendly because it also contains wheat flour and sugar.

To make an angel food cake that would work for keto dieters and anyone looking to eliminate sugar or grains, we’ve swapped the wheat flour for coconut flour and the sugar for a noncaloric keto sweetener. In order to maintain structure, we use a small amount of arrowroot powder. This starch does add to the net carbs, but the end result is much lower than the original.

You’ll follow the same process for this gluten-free, sugar-free, and grain-free cake as you would typical angel food, which is always dependent on the process for perfect results. Egg whites should be room temperature before beginning, the sweetener should be added slowly as they’re whipped, and a large spatula should be used to fold in the sifted dry ingredients. Provided you follow instructions closely, you’ll have a healthier take on this famous cake. It’s great anytime, and perfect for topping with an alternatively sweetened freshly whipped cream and some berries.

“This keto angel food cake was sweet, tender, fluffy, and absolutely delicious! Once all the eggs are separated, it is super easy to mix and bake, and the instructions are excellent. Be sure to give it plenty of time to cool—about 2 hours—before removing it from the pan.” —Diana Rattray

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

1 cup keto sweetener, such as All-Purpose In The Raw, divided
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup arrowroot flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

Gather all the ingredients.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325 F.
Sift 1/2 cup of sweetener, the coconut flour, arrowroot flour, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, until foamy. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat for 10 to 15 seconds. Increase the speed to high.
Once the whites have begun to form soft peaks, slowly sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 cup sweetener. Continue whisking until just shy of stiff peaks. Whites should hold a peak, but the tip should fully fold over. Add the vanilla, and continue to whisk until just combined. Do not over whisk.
With a spatula, gently fold in sifted dry ingredients. Pour the batter into a 9-inch ungreased tube pan.
Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert over a cooling rack until completely cool, about 2 hours. Slice with a serrated knife and serve.

Recipe Tips

Some recipes call for almond flour. We found that it was too heavy, and deflated the batter. The blend of coconut and arrowroot flours were able to give a lighter overall texture to the cake.
Sifting the coconut flour is imperative! Don't skip this step.
Cream of tartar helps eggs to stabilize when whisked. Because of that, it should be added at the beginning.
It may be tempting to move to high speed quickly when beating the whites, but working from a low to high speed helps achieve the best results. Start slow, and move up in speed only once you see visible progress of air being incorporated and the whites becoming more opaque.
The tube pan for angel food cake should never be greased. That's because the oil will not allow the batter to cling to the sides of the pan and rise.
A serrated knife will yield the smoothest cutting results. Alternately, you can use an angel food cake cutter, which has tines instead of a blade.

Recipe Variations

For extra flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract with the vanilla extract or add an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract.
If you don't have cream of tartar, substitute with an equal amount of lemon juice or white vinegar.

How to Store and Freeze

Cover the keto angel food cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze, wrap slices in plastic wrap and foil and place in a freezer container or freezer bag labeled with the name and date. Freeze for up to 3 to 4 months.

What is the difference between angel food cake and regular cake?

Angel food cake is different from other cakes because it is mostly egg whites. Other cakes, while they may contain whipped egg whites, have more flour. Most cakes also use the egg yolks.

Can you make angel food cake in a regular cake pan?

Yes, you can. You can place a round object, such as an empty can, in the center of a 9-inch cake pan to achieve the same look. Or, you can use two loaf pans. The most important part is that you want a pan without a nonstick coating. You can use ungreased parchment on the bottom of a pan if you're concerned about sticking.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories	50
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	1%
Saturated Fat 0g	2%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 105mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 8g	3%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 18mg	1%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 119mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.