Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Ganache Glaze
This cake comes together quickly with very few ingredients, as long as you have eggs in the house. It’s fat free, not too sweet, impressive, and very delicious!
Cake
1 1⁄2 c egg whites (10-11 large eggs), at room temperature
3⁄4 c cake flour
1 1⁄2 c plus
2 T superfine sugar, divided
1⁄4 c cocoa powder
1⁄2 t cream of tartar
1 t vanilla
1⁄4 t kosher salt
Ganache Glaze
1⁄2 lb good-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
3⁄4 c heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Move oven rack to the lowest setting.
If you don’t have superfine sugar, process granulated sugar in a blender or food processor to make the granules finer. Sift together the flour, 3⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and cocoa powder into a bowl or onto a sheet of waxed paper. Then sift 2 more times. No lumps!
Add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites. Place in the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add in vanilla. Slowly rain in the remaining 3⁄4 cup of sugar while continuing to beat. Whip on high speed until firm glossy peaks form. With a spatula, gently fold in flour mixture, a 1⁄4 cup at a time.
Spoon mixture into an ungreased 10” tube or bundt pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Smooth top, then run a knife in a circle through batter to remove air pockets. Bake on lowest rack for 40-45 minutes, until the top looks dry and it’s just slightly browned. Remove from the oven and immediately invert to cool. I prop my inverted tube pan on two inverted 9” cake pans, or you could use books. Some angel food cake pans have special “feet” for inverting.
Meanwhile, heat chocolate chips and cream in a pyrex or heatproof bowl in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir, then heat again 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Repeat if necessary.
Run a knife around the sides and the center tube of the cake pan to dislodge cake. Place cake on a serving platter. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.