Chocolate Angel Food Cake with a Soft Crumb

Chocolate Angel Food Cake with a Soft Crumb keeps the shopping list focused on cake flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. It serves 12 slices.

Count on 30 minutes of prep, 30 minutes of cooking, 2 hours of resting, about 3 hours from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the Cake

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• ⅔ cup cocoa powder
• 1½ cups egg whites, about 12 large eggs
• 1½ tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp coffee extract
• Powdered sugar for dusting

For the Crème Anglaise

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar divided
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 vanilla bean split and scraped
• 5 large whole eggs

How the cooking goes

For the Cake

1. Separate the egg whites about an hour ahead and let them come to ambient temperature.
2. Warm the oven to 375°F conventional or 350°F convection with the rack in the middle. Confirm the tube pan will fit with space above it.
3. Sieve together the cake flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa. Keep it to one side with the sifter — you will sift again directly over the batter.
4. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy.
5. Increase to high speed then add the granulated sugar and salt about 2 tablespoons at a time, no more than 15 seconds between additions. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
6. Add the vanilla extract and coffee extract. Mix briefly on low, then increase to high speed.
7. Sift the flour-cocoa mixture over the meringue in approximately ¼ cup increments, folding gently after each addition until almost incorporated. A few streaks are fine. If the batter begins to look liquid, stop folding immediately and move it onto the pan.
8. Push the batter into an ungreased 10×4 in tube pan. Run a knife or small offset spatula through in a swirling motion to release any large air pockets.
9. Oven-bake 30 to 40 minutes until the top springs back and a tester inserted into a crack comes out clean.
10. Immediately invert the pan onto its built-in legs or over a bottle and cool until it is no longer warm before releasing.
11. To release, run a small offset spatula all the way to the bottom around the outer edge, then around the inner tube. Flip carefully onto your hand while holding the center tube — it should release cleanly without forcing.
12. Set on a serving platter.

For the Crème Anglaise

1. Combine the cream, milk, half the granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla bean seeds and pod in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat it until it boils, then take it off the heat.
2. While the milk mixture heats, whisk together the eggs and remaining sugar until lightened to pale yellow.
3. Beat ¼ of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, then another ¼, then pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the remaining milk.
4. Cook over a lively flame, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 178°F or is nappant — it holds a clean line when you drag a finger across the back of a coated spoon.
5. Strain immediately into a bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and cool over an ice bath.
6. To serve, spoon a smooth pool of cold crème anglaise onto the plate then set a slice of cake alongside.

After it comes off the heat

Let the pan settle before you slice, so the crumb stays together. Cover leftovers once they are cool.

If you want another plate from Cakes, open Crumb Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back and Chocolate Raspberry Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back.