Low Sodium Gluten Free Angel Food Cake

Total time2 hr 5 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time40 min

This cloud-like cake gets its structure from a dozen whipped egg whites, folded gently with cream of tartar and vanilla extract until the meringue turns glossy and stiff-peaked. A careful blend of superfine rice flour, tapioca starch, and a touch of xanthan gum keeps the crumb light and delicately chewy rather than dense, and sifting it in stages is what gives this cake its signature airy rise. Baked in an ungreased tube pan and cooled upside down, it comes out impossibly tall, springy, and pale gold on top. Slice it with a serrated knife for clean, pillowy pieces that practically melt on the tongue. It’s a naturally low-sodium dessert that fits beautifully into a diet focused on cutting back on added salt, without sacrificing any of that classic bakery-style lift and sweetness.

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the flour mixture

1 cup superfine white rice flour
Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour - 24 Oz Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Brown Rice Flour - 24 Oz Bob's Red Mill Sweet White Rice Flour, 24 oz (680 g)Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten Free Brown Rice Flour, 24 oz Goya Rice Flour - 24 Oz
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¼ cup tapioca starch
¼ tsp xanthan gum
1 ½ cups superfine sugar, divided
¼ tsp salt
Chef's tip
Season to taste - salt substitutes can taste bitter in larger amounts, so start with less.

For the meringue

12 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Do not grease the tube pan — the batter must cling to the sides to rise properly.
2
Sift the rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, 3/4 cup of the superfine sugar, and the salt together through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Sift the mixture a second time to ensure it is completely lump-free and aerated, then set aside.

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