Gluten Free Angel Food Cake

In truth, I thought for a minute about sharing a recipe for a side dish that we all love around here during the holidays, but let's be honest, this time of year calls for sweet treats. The holiday season is a time when people come together to share love, friendship, laughter and a whole bunch of good food. This time of year always focuses on rich heavier foods at gatherings. So, to balance that out, I love keeping our desserts lighter in texture and this particular recipe is a little lighter on the calories too (sshhh, nobody has to know that, but us). Today, I'm sharing one of my and my family's all time favorite recipes I developed for Angel Food Cake. I love this cake during the winter months for many reasons, but one main reason is because I love that it actually looks wintery when you add seven minute icing and coconut to the top. A little chocolate sauce and/or raspberry sauce are great additions to the top, too, for presentation and flavor. Actually, the topping options are endless. When I serve this cake for a party, I like to set up a little build your own topping bar so my guest can have fun with the flavor combinations (shaved chocolate, fruit sauces, nuts). This Angel Food Cake is light, fluffy, sweet and full of flavor. The addition of coconut flour doesn't really give the cake a coconut flavor, however it does add a richness to the sweet taste of this tender airy cake. I hope you and your guests love this Angel Food Cake as much as we love it! Happy Holidays from my family to yours.

Gluten Free Angel Food Cake

• 1 cup Sugar
• 12 Egg Whites
• 2 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 cup warm Water
• 3 droppers Vanilla Stevia extract or 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup White Rice Flour (sweet if you have it)
• 1/4 cup Brown Rice Flour
• 1/4 cup Coconut Flour
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In your mixer, combine 1/2 cup sugar, water, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix until foamy and starting to form soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar to the egg whites as it is still mixing on high speed. In a separate bowl, combine the flours and baking powder, mix to combine. When the egg whites have formed stiff peaks, fold the flours into the egg whites in small batches. Don't deflate the egg whites. Pour into an angel food cake pan and bake for 50 minutes. It will be slightly browned, springy and a toothpick will come out clean! Allow to cool upside down. Once cool, carefully cut around the edges of the angel food cake pan to release the cake. Serve with your favorite toppings!

Extra Light and Fluffy Seven Minute Icing

Makes about 3 cups

• 3 large Egg Whites or 9 Tbsp
• 2/3 cup Sugar
• 1 dropper vanilla NuNatural Stevia
• Pinch of Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar

In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine the egg whites with the sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water. Beat the egg whites at high speed until stiff and glossy, about 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, add the vanilla stevia and continue to beat at high speed until the frosting is cool to the touch, about 5 minutes longer. Use the frosting immediately. Sarena Shasteen has been an avid health food and fitness enthusiast from an early age. She holds a degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute of Atlanta, a certification in Fitness Nutrition and is a certified Fitness Trainer from International Sport Science Association (ISSA). Becoming a Personal Trainer and Specialist in Fitness Nutrition has been a lifelong goal of hers. Sarena enjoys helping others reach their health goals by teaching them that health and fitness are not only achieved in the gym, but also through fun everyday activities. Now a food writer, recipe developer, personal chef,  Personal Trainer and Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, she enjoys sharing with others that healthy living can be fun and delicious. Keep up with her at The Non-Dairy Queen and on Facebook and Twitter.