Keto Angel Food Cake with Video
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If you’re new here, you may not know I make a lot of keto friendly desserts. This keto angel food cake may just be one of my most exciting recipes, because not only does it really feel like angel food cake, it’s extremely versatile.
Since I first posted this, I’ve started a keto bakery and have gained a lot of experience in this special kind of baking.
If you’re not new, you know that I will test and retest a recipe, especially the keto friendly desserts, because I want to know what the possible pitfalls are. Baking with alternative flours is only tricky because it’s fairly new. The gluten free recipes were figured out years before the grain free recipes.
The Paleo recipes (where you could use honey or maple syrup) were ground breaking, but often dense and falling short. Now people are looking for grain free, sugar free dessert recipes either for their diet, a new healthier way of eating, or because they have Diabetes.
Read here article below discussing the differences between eating gluten free, paleo and keto. This is a confusing topic, but I’ve made it simple to understand.
Most of my dessert recipes, which are keto friendly, will naturally be gluten free and paleo, but gluten free and paleo desserts are not necessarily keto or low-carb. It has to do with the sugar and carb content.
This keto angel food cake is low carb, grain free and gluten free, but you will not feel deprived or compromised. This is one fluffy, substantial, good tasting cake.
Let me take the time to answer some questions you may have.
What is angel food cake?
We all know it’s that white spongy cake at the grocery store, which I never liked. An angel food cake made from scratch is so much better. It’s a cake made from a dozen egg whites, sweetener (in my case swerve), cream of tartar, flavoring, (vanilla, almond extract, or lemon zest), and flour. I use four to one ratio almond flour to tapioca starch.
Why Do I Use Cream of Tartar in angel food cake?
Cream of tartar (amazon) is an acidic salt that stabilizes egg whites. It helps them to hold water and air.
How Many Carbs are in Keto Angel Food Cake?
One slice is 5 grams of protein, 80 calories, and 4 carbs. Ideally, serve with a curd or budino made from the left over egg yolks with this stabilized whipped cream to up the fat for appropriate keto macros. I’ve received a few emails objecting to the use of tapioca flour. Each serving contains 2.3 carbs of tapioca flour, and 1 net carb of almond flour. If you have issues with the tapioca starch, you can try to make it without it. I can’t promise what the results will be like.
Why did my angel food cake collapse?
There a few things that could have happened.
- You touched the cake. For example, unwisely, I took a knife around the cake when it came out of the oven. Do not touch cake until it is completely cool or it might deflate.
- You didn’t turn the cake upside down right away.
- You whipped your egg whites too stiff. You want soft, fluffy peaks.
- Your pan wasn’t dry. You want a dry pan. No grease or cake will not crawl up when baking.
More Strawberry Desserts from Spinach Tiger
- Keto Strawberry Biscuits
- Keto Muffin Cake
- Keto Strawberry Cake
- Sugar Free Strawberry Sauce
- Keto Shortcake for Strawberries
- Keto Strawberry Cheesecake
Keto Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 12 egg whites
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 3/4 cups Swerve Confectioner’s Sugar
- 3/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
Kitchen Tools- angel food cake pan
- kitchen aid mixer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix almond flour, tapioca flour together. Sift. Add lemon zest if using. Set aside.
- Separate egg whites. Save yolks for other recipes (see post end for ideas).
- Make sure the white is not contaminated.
- Once you have all your egg whites in mixing bowl, beat until frothy. Then add cream of tartar.
- Half way through add the Swerve.
- At this point, add in vanilla, almond extract, stevia glycerite.
- Continue beating on high until soft peaks form. You don’t want stiff peaks.
- Fold in dry ingredients in three batches.
- Pour batter in and smooth out.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown.
- Once you take out of the oven, DO NOT touch the cake or it will collapse.
- Immediately turn it over. You can place it over a bottle, but make sure it’s even.
- Wait until it’s completely cool to turn back over.
- Cut with fork or serrated knife.
Video
Notes
After many different ways to separate eggs, this is the easiest. After making three angel food cakes, I prefer the almond flavored, followed by the vanilla. I wasn’t too fond of the lemon. Important: Angel food cake is tricky. I advise you to real the full blog post, as I share all the tips, and mistakes I don’t want you to make. Save the yolks for this lemon budino recipe.
Nutrition
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If you love this recipe, please give it five stars. It means a lot. xoxo
I made this last week for Easter and it was a huge hit! I served with with fresh raspberries, keto creme anglaise, and keto whipped cream. Can’t wait to make this one again!
I’ve been making angel food cakes since I was 14 (60 now). There are many ways to separate the eggs. One thing I found helps a lot is to separate them while cold, as the yolks do not break as easily. Also, if covered, egg white will keep for up to 2 weeks but the yolks only keep for a day. So… if you plan to use the yolks (I do; I make a fat-free pudding with them– yummy!) it’s best to use those first, then make the cake.
In fact, I have developed a lovely cake using the FF pudding (just use fat-free milk and less of it) on top of the Angel food cake. I add FF whipped cream and FF yoghurt to it and it’s divine. (Combine 1/3 C. FF Whipped Cream to 1/3 C. FF yoghurt. Then, in a separate bowl, whip or whisk pudding to soften and fold in Whipped Cream/Yoghurt.) The pudding cannot be frozen alone (it becomes grainy) but, for some reason, if you blend it with the whipped cream and yoghurt, it can be frozen.
Plus, I split the angel food cake and only add the pudding as layers, like a torte. (Not on sides.)
This is a fabulous recipe. I’ve made it twice now with no issues. I was so craving my grandmother’s angel food cake and this really hits the spot! Even plain without anything on it, it is delicious. Thank you for a great recipe!
Yay, Cheyenne. That makes me so happy to hear. Now with my friend’s strawberry farm ripe for picking time to make.
Just redid the recipe with zero tapioca and works perfectly.
Good to know.
Reduced tapioca by half and it worked perfectly so next time skipping it.
Did not like it with almond extract. Tried a version with cocoa was ok but so much better with vanilla but i bought a smaller tube pan and divided recipe by 3 and used seeds from one vanilla bean plus one teaspoon vanilla powder plus half a teaspoon extract next time will even do one teaspoon extract and 1.5 teaspoon powder like vanilla soo much
It would be great if you could try to redo the recipe using no tapioca modifying it somehow
Thx in advance
I don’t have that time right now. But you could do that. I’m pretty sure it would work. Don’t sub anything else.
Hey
Why are you using tapioca then if you think it is not indispensable? For fluffiness ?
Also in the vanilla version of the recipe can you taste thé almond flour?
Thx
The original recipe calls for wheat flour. Tapioca flour is the closest thing for baking. I haven’t tested almond flours or no flour. When I do, I’ll go in and state that in recipe. I don’t taste the almond flour in anything I bake with and I’ve baked over 5,000 almond flour cupcakes.
Just did thé recipe with thé tapioca, pods from a vanilla bean plus vanilla extract smells divine. Cooling upside down now will let you know!!!
Hey could i skip tapioca and use less eggs to compensate or protein powder instead of tapioca ? Thx
Replace tapioca with blanched almond flour.
Do not reduce eggs or replace with protein powder.
Hey
So would it be possible to reduce egg whites amount and skip tapioca?
Can you try the recipe with just almond flour and let me know if it works please?
So you prefer the version with 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and no vanilla right?
Thx
I like the version with almond extract the best, followed by the version with vanilla. I did not like the version with lemon extract.
I didn’t want to buy a package of tapioca flour in order to use ¼ cup. So took some tapioca pearls that I had, I use them when making berry pies, and ground them up in the coffee grinder I use for spices.
Did that work?
I actually “failed” with this cake, but even the failure was delicious. I think I didn’t bake it quite long enough, and the banged the pan trying to tip it. The cake slid out of the pan while it cooled and sort of squished. Yet, the taste was great! My husband who does not do low carb loved it. I used it for shortcake and made french toast. Wow…the best breakfast I’ve ever had with low carb!!!!!!!
Just one question. I noticed that after combining the 2 flours, they sort of seemed a little dense. Forgot to sift it, and wonder if that also contributed to it no being quite right. Does the sifting aerate that combination of flours so they’re not as dense or prone to sticking together?
Then I made the lemon budino, First lemon thing I’ve made with a keto recipe that actually tastes like lemon pudding. I am so happy. Thank you
I think since it slid out of the pan, it wasn’t baked long enough.
I would bake at 375 degrees F. Sorry I just put it in.
Just wondering if I can make this in a sheet pan to make a jelly roll style cake? Has anyone tried this?
I have no idea, but angel food cake generally rises grabbing the sides of a pan, so I’m not sure this would work. You could give it a try but realize it may not work.
Adrienne,
I have done this at least 10 times with zero issue. Actually found a recipe to do it.
That’s good to know! I might try that too.
Try baking it on a cookie sheet. Let it cool. Flip onto a tea towel and fill if you like. Then roll it up
Might work
I don’t think this will work, but if it does let us know.
The directions mention adding in stevia glycerite with the almond and vanilla extract, yet I don’t see stevia in the ingredients. How much stevia is added?
Just a few drops. It’s optional, but I think it blends well with Swerve.
What about the egg whites you can get in a carton? Would those work?
I don’t know. I think it’s cheaper to buy a dozen eggs, and I would stick with that.
Actually I looked on the carton of egg whites and it said “not good for angel food cake or meringue.”
I have found I can get very fluffy boxed egg whites, but have not tried to make the cake with them.
I made this recipe first with fresh eggs and found a 6 pack of carton egg whites and I can say there was no issues using them for the cake. I now have gone through 4 of the cartons and lets say you can make a lot of angel food cake with 6 cartons lol
Great to know! Thank you!
If that works, great.
Could I use cornstarch instead of tapioca flour
I couldn’t say. There are not exactly the same.
I used cornstarch instead of tapioca and it came out great…now trying with tapioca to see if there’s any difference! I love this recipe!
What can I substitute for the tapioca flour? I can ‘t imagine purchasing 4 pounds for one recipe.
You can buy tapioca flour at the store for under $3. I’m not sure what a good substitute is.
Yes, tapioca is not Keto, because it is extracted from the casava root, which is underground vegetable, not allowed on Keto. And Keto is not only about low carb. It is about none inflammatory low carb foods, which underground vegetables are not due to their hight sugar/starch/soluble fiber content.
BUT, this is a great recipe and a wonderful base for many more deserts to create with it. It actually came to 3 grs of net carbs in Carb Manager, which allows a dollop of whipped cream and some strawberries. I will be making many more deserts with this. The only thing I would adjust next time is the sweetness level – too high for my taste. Easy to fix, though. Thank you for sharing.
TAPIOCA IS ABSOLUTELY 100% NOT KETO. IT IS PURE STARCH.
It’s 4 net carbs. Keto is low carb. You count them. It’s that simple. You do it however you want to.
Can you use Almond Powder (Barneys) instead of flour?
In which part of the recipe?
Would a bundt pan work with this recipe
I do not think a bundt pan would work. You need to be able to release the cake. It will stick a little.
Also it needs to be able to climb and you can’t use any grease whatsoever.
You can get a cheap aluminum angel food cake or use a bread pan with parchment paper maybe.
I only know how this works with angel food pan.
I did use the bundt pan and it worked out perfectly other then sticking on the bottom which I used a thin spatula to release it. I think I could have gotten away with using non stick spray on the bottom and it would have worked. Thank you for your response the recipe was good.
I’m happy to hear that on both counts!
I used a bundt pan. If I could post a picture I would. It did stick a bit but besides that no other issues
That’s amazing. Thanks for letting me know.
Can you use something else instead of tapioca starch?
I’m not sure about that. A typical recipe calls for regular flour and tapioca is a good substitute.
Tapioca starch is not keto
There are 4 carbs per slice. There is only 1/4 cup tapioca flour in whole recipe.
Hello, just wondering if I can use the egg whites beaters instead of 12 eggs and having to separate the yolks.
Sylvia I don’t think it would work. I would stay with real eggs.
Do the eggs need to be room temp?
It helps, especially with the separating. If you forgot to take them out, run them under some hot water in a bowl to warm them up.
I used carton egg whites and ad no issues
That’s great.
This cake was so good! It was almost identical to regular angel food. I used the almond and vanilla flavouring and it tasted spot on. The cake was very light and airy. I served the cake to my grandparents and my brother, who are somewhat sceptical about “healthy desserts,” and they loved it. The only interesting thing, was that my cake was only about half as tall as a regular angel food cake, yet cake did not taste dense. Next time, I think that I will making a double batch, so that I can achieve a tall cake. The other thing is that next time after I remove the cake from the pan, I would cover it with plastic wrap, because the out side sort of dried out. I iced the cake with erythritol sweetened whipped cream, and I served it with strawberries.
how fluffy is this recipe?
It’s as fluffy as angel food cake normally is.
Hi! I am wondering if I can skip the stevia glycerine (no one in my home will eat it and they all know when I’ve used it.) what would you recommend to substitute?
Yes you can skip. It’s actually a liquid that balances the flavors of Swerve, but totally not necessary.
Hi. I’m trying the angel food cake recipe (Keto) and in the mixing directions I don’t see when to mix in the vanilla or almond extract. I know meringues can be tricky so thought I would get the best way from you.
I fixed recipe.