I have very fond memories of angel food cake from my childhood. This cake is so light and fluffy, and goes so well with so many toppings, which is probably why we ate it at lots of family birthday celebrations. So in honor of my birthday tomorrow, my grandmother’s birthday on Wednesday, and my mom’s birthday next Sunday (yes Septembers were really crazy in our house), I wanted to share these recipes with you all.

While I was home in California this summer, I decided to do a taste test and bake a regular angel food cake, and a gluten free version (my mom has celiac disease). My awesome friend Jenny (who also has a birthday this coming week) helped, and I have to say they were both equally delicious. So if you’re entertaining anyone in the near future who has celiacs, I definitely recommend this cake. And if not, well go ahead and make it for yourself. Just be prepared to go through a carton of egg whites!

Recipes adapted from here and here.

Ingredients for Regular Cake
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup cake flour (see here for how to make this with regular flour)
12 egg whites, room temperature
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon orange extract (I didn’t love this, so in future I would leave out or do lemon extract)
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Whipped cream, for serving
Fresh fruit, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure your top rack is low enough that the cake pan will fit and have ample room to rise.

2. In a food processor, mix sugar for 2 minutes until it has gotten even finer. Don’t be alarmed when a white smoke like substance starts coming out of the food processor. Remove sugar and mix half with the cake flour. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, water, extract, and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed and continue beating until the egg whites have doubled, about 2 minutes. Add the other half of the sugar, doing it bit by bit. Continue mixing until you have stiff glossy peaks (when you raise the mixer, peaks should remain in egg whites).

4. Fold in the flour mixture very gradually. Pour mixture into ungreased 10-inch pan with removable bottom.

5. Bake for 35-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Once the cake is done, cool with the pan upside down (we had to get creative, see picture). Once the cake has cooled, 30-60 minutes, run a knife around the outside and then remove from pan.

6.  I’d recommend serving with fresh fruit and whipped cream. I also baked some peaches on the stove in butter and brown sugar to go on top, which were amazing!

Ingredients for Gluten Free Cake
1 1/2 cups GF flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
11 egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped cream, for serving
Fresh fruit, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure your top rack is low enough that the cake pan will fit and have ample room to raise.

2. In a bowl, mix flour, 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and xanthan gum. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and continue beating until the egg whites have doubled, about 2 minutes. Add the other half of the sugar, doing it bit by bit, and finish by adding the vanilla. Continue mixing on high until you have stiff glossy peaks (when you raise the mixer, peaks should remain in egg whites).

4. Fold in the flour and sugar mixture gradually. Pour mixture into 10-inch ungreased cake pan with removable bottom. Tap on counter to remove air bubbles.

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Once the cake is done, cool with the pan upside down (we had to get creative, see picture). Once the cake has cooled, 30-60 minutes, run a knife around the outside and then remove from pan.

6. I’d recommend serving with fresh fruit and whipped cream. I also baked some peaches on the stove in butter and brown sugar to go on top as well.