Espresso & Dark Chocolate Angel Food Cake

Adapted from Emily Luchetti's Four Star Desserts, this cake is pleasantly light. It's the perfect finish to a robust meal, and doesn't scrimp on intense flavor. Great served with a single shot of espresso.

Ingredients

For the cake:
1 â…“ cups cake flour, sifted
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups (about 12 large) egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 shot of espresso (I like Illy's Dark Roast) or two teaspoons good quality espresso powder
¾ cup dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the Raspberry-Cabernet sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 pint washed, dried raspberries
1-2 tablespoons Wawawai Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon


Equipment:
10-inch angel food cake pan, lightly greased with melted butter. You can also substitute a bundt cake pan.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Sift together the cake flower and the salt. (If using espresso powder, add it here.)

Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Increase speed to high and slowly incorporate the sugar. Continue whipping until the whites are stiff but shiny, about 3 minutes.

Reduce the mixer to a low speed and add the vanilla extract, lemon juice and the shot of espresso. Slowly add the reserved flour mixture by gently folding it in with a rubber spatula. Then fold in the chocolate bits. Make sure that the flour and chocolate are spread evenly throughout the egg whites—take care not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and cut through it a few times  with a butter knife to remove any air pockets.

Bake until a skewer or knife inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Invert the cake on a rack and let it cool upside down in the pan.

While the cake is cooling, add the butter to a small skillet and melt. Add the raspberries and the sugar and gently cook over medium heat for around 10 minutes, or until the raspberries start to resemble a melted jam. During the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, add a tablespoon of Wawawai Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon. Turn up the heat a bit and cook until the alcohol has burned off. Pour the sauce through a strainer to remove the seeds.

Unmold the cake. Serve slices over the Raspberry-Cabernet sauce that has been lightly drizzled on the plate.

Back to Recipes