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    Home » Desserts

    Author: Emily Krill | Published: Feb 4, 2022 | Modified: Oct 26, 2021

    Keto Angel Food Cake

    Jump to Recipe

    This Keto Angel Food Cake recipe is absolutely heavenly. And each slice of this angelic sponge cake has just 58 calories and 10g net carbs.

    a Keto Angel Food Cake with a slice cut out of it
    Jump to:
    • 🥣 Ingredients
    • 📖 Instructions
    • 🎂 The right pan to use
    • 🥚 How to whip the eggs
    • 🔪 Releasing the cake
    • 🥛 The Whipped Cream
    • 🍓 Garnishes
    • 😋 Cutting and eating the cake
    • 💬 Any questions?
    • 📋 Recipe

    Hello my angels 👋

    Before we begin, I need to give you fair warning.  This recipe for Keto Angel Food Cake is very difficult to make.  It has a meringue batter, so it is fraught with danger.  You may do everything right, but a butterfly flapped its wings in Paraguay, and as a result, your cake fell.

    It just happens.

    a top down view of a Keto Angel Food Cake

    But it’s not too late to turn back!  

    No need to trouble yourself with Angel Food Cake. I’ve got some lovely Keto cake recipes on the site. My Toasted Almond Torte, Lemon Pound Cake and Chocolate Lava Mug Cake all have very high rates of success. If you give up now, I won't blame you.

    But if you insist on going forward, let's talk ingredients.

    a close up on a low carb sponge cake

    🥣 Ingredients

    • Egg Whites- Make sure to use fresh eggs at room temperature to get the maximum volume. And always buy large size eggs because all recipes are designed to use that size.
    • Almond Extract- This is the primo flavor for an angel food cake.
    • Vanilla Extract- This flavor is negotiable, but I recommend it as a compliment to the almond extract.
    • Cream of Tartar- This will act to stabilize the egg whites as you whip them.
    • Swerve Granular- I like using this erythritol sweetener blend because it is the closest taste to real sugar, but you can also use Allulose if you prefer it.
    • Arrowroot Starch- It might surprise you that the dry ingredients include arrowroot starch and not almond flour or coconut flour, but those flours are too heavy to use in this Keto Angel Food Cake. Arrowroot Starch is light and airy and yet still low in carbohydrates.

    📖 Instructions

    1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack in the middle
    2. Separate eggs, being careful not to get any yolk into the whites.  Crack an egg over one small bowl, separate the egg, and transfer the egg white to a large mixing bowl.  Repeat with remaining eggs. This way, if you get a little yolk in the egg white, you can easily throw it out before it contaminates the other egg whites.
    3. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together ¼ cup of the sweetener and 1 cup of the arrowroot starch.
    4. In the large mixing bowl, use a stand mixer or an electric mixer to beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy, 30 seconds.  Keep the speed at medium-high for the rest of the recipe.
    5. Add cream of tartar, almond extract, and vanilla extract and beat until soft peaks form.
    6. Slowly beat in ½ cup sweetener, 1 tablespoon at a time, until soft glossy hills form.
    7. Slowly beat in arrowroot mixture, ¼ cup at a time, until smooth.
    8. Pour the batter into a 12-inch ungreased tube pan and run a fork through the batter to pop any large air pockets.  Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula.
    9. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake has doubled in size and the top is a medium brown.
    10. Immediately invert the angel food cake pan.  Air needs to be able to circulate around the pan as it cools.  If the pan has legs, do nothing, but if not, hold the pan above the counter, using a bottle or can.  Cool for 1 ½ - 2 hours until completely cooled.  
    11. Use a knife to carefully cut around the sides of the pan to release the cake.  Pull apart the two pieces of the pan.  Slice around the top of the pan.  Slice around the inner tube of the pan.  Carefully release the cake.  
    12. To make the whipped cream, add heavy whipping cream and powdered sweetener to a large bowl.  Mix with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, 2 minutes.
    13. Garnish the top with berries, fresh herbs, and edible flowers. 
    14. Slice the cake using a serrated knife.
    a low carb sponge cake with a wreath of berries and fresh herbs on top

    🎂 The right pan to use

    • You need to use the right kind of pan, if you are going to release the cake.  Tube pans are made specifically for sponge cakes.  They have two pieces and often have legs so that air can circulate around the pan as the cake cools. 
    • If your tube pan doesn’t have legs, then you can invert the cake and use a bottle or can to hold it above the counter.  Invert the cake immediately after it comes out of the oven and let it cool for 1 ½ - 2 hours before serving.    
    • Don’t grease your pan.  The Keto Angel Food Cake rises by clinging to the sides of the pan as it bakes.  So if it’s greased, it doesn’t have anything to cling to, and it won’t double in height as it should.

    🥚 How to whip the eggs

    • Use room temperature eggs. If you can't wait for them to come up to room temp, you can submerge them in warm water for a few minutes.
    • Use an absolutely clean glass or metal bowl to whip the eggs in. Even a trace of grease can ruin the whole shebang.
    • Don’t over mix the egg whites.  Start out with soft peaks, not stiff peaks like a whipped cream.  After you’ve added the sweetener, you should have soft glossy hills of batter.
    • Once you’ve poured the batter into the pan, run a fork through it to pop any big air pockets.  Smooth the top flat with a spatula.
    • And try not to waste the egg yolks, if you can help it. Why not make them into a Hollandaise Sauce or some Keto mayo? 

    🔪 Releasing the cake

    • Take your time cutting the Keto Angel Food Cake out of the pan.  You want the outside of the cake to be evenly brown.
    • If the sides of the cake don’t release from the pan as beautifully as you’d like, then whipped cream is very forgiving.  Just double the whipped cream and frost the sides of the angel food cake.
    close up of berries, sage, thyme  and edible yellow flowers

    🥛 The Whipped Cream

    • The whipped cream is easy to make, at least. All you need to do to make your own whipped cream at home is to use an electric mixer to whip together heavy whipping cream and powdered sweetener until stiff peaks form. This should only take you 2 minutes, tops.

    🍓 Garnishes

    • Garnishes really make this low carb Angel Food Cake sing.  Some topping ideas: raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, fresh mint, rosemary, sage, and edible flowers.  Just remove the herbs and flowers before you slice the cake.

    😋 Cutting and eating the cake

    • Slice the cake carefully with a serrated knife.  The outside should be crisp and hard and the insides should be chewy and spongey.  
    • Eat the Angel Food Cake on the same day that you make it, because it will harden overnight.
    a side view of a Keto Angel Food Cake on a cake pedestal

    💬 Any questions?

    How many net carbs are in Angel Food Cake?

    Regular Angel Food Cake is actually lower in carbs than other cakes because it contains less flour. So a slice of everyday Angel Food Cake will run you about 40 net carbs. But the recipe I am sharing with you has just 10g net carbs.

    Is Angel Food Cake diabetic friendly?

    This one sure is! Because it uses a small amount of arrowroot starch and no sugar at all, it is very diabetic friendly. It is unlikely to cause any spikes in blood sugar.

    Can I use Cool Whip instead of making whipped cream?

    Sure, Cool Whip is a secret weapon of the low carb dieter because it has just 2 grams of carbohydrate per serving. And its cousin Reddiwhip has just 1g of carbs. Steer clear if you are doing strict Keto though, because there are some unsavory chemicals involved.

    a hand garnishes a Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

    And that, as they say, is that. 👩‍🍳

    If you make it through the gauntlet, you’ll have a very special sponge cake.

    It’ll taste like normal Angel Food Cake, only this one will have just 58 calories and 10g net carbs per slice.  This healthy Keto Angel Food Cake makes a beautiful centerpiece.  And with the proper garnishes, it’ll look so good that your friends won’t want to cut it up and eat it.

    But they really should, because the taste is just... heavenly. 👼

    a close up of the top of a Keto sponge cake
    Print

    📋 Recipe

    Keto Angel Food Cake Recipe

    a low carb angel food cake with a piece sliced out
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 6 reviews

    This Keto Angel Food Cake recipe is absolutely fabulous. And each slice of this angelic sponge cake has just 58 calories and 10g net carbs.

    • Author: Emily Krill
    • Prep Time: 20
    • Cook Time: 40
    • Total Time: 1 hour
    • Yield: 12 slices 1x
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Baked
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Gluten Free

    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    cake:

    • 12 large egg whites, at room temperature
    • 1 ½ teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
    • ¾ cup Swerve or equivalent granulated sweetener, divided
    • 1 cup arrowroot starch

    whipped cream:

    • 1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
    • ¼ cup Confectioner's Swerve or equivalent powdered sweetener

    garnishes:

    • berries
    • fresh herbs
    • edible flowers

    Instructions

    Step 1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack in the middle

    Step 2.  Separate eggs, being careful not to get any yolk into the whites.  Crack an egg over one small bowl, separate the egg, and transfer the egg white to a large mixing bowl.  Repeat with remaining eggs.

    Step 3.  In a medium-sized bowl, sift together ¼ cup sweetener and 1 cup arrowroot starch.

    Step 4.  In the large mixing bowl, use a stand mixer or an electric mixer to beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy, 30 seconds.  Keep the speed at medium-high for the rest of the recipe.

    Step 5.  Add cream of tartar, almond extract, and vanilla extract and beat until soft peaks form.

    Step 6.  Slowly beat in ½ cup sweetener, 1 tablespoon at a time, until soft glossy hills form.

    Step 7.  Slowly beat in arrowroot mixture, ¼ cup at a time, until smooth.

    Step 8.  Pour the batter into a 12-inch ungreased tube pan and run a fork through the batter to pop any large air pockets.  Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula.

    Step 9.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake has doubled in size and the top is a medium brown.

    Step 10.  Immediately invert the angel food cake pan.  Air needs to be able to circulate around the pan as it cools.  If the pan has legs, do nothing, but if not, hold the pan above the counter, using a bottle or can.  Cool for 1 ½ - 2 hours until completely cooled.  

    Step 11.  Use a knife to carefully cut around the sides of the pan to release the cake.  Pull apart the two pieces of the pan.  Slice around the top of the pan.  Slice around the inner tube of the pan.  Carefully release the cake.  

    Step 12.  To make the whipped cream, add heavy whipping cream and powdered sweetener to a large bowl.  Mix with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, 2 minutes.

    Step 13.  Garnish the top with berries, fresh herbs, and edible flowers. 

    Step 14.  Slice the cake using a serrated knife.

    Notes

    The nutritional information below does not include cake toppings.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 slice
    • Calories: 58
    • Fat: 0
    • Carbohydrates: 10
    • Fiber: <1
    • Protein: 4

    Keywords: Sugar-Free Angel Food Cake, Low Carb Angel Food Cake, Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake, Keto Angel Food Cake

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alex says

      January 27, 2021 at 1:25 pm

      My angel food cake tube pan is 7 x 4.5 inches is that too small for this recipe? Ive been dying to try it but scared my pan is too small!

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        January 27, 2021 at 3:20 pm

        Sounds like it would be too small to use all of the batter, but you could either not use all of it or cut the recipe in half. Just leave at least 2 inches at the top of the pan because the cake rises quite a bit.

        Reply
    2. Katherine says

      December 05, 2020 at 5:15 pm

      Can I freeze this cake once I have made it?

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        December 05, 2020 at 6:39 pm

        Yes, you can keep it in the freezer for 4-6 month. Wrap it in plastic wrap and then put it in a plastic container so it doesn't get squished by other things in your freezer.

        Reply
      • Katherine says

        December 06, 2020 at 8:19 pm

        I made this last night. It is delicious. My family never even knew it was Keto. Thank you for sharing this receipe.

        Reply
        • EmilyKrill says

          December 06, 2020 at 9:05 pm

          Yay, I love fooling family members.

          Reply
    3. Margot L Rockefeller says

      October 16, 2020 at 7:19 am

      I was looking for low carb and sugar cake recipe for my diabetic son. His birthday is approaching soon. My mother made angel food cakes all the time when I was growing up to prevent me from growing out. Love them!
      I am happy to have ideas for future recipes. Thank you for this web site.

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        October 16, 2020 at 9:41 am

        Hope your son likes the cake!

        Reply
    4. Miranda says

      September 30, 2020 at 4:18 pm

      Is it possible to substitute the arrowroot for tapioca starch or cornstarch?

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        October 01, 2020 at 9:25 am

        Cornstarch is very high in carbs and not usable as a flour, so you might as well fine a normal recipe that uses white flour. You may be able to use tapioca starch, but I've never experimented with it, so I don't know if it would work.

        Reply
    5. Claire says

      June 12, 2020 at 9:56 pm

      Could this be made in a jelly roll pan and rolled, cooled and filled with cream cheese mixture? Then topped with fresh berries?

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        June 12, 2020 at 10:11 pm

        Sounds delicious. Not sure if it's possible or not though. You'd really need to tinker with it to find out. I've got a similar chocolate roll cake on the site though, if you are interested. https://www.resolutioneats.com/blog/low-carb-chocolate-roll-cake/

        Reply
    6. Marie says

      May 07, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      I come across your recipe using arrow root, I know arrow root can be sticky,I'm worried that I won't rise as good, anyway, cannot wait to make this,, thank you

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        May 07, 2020 at 6:45 pm

        It’ll rise. Just make sure to read all the tips in the post before you attempt it.

        Reply
    7. Caroline says

      March 29, 2020 at 1:17 am

      Does this really have 1 cup of arrowroot starch? Where do you buy it?

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        March 29, 2020 at 9:55 am

        It really does. You can buy it on Amazon in 1 or 2.5 pound bags. https://www.amazon.com/Arrowroot-Pounds-Anthonys-Tested-Gluten-Free/dp/B00OJ757SK

        Reply
    8. Roxana Lopez says

      January 17, 2020 at 11:18 pm

      Angel Food Cake! It's a low carb miracle. Thanks for including all of those tips.

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        January 18, 2020 at 10:49 am

        Sure thing!

        Reply
      • Laurie says

        February 16, 2020 at 10:28 am

        I love your warnings and commentary! I'll give this a shot when I can focus! Thanks!

        Reply
        • EmilyKrill says

          February 16, 2020 at 10:31 am

          Sure thing!

          Reply
    9. Lorrie MN Keating says

      December 27, 2019 at 4:17 pm

      9-10 carbs per slice is ok for LC, but a bit high for Keto. Can you suggest a suitable replacement and amount for the arrowroot powder?

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        December 27, 2019 at 4:47 pm

        It’s possible, but I’ve only tested the recipe with arrowroot starch so I can’t recommend another low carb flour.

        Reply
    10. Beverly says

      December 27, 2019 at 12:05 pm

      That cake is gorgeous! A true work of art and I’m sure it will be delicious. Looks like the perfect masterpiece to make for New Year’s Eve.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        December 27, 2019 at 2:41 pm

        Thanks Mom!

        Reply
      • Beverly says

        June 27, 2020 at 11:30 am

        Turned out perfectly ....looked so gorgeous it was the table centrepiece! By far the best keto cake I've tasted. I'm wondering about trying it in my silicone bundt pan. Thoughts?

        ★★★★★

        Reply
        • EmilyKrill says

          June 27, 2020 at 2:41 pm

          So glad you liked it! I wouldn't try a bundt pan though. This batter is so finicky, that I worry it wouldn't release nicely.

          Reply
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    I'm Emily, the diabetic behind Resolution Eats. Many years ago, I made a New Year's resolution to switch to a low carb diet. It improved both my health and my outlook on life. Since then, I've come up with hundreds of Keto recipes for everything from soup to nuts. And this blog is a way for me to share the low carb love. Cheers!

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    DISCLAIMER: I'm a home cook, not a nutritionist, so please take my advice with a grain of salt.  I calculate the nutritional information using the Lose It app, which sometimes contains errors.  You should also know that there are affiliate links on my website, so if you follow them, I'll receive a small commission. 

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