What I like most about an angel food cake is the texture; the chewiness of the cake. Take a bite and it feels like you’re not eating anything, as if somebody took the substance out of it. That may sound weird, but a large part of the cake is air, whipped into egg whites.
In these cupcakes it is all about the contrast between the cake and the frosting. The cupcakes themselves stay soft, fluffy, and almost cloudlike, while the ganache adds a deeper, smoother chocolate layer that makes each bite feel more complete. That balance keeps them from feeling too heavy, which is part of what makes these angel food cupcakes so appealing in the first place.
Making just six suits a smaller household, giving you enough cupcakes to share without ending up with extras for days. The dark chocolate ganache adds a rich finish, while the gold sparkles gives them a polished look that makes them feel just a little festive.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
FOR THE CUPCAKES
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Cornstarch
- Egg whites
- Cream of tartar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Heavy cream
- Dark chocolate – this can be chocolate chips, discs or chopped bars
- Gold sprinkles (optional)
How to Make Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes
Step 1 – Sift together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
Step 2 – In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until you have soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar to the mixture and beat until you have glossy white peaks. Add the vanilla extract and beat one more time.
Step 3 – Fold the flour mixture into the egg white mixture until uniform in color.
Step 4 – Place 6 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Divide the batter over these 6 liners and smooth the top a little. Bake 13-15 minutes in an oven of 350°F. Allow to cool.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Ganache
Step 5 – In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the heavy cream to a simmer. Add the dark chocolate and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. After 5 minutes, give the chocolate a stir until it’s completely melted into the cream. Allow it to cool until it reaches a consistency that allows you to pipe it. This can take about 4 hours at room temperature, or you can speed it up in the fridge.
I made a ganache with a 1:1 ratio, meaning equal parts chocolate and cream. Once cooled a little, you can
- Dip the cupcakes in the ganache and add sprinkles or
2. Pipe the ganache atop the cupcakes and complete them with gold sanding sugar sprinkles, or
3. Whip the ganache until it’s light and fluffy, but in this case I did without that step, to emphasize the textural contrast between cupcake and frosting.
Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
Chocolate cupcakes
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dark chocolate ganache
- 4 ounces heavy cream
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
Chocolate cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Sift together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until you have soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar to the mixture and beat until you have glossy white peaks. Add the vanilla extract and beat one more time.
- Fold the flour mixture into the egg white mixture until uniform in color.
- Place 6 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Divide the batter over these 6 liners and smooth the top a little.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes and allow to cool.
Dark chocolate ganache
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the heavy cream to a simmer.
- Add the dark chocolate and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. After 5 minutes, give the chocolate a stir until it’s completely melted into the cream.
- Allow it to cool a little and dip the top of the cupcakes in it. Allow to cool completely.
- Cool the ganache further, until it reaches a consistency that allows you to pipe it. This can take about 4 hours or more at room temperature, or you can speed it up in the fridge. Check regularly as the consistency changes quickly in the fridge.
- Pipe the cooled ganache over the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.