Chocolate Angel Food Cake

From Self via Epicurious.com

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
12 egg whites (or 1 1/2 cups prepackaged egg whites)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract


Transfer the oven rack to the lowest level. Preheat oven to 325°F.

Sift 1 cup sugar with flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer set at medium-high speed, whip egg whites, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl until peaks form. Set mixer to high speed and whip in remaining 1/2 cup sugar until semistiff peaks form (do not overbeat).

With a plastic spatula, slowly fold in the remaining dry ingredients, 1/4 cup at a time, until flour mix disappears.

Scoop batter into a 10" ungreased tube pan and spread evenly. Bake until cake springs back when touched, 45 to 55 minutes.

Remove from oven, invert cake pan, and place upside down* on a cooling rack.

*Some recommend placing the tube pan upside down on a bottle so that you get enough air flow. I have a tube pan with handy dandy feet, like so, that is fab and requires no bottle that will just be accidentally tipped over knocking the precious cake to the dirty ground inciting ire and vulgar language from the baker.