This Layered Chocolate Angel Food Cake has a chocolate angel food cake base, is filled with an easy chocolate mousse and is covered in chocolate whipped cream. It is a perfectly light and dreamy chocolate cake!
Quick Tips
- Use a NON-GREASED tube pan to make this chocolate angel food cake (I love this one with the removable bottom!)
- Be sure not to over-whip the egg whites! Whip until soft peaks form. Once the mixture starts to show thick ribbons, check your peaks every 30 seconds or so!
- Use a sifter to get the best rise in your cake (and to avoid clumps of flour and cocoa powder). I love this set!
- Bake the angel food cake until cracks form on the top of the cake, then use a toothpick to poke into one of the cracks to ensure it comes out clean
Equipment
- Stand mixer (with whisk attachment)
- Tube pan
- Cooling rack
- Silicone spatula
- Offset spatula (recommended for frosting the cake)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Sifter
- Mixing bowls
Ingredient Notes
- Egg whites: carton or fresh are OK
- Granulated sugar
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder: you can use any type of cocoa powder, but dutch gives it the best taste and color! This is used in the chocolate angel food cake and in the chocolate whipped cream frosting
- Cake flour: easy substitution - remove 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour from 1 cup. Then add 2 tablespoons of corn starch
- Cream of tartar
- Salt
- Vanilla extract: this is used in the chocolate angel food cake and in the chocolate whipped cream frosting
- Heavy cream: this is used in the chocolate mousse filling and in the chocolate whipped cream frosting
- Powdered sugar
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Love this Layered Chocolate Angel Food Cake? Try these other angel food cake recipes!
How to make this Layered Chocolate Angel Food Cake
This perfectly light chocolate angel food cake can be made in the four steps below!
- Make the chocolate angel food cake
- Make the chocolate mousse filling
- Make the chocolate whipped cream
- Assemble the layered chocolate angel food cake
How to make the chocolate angel food cake
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Avoid using convection bake as to not dry out the cake.
Next, separate out the egg whites of 12 (cold) eggs (do this while they are cold) or measure out 1¼ (13 ounces) of carton egg whites.
Set the egg whites aside to allow them to warm up for 20-30 minutes. Cold eggs separate the best, but warm egg whites whip up the best!
While the egg whites warm, whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl (cake flour, 1 cup of granulated sugar, salt, cream of tartar, cocoa powder).
Once the egg whites have sat out for 20-30 minutes whisk them on high in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or use a hand mixer (and a large bowl). Once the eggs become frothy, add ¾ cup granulated sugar. Beat on high until soft peaks form (about 4 minutes).
Sift the dry ingredients into the whisked egg whites (or slowly pour in small portions if you don't have a sifter). After each ¼-½ cup is added, gently fold the mixture together to incorporate the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Add the flour mixture slowly and in small portions, folding the mixture gently in between to avoid losing as much egg white volume as possible.
Gently spoon the mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Carefully spread the mixture evenly throughout the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top begins to crack a toothpick inserted into one of the cracks comes out clean. Spin the cake after 20 minutes for even baking.
Once removed from the oven, immediately flip the pan over and allow the cake to cool upside down on a cooling rack (while still in the pan). Cool the cake to room temperature.
Once the cake has cooled, flip the pan back over and run a thin knife along the edges of the pan to release the cake. Do the same with the bottom of the cake.
How to make the chocolate mousse filling
While the angel food cake is cooling, heat cream in the microwave until nearly boiling.
Pour hot cream over chocolate and let stand 5 minutes.
Stir until everything is completely melted, smooth and shiny to create a ganache. Set the ganache in the fridge for 20-30 minutes or until it begins to feel slightly cool to the touch (it shouldn't have completely set up). Stir it every 5-10 minutes to help it cool faster.
Finally, transfer the ganache to a stand mixer and whip until light and fluffy. Set aside.
*NOTE: if it doesn't begin to whip up (and lighten in color) within a minute or two of mixing, return it to the fridge to allow it to cool for longer. Then try again.
How to make the chocolate whipped cream
Place the cold heavy cream in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium to medium-high speed until the cream begins to thicken, about 1 minute.
Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 2 ½ minutes.
How to assemble the layered chocolate angel food cake
Using a large serrated knife and a sawing motion, gently slice the cooled cake in half horizontally. Remove the top half.
*NOTE: the "top" half of your cake should be what was the bottom of the cake when it was baking.
Spread the whipped ganache filling over the cut side of the bottom half of the cake. Place the top layer on the whipped cream cut-side down.
Decoratively spread the whipped cream frosting over the sides, top and center of the cake.
Dust with cocoa powder (if desired) and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow everything to fully set together. Use a serrated knife to cut and serve. Store this cake in the fridge.
Try these other chocolate desserts!
Layered Chocolate Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Separate out the egg whites of 12 eggs (do this while they are cold) or measure out 1¼ (13 ounces) of carton egg whites.
- Set the egg whites aside to allow them to warm up for 20-30 minutes.
- While the egg whites warm, whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl (cake flour, 1 cup of granulated sugar, salt, cream of tartar, cocoa powder).
- Once the egg whites have sat out for 20-30 minutes whisk them on high in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or use a hand mixer (and a large bowl). Once the eggs become frothy, add ¾ cup granulated sugar. Beat on high until soft peaks form (about 4 minutes).
- Sift the dry ingredients into the whisked egg whites (or slowly pour in small portions if you don't have a sifter). After each ¼-½ cup is added, gently fold the mixture together to incorporate the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Add the flour mixture slowly and in small portions, folding the mixture gently in between to avoid losing as much egg white volume as possible.
- Gently spoon the mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Carefully spread the mixture evenly throughout the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top begins to crack a toothpick inserted into one of the cracks comes out clean. Spin the cake after 20 minutes for even baking.
- Once removed from the oven, immediately flip the pan over and allow the cake to cool upside down on a cooling rack (while still in the pan). Cool the cake to room temperature.
- Once the cake has cooled, flip the pan back over and run a thin knife along the edges of the pan to release the cake. Do the same with the bottom of the cake.
- While the angel food cake is cooling, heat cream in the microwave until nearly boiling.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate and let stand 5 minutes.
- Stir until everything is completely melted, smooth and shiny to create a ganache. Set the ganache in the fridge for 20-30 minutes or until it begins to feel slightly cool to the touch (it shouldn't have completely set up). Stir it every 5-10 minutes to help it cool faster.
- Transfer the ganache to a stand mixer and whip until light and fluffy. Set aside. *NOTE: if it doesn't begin to whip up (and lighten in color) within a minute or two of mixing, return it to the fridge to allow it to cool for longer. Then try again.
- Place the cold heavy cream in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium to medium-high speed until the cream begins to thicken, about 1 minute.
- Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 2 ½ minutes.
- Using a large serrated knife and a sawing motion, gently slice the cooled cake in half horizontally. Remove the top half. *NOTE: the "top" half of your cake should be what was the bottom of the cake when it was baking.
- Spread the whipped ganache filling over the cut side of the bottom half of the cake. Place the top layer on the whipped cream cut-side down.
- Decoratively spread the whipped cream frosting over the sides, top and center of the cake.
- Dust with cocoa powder (if desired) and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow everything to fully set together. Use a serrated knife to cut and serve. Store this cake in the fridge.
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