Coconut. It's everywhere. I've become a huge fan of using coconut in cookies, cakes, soups, snacks, sauces, you name it. I even use it to make the best deodorant I've ever used. At least a can or two of coconut milk and a tub of coconut oil end up in my grocery cart each week.
I thought I had tried every form of coconut until I came across coconut flour on Nuts.com. I wanted to find a way to turn a baked treat into something healthier using this flour.
Coconut flour
- contains about 1/3 less carbs and a whopping 10x more fiber than all purpose flour.
- is grain and gluten free.
- has a granular, yet light and airy texture.
- is not just for baking. It can be added to sauces and smoothies for a nutritional boost.
Since it's summer and we're still having flashbacks to our mini vacation to sunny Florida, I'm all about the tropical flavors lately. I brainstormed healthy desserts with my sweet, new sister-in-law. She's an endless source of creative ideas.
Passionfruit is a perfect pair for coconut so an angel food cake made with coconut flour and covered in a sweet passionfruit syrup sounded perfect. I can almost hear the waves.
Passionfruit is a perfect pair for coconut so an angel food cake made with coconut flour and covered in a sweet passionfruit syrup sounded perfect. I can almost hear the waves.
This cake comes together fairly quickly so it's a good idea to have all of the ingredients measured and waiting for you.
I lucked out and found this flute pan with a removable base at Home Goods. Lifesaver! No more gluing cakes back together! If you don't have one, it's a wonderful investment in your sanity when it comes to baking.
Be ready for a monster-sized batter. This almost overflowed out of my mixer. I'm sure I could have whipped even more but it would have been on the counter.
After whipping until stiff peaks form, fold in the flour mixture and gently spoon it into the pan to maintain as much air as possible in the batter.
Then comes the yummy part. Drizzle sweetened passionfruit puree on the batter. I found this passionfruit pulp in the freezer section at the grocery store. It's great for smoothies too.
Make sure to save some for topping when you serve the cake.
It's delicious and you'd never know it's packed with fiber and protein. One slice and you're full!
Passionfruit Angel Food Cake made with Coconut Flour
(Gluten Free)
20 egg whites
1 C coconut flour
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1T cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1 T vanilla extract (or, 1 tsp of orange extract)
1 1/4 cup sugar
Sweetened passionfruit puree
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, whisk together coconut flour and confectioner's sugar.
Whip egg whites in mixer bowl with cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Add sugar and continue beating the eggs on the highest speed until stiff peaks form, another 3 minutes.
Fold egg whites into flour mixture gently, maintaining the air pockets. Fold just until combined and then gently transfer mixture to an ungreased angel food tube pan. Lightly swirl dollops of sweetened passionfruit puree (recipe below) on top of batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and then use a knife to loosen the cake from the edges and either invert the pan or pull the pan center from the pan base and continue to cool. Serve with more sweetened passionfruit puree and enjoy!
Sweetened Passionfruit Puree
1 C passionfruit pulp, defrosted
1 C sugar
In a medium sized pot, boil puree and sugar until reduced to 1/2 cup. Let cool.
To check out more nutritious facts and ways to incorporate coconut flour into your diet, visit the coconut flour page from Nuts.com.
