Name: Chocolate-Orange Angel Food Cake
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) cake flour; 1½ cups (10½ ounces/298 grams) sugar , divided; 12 large egg whites , room temperature; 1 teaspoon cream of tartar; ¼ teaspoon table salt; 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier; 2 teaspoons grated orange zest; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 ounces (57 grams) bittersweet chocolate , finely grated

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to give this cake an elegant upgrade by incorporating a classic combination of chocolate and orange. We tried simply mixing in chopped bittersweet chocolate, but that was a failure: The chunks of chocolate disrupted the ultradelicate structure of the egg white–leavened cake. Finely grated chocolate worked much better and was easier to distribute evenly throughout the batter. A couple teaspoons of fresh orange zest added fragrance, while a splash of orange liqueur amped up the citrus flavor further.

Before You Begin

If your tube pan has a removable bottom, you do not need to line it with parchment. Do not grease the pan; greasing prevents the cake from climbing up and clinging to the sides as it bakes, and a greased pan will produce a disappointingly short cake. Finely grating the chocolate is key here; use either a Microplane grater or the fine holes of a box grater.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 16-cup tube pan with parchment paper but do not grease. Whisk flour and ¾ cup sugar together in bowl; set aside.

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip to soft, billowy mounds, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining ¾ cup sugar and whip until soft, glossy peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Add Grand Marnier, orange zest, and vanilla and whip until just blended.

Sift flour mixture over whites, about 3 tablespoons at a time, gently folding mixture into whites after each addition with large rubber spatula. Gently fold in chocolate.

Gently transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula. Bake until golden brown and top springs back when pressed firmly, 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating pan halfway through baking.

If pan has prongs around rim for elevating cake, invert pan on them. If not, invert pan over neck of bottle or funnel so that air can circulate all around it. Let cake cool completely in pan, 2 to 3 hours.

Run thin knife around edge of pan to loosen cake, then gently tap pan upside down on counter to release cake. Peel off parchment and turn cake right side up onto platter. Serve. (Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days.)