Angel Food Cupcakes

​A fat free cupcake?  I must be dreaming.  

​Did you know that angel food cake has zero butter, oil or fat?  I love that.  The problem is that I love them even more when you add a really fattening whipped cream cheese frosting to the top.  

​I've made angel food cupcakes in the past and I've always had a problem with them shrinking once they came out of the oven.  They pull away from the paper liners and then they just look awkward.  I finally came up with a new recipe I thought might just solve my shrinkage problem.  Not to mention the fact that these cupcakes are topped with THE BEST whipped cream cheese frosting!!!

Angel Food Cupcakes
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (194g) granulated sugar 
1/2 cup (68g) cake flour 
1/8 tsp salt 
6 egg whites (192g), at room temperature
2 1/2 Tbsp warm water 
1/4 tsp vanilla extract 
1/4 tsp almond extract 
3/4 tsp cream of tartar 

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 
6 oz cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp powdered sugar 
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
1/2 tsp almond extract
​

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse sugar until super fine, about 2 minutes. (If you don't have a food processor caster sugar will also work.)

​In a mixing bowl, sift together half of the sugar, the cake flour and the salt.

​Whisk together egg whites, water, vanilla and almond extract and cream of tartar until well combined, about 2 minutes.

​Whip mixture on medium speed while slowly adding remaining sugar to mixture, until medium peaks form.

​Sift just enough of the flour mixture in to evenly dust the top of the egg white mixture and using a spatula gently fold flour layer into egg white mixture and continue this process until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.

​Divide batter among paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup nearly full.

​Bake in preheated oven 19 - 22 minutes until golden and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

​For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Topping: 
In a mixing bowl whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.

In a separate mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until light and fluffy

​Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract to cream cheese.

​Whip cheese mixture into cream until stiff peaks form. Store in refrigerator.

​Cool completely then pipe Cream Cheese Whipped Cream over cupcakes just before serving and top with rainbow sprinkles.

​These cupcakes could not be easier to put together.  And as I look at it - I can eat twice as much frosting since the cupcake is fat free.  (That makes sense, right?)

Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe