This Easy Maple Pecan Angel Food Cake recipe is simple because it starts with a cake mix. It's a light bite of maple deliciousness.
Don't you just love a party where a dish is served and it lights up your taste buds so you HAVE to go back for seconds...and maybe thirds?!?! This Maple Pecan Angel Food Cake was a one of those discoveries.
When I told the hostess how much I loved it and asked for the recipe, she winked at me and wiggled her index finger to beckon me into her kitchen.
There she proceeded to show me an empty Angel Food Cake Mix box! This popping with maple flavor, light and airy cake starts with a cake mix! Does it get any better than that?
Her cake was frosted with a maple buttercream, but since Angel Food Cake is dairy free, I thought it would be nice to keep this version dairy free.
So I adapted the glaze that is on my Pumpkin Cookies for this cake. Delicious and dairy free, too!
Making an Angel Food Cake Successfully
Starting with a boxed cake mix makes this much easier than making it from scratch. But since an angel food cake is mainly egg whites, any amount of fat (grease) will compromise the batter.
It's advised to use metal, ceramic, or glass bowls and utensils as it's easier to ensure these are clean than plastic. The slightest amount of grease can deflate the egg whites and your cake will be flat instead of fluffy.
Don't let this dissuade you from making this cake though. It's delicious and easy and it's the perfect dessert for your fall gatherings!
Easy Maple Pecan Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
The Cake
- 1 angel food cake mix, I used Betty Crocker
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup warm brewed coffee, you can use instant if you prefer
- 4 teaspoons real maple syrup
- The ingredients that are on the box directions
The Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 to 7 Tablespoons real maple syrup
- 2 ½ Tablespoons melted coconut oil, or butter if you aren't dairy free
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup chopped, toasted pecans
Instructions
Baking the Cake
- Preheat the oven according to package directions.
- Pour the cake mix into a glass or metal bowl. (See Gr8 Tip) Whisk the nutmeg into the dry cake mix.
- In a liquid measuring cup mix the coffee and maple syrup together.
- Use the coffee and syrup mixture as part of the liquid when preparing the cake according to package directions. The Betty Crocker Cake Mix called for 1 ¼ cups water. So I put the coffee/syrup mixture in a 2 cup measure and added water until the liquid totaled 1 ¼ cups.
- When the mixing is complete, pour into a 10" ungreased tube pan. Run a long knife through the batter a couple times, this will minimize air bubbles.
- Bake according to package directions.
- Cool the tube pan upside down on a bottle.
- When completely cool, run a knife around the edge of the cake pan and remove the cake from the pan.
The Glaze
- Whisk the salt into the powdered sugar.
- Add the 5 Tablespoons of the maple syrup, the coconut oil, and vanilla to the powdered sugar and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated and no lumps remain.
- If the glaze is too thick to pour, add more maple syrup by the teaspoonful and whisk. Continue adding the maple syrup until the glaze is pourable.
- If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar and whisk until the glaze is the right consistency.
- Carefully pour the glaze over the top of the cake so some of it stays on top and some drips down the sides of the cake.
- Sprinkle the pecans over the cake.
- To easily cut Angel Food Cake, use a serrated edged knife and saw back and forth.
Be a Gr8 Friend and tell us what you think!