Chocolate Cinnamon Angel Food Cake

Instructions

1. Sift together the 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cake flour and cinnamon well making sure there are absolutely no lumps.
2. In a large bowl whip the egg whites, salt and lemon juice until slightly foamy.
3. Very slowly add the ¾ cup sugar beating continuously to form a soft meringue.
4. Beat in the vanilla extract with the final addition of sugar.
5. Do not over beat this meringue. It should be slightly stiff but not dry.
6. Fold in the dry ingredients in 3 parts being careful not to over mix between additions. You should add the next portion of the dry ingredients just before the last addition is completely incorporated in the batter. The meringue will deflate a little with the addition of the dry ingredients but with gentle folding this can be kept to a minimum.
7. Pour batter into an UNGREASED tube pan that has the bottom only lined with parchment paper. (I sometimes bake these in ungreased ramekins that have the bottoms lined with parchment paper for individual desserts as pictured.These usually take 15 minutes or so to bake and should also be cooled upside down. I suspend the edges of the ramekins on square sided plates to let them cool.)
8. Cut a knife through the batter to release any trapped air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 - 50 minutes or until the center springs back when pressed lightly. Be careful not to over bake or your cake will be dry.
9. Remove from oven and invert your cake onto a glass pop bottle inserted into the center of the tube and let the cake rest upside down until completely cooled. Don’t cool the cake directly on a wire rack, right side up, or you will compress the cake and make it tough.
10. When completely cool, run a knife around the outside of your pan to release the cake. Serve with whipped cream or caramel or fudge sauce and maybe a spoonful of bakeapple (cloudberry) or blackberry jam.