Chocolate Lover's Angel Food Cake

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Step 2

   In a medium bowl combine cocoa, coffee and boiling water and whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla.

3. Step 3

   In another medium-size bowl combine ¾ cup sugar, the flour and salt, and whisk to blend.

4. Step 4

   In a large bowl beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form when beater is raised. Gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar, beating until very stiff peaks form when beater is raised slowly. Remove 1 heaping cup of egg whites and place it on top of the cocoa mixture.

5. Step 5

   Dust flour mixture over remaining whites, ¼ cup at a time, and fold in quickly but gently, using a large balloon wire whisk or slotted skimmer. It is not necessary to incorporate every speck until last addition.

6. Step 6

   Whisk together the egg white and cocoa mixture, and fold into the batter until uniform. Pour into an ungreased, 10-inch, two-piece tube pan (the batter will come to within ¾ inch of the top), run a small metal spatula or knife through the batter to prevent air pockets, and bake for 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed. (The center will rise above the pan while baking and sink slightly when done. The surface will have deep cracks like a souffle.)

7. Step 7

   Invert the pan, placing the tube opening over the neck of a soda or wine bottle to suspend it well above the counter, and cool the cake completely in the pan, about 1½ hours.

8. Step 8

   Loosen the sides with a long metal spatula and remove the center core of the pan. Dislodge bottom and center core with a metal spatula or thin, sharp knife. (A wire cake tester works well around the core. To keep the sides attractive, press spatula against sides of the pan and avoid up-and-down motion.) Invert onto a serving plate. Wrap airtight.