Chocolate Angel Food Cake With Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

DIRECTIONS

• CAKE:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Sift flour, cocoa and 1/3 cup sugar 5 times.
• Add salt to egg whites and beat until stiff.
• Add cream of tartar to the egg whites and the balance of the sugar gradually, 1 Tablespoon at a time, beating until very stiff.
• Add vanilla.
• Fold in the flour mixture a little at a time.
• Pour batter into a 9" tube pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Reduce heat to 300 degrees Fahrenheit to finish baking.
• Total baking time is about 1 hour.
• FROSTING:
• Combine egg whites, water, vanilla, cream of tartar, and sugar in upper part of a double boiler.
• Mix well, beat over heat until mixture stands up in peaks.
• If electric beater is used, bring water in lower part of double boiler to a rapid boil and beat for about 2 minutes.
• Remove from stove and beat 3 or 4 minutes at high speed until it stands in high peeks. Be careful not to scrape beater against bottom of pan as it will darken the mixture.
• Allow the mixture to cool, keeping it covered with a damp cloth to prevent a crust from forming.
• Cream butter thoroughly; add cocoa (use more cocoa if more intense flavor is desired) and salt.
• Have marshmallow mixture and butter at about same temperature and consistency before combining them (otherwise, frosting will have a tendency to separate or curdle).
• Keep cool, not cold. If frosting should curdle, add about 2 Tablespoons hot melted butter and beat well.
• Frost top and sides of cake.