With six cookbooks to her credit and numerous awards, Emily Luchetti has helped to define what great pastry means in the United States.

Her espresso chocolate chip angel food cake recipe makes a delicious dessert for a special occasion, and can help support small farmers when you buy ethically sourced chocolate.

As chief pastry officer for Big Night Restaurant Group in San Francisco, Emily drives the pastry vision for Leo’s Oyster Bar, The Cavalier, Marlowe, and Park Tavern Restaurants. She is an Oxfam Sister on the Planet ambassador and currently serves as the Chairwoman for James Beard Foundation Board of Trustees. Emily is the founder of dessertworthy, a movement to empower individuals to be mindful of their dessert indulgences.

Emily has selected a recipe that corresponds with our Eat for Good principle of supporting farmers. Fifty million people worldwide rely on cocoa—not for their chocolate fix, but to earn a living. Ninety percent of cocoa comes from small farms, so when buying chocolate for this recipe, look for a brand that guarantees farmers a fair price.

Espresso chocolate chip angel food cake

Makes a 10-inch cake

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 1/3 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 3/4 cups (about 12 large) egg whites
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips, coarsely chopped

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the espresso powder and the cake flour. Stir in the salt.

Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar. Increase to high speed and slowly pour in the sugar. Continue whipping until the whites are firm and satiny, about 3 minutes.

Reduce to low speed and add the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Add the reserved flour mixture. When the flour mixture is almost completely incorporated, remove the bowl from the machine and fold in the chocolate chips. Make sure that the chocolate chips are spread throughout the batter and that the flour is evenly mixed into the egg whites. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 9 1/2-inch angel food cake pan. Cut through the batter a few times with a table knife to break up any air pockets.

Bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Invert the cake on a rack and let cool upside down in the pan.

Unmold the cake and slice it with a serrated knife.

Planning ahead:

The cake can be made a day in advance. Store in plastic wrap at room temperature.

Servings: 10–12

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