Strawberry Angel Food Cake
This light and airy Strawberry Angel Food Cake is an amazing summer dessert filled with a sweet strawberry jam and frosted with a delicious homemade whipped cream.
This simple Strawberry Angel Food Cake is the perfect addition to spring parties and summer potlucks. There are lots of options with this cake. You can save time and pick up a store bought angel food cake or you can make your own from a box mix or from scratch.
Every slice is filled with an easy homemade jam made with fresh strawberries. and the light and fluffy whipped cream frosting tops it all off.
It’s a delicious summer dessert that is easy enough to make for a summer barbecue and beautiful enough to serve at Easter dinner or a Mother’s day brunch. If you’re a fan of strawberry shortcake you have to give this a try!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Thank you!
What You’ll Need:
- Angel food cake – You can purchase a pre-made angel food cake or make one yourself if you’d rather. Store-bought is way faster if you are in a hurry.
- Strawberries – They are the star of the show, after all. 🙂 Use a few extra strawberries to decorate the top of the cake too.
- Sugar – You don’t need tons of sugar, but a little bit will bring out the natural sweetness in the berries too.
- Cornstarch – Just a couple of tablespoons is all you need to give the strawberry filling the perfect texture for this lovely angel food cake.
- Lemon juice – Just a little bit of lemon juice brightens the flavor of the strawberry filling.
- Whipped Cream Frosting – A light, fluffy, homemade stabilized whipped cream perfectly compliments this light and airy cake.
To keep this cake light and fresh we skipped the usual, sugary frosting and instead we used a simple whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream can begin to deflate after a short amount of time so to make sure it held up on our cake we made a stabilized whipped cream which has the same flavor and texture but with the help of a little gelatin it stands the test of time.
How to Make a Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting:
- In a small microwave-safe bowl add your powdered gelatin and warm water. Stir together and then place in the microwave and cook for 15 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir again before setting aside to cool.
- Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on medium-high until it forms soft peaks, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing for 1 minute.
- Pour in the cooled gelatin (it should still be liquid) and continue to mix on medium-high until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks.
Could I Use Cool Whip For The Topping?
Technically, you could, but I’m telling this stabilized whipped topping is one of the best things you could eat! It’s so creamy and makes this strawberry angel food cake even more amazing than it already is. The great thing about the homemade frosting is that it doesn’t take long to whip up at all. It thickens quickly, and once you taste it, you won’t be thinking about cool whip anymore.
How to Make the Strawberry Jam Filling
- In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch.
- Mix together well and continue stirring and lightly mashing the berries to break them down a little more as the mixture heats and begins to bubble.
- Cook for approximately 10-15 minutes, until the strawberry mixture begins to thicken. You’ll know it is ready when the strawberry filling coats the spoon and slowly drips off of it.
- Remove the strawberry filling from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and let cool completely. For best results let it cool to room temperature then put it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
Yes, if you wanted to use frozen strawberries instead of fresh for the filling, you sure can. Start by thawing your strawberries and then follow the same instructions. Strawberry season can have a very short window of time in some parts of the country so using frozen berries is an excellent option.
I do prefer the texture and flavor of fresh strawberries, so I recommend using them whenever it’s possible. Plus, using fresh strawberries allows you to add them to the top of the cake for decorations too.
Can I Make This Cake Ahead Of Time?
Yes, this angel food cake and strawberries recipe is perfect for prepping and making ahead of time. You can prepare the cake itself up to 3 days ahead of time.
The homemade strawberry filling can be prepared and stored for up to 1 week ahead of time if kept in the refrigerator. You can also store the filling in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator until it’s thawed entirely before using it.
Looking for More Summer Cake Recipes?
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Pina Colada Cake Bites
- Sour Cream Pound Cake
- No Bake Red White and Blue Cake
- Red White and Blue Zinger Cake
- Funfetti Oreo Icebox Cake
- Banana Split Poke Cake
Like this recipe?
Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest for more recipes like this.
Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 Angel food cake
- 16 ounces Strawberries, finely chopped, set aside extra strawberries if you’d like to use them for decoration at the end.
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 2 cups Heavy cream
- ¾ cup Powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Powdered gelatin
- 1 tablespoon Warm water
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch.
- Mix together well and continue stirring and lightly mashing the berries to break them down a little more as the mixture heats and begins to bubble.
- Cook for approximately 10-15 minutes, until the strawberry mixture begins to thicken. You’ll know it is ready when the strawberry filling coats the spoon and slowly drips off of it.
- Remove the strawberry filling from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and let cool completely. For best results let it cool to room temperature then put it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
- Cut the prepared angel food cake in half horizontally. Set the top half to the side and place the bottom half on your cake plate.
- In the bottom half create a groove for the filling by cutting a circle around the inside of the cake near the center hole leaving approximately 1 inch – 1 1/2 inch between the cake hole and the inside of your circle.
- Then cut around the outer edge of the cake leaving approximately 1 – 1 1/2 inch between the outer edge of the cake and the outer edge of your circle.
- Gently remove the cake between your two cuts, making sure to leave some at the bottom, to create a groove for the filling.
- Use a spoon to fill the groove with the chilled strawberry filling. Fill until it is level with the top of the groove and then put the top layer of cake back on and place in the refrigerator while you make the stabilized whipped cream frosting.
- Once the whipped cream frosting is ready remove the cake from the refrigerator and use a spatula to frost the entire cake.
- Decorate with fresh strawberries and serve.
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting:
- In a small microwave-safe bowl add your powdered gelatin and warm water. Stir together and then place in the microwave and cook for 15 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir again before setting aside to cool.
- Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on medium high until it forms soft peaks, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing for 1 minute.
- Pour in the cooled gelatin (it should still be liquid) and continue to mix on medium high until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published on April 15, 2015. It was republished with an updated recipe and photos on April 10, 2020.
This looks good… nice and light for spring and summer. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this yumminess at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. Watch for your feature on Monday xo
This looks like a melt in the mouth dessert, totally one I would like to try!
Thanks for sharing at Marvelous Monday on Smart Party Planning.
Hi there! Visiting from the Motivational Monday link party. This looks so light and yummy!
This looks amazing and I never had dessert tonight, so I want it even more! Angel food cake and fruit is such a perfect combination!
I stopped by from Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop.
This looks super good specially that cream and strawberries!
Oh wow… This is something my mother would adore. I can’t wait to make this for her!