This strawberry angel food cake features an incredibly light, fluffy sponge cake flavored with a simple homemade strawberry sauce and decorated with an easy stabilized whipped cream frosting.
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WHAT IS ANGEL FOOD CAKE
Angel food cake is a type of sponge cake made with egg whites, flour, and sugar. It gets its name for its pure white color and extremely light, fluffy, cloud-like texture. It's completely fat-free since there are no egg yolks, oil, butter, or dairy in the cake. It also uses less flour than most cake recipes. Instead, almost all of the cake's structure comes from the meringue made with egg whites and granulated sugar.
MERINGUE FOR ANGEL FOOD CAKE
The meringue for angel food cake can be made with a French, Swiss, or Italian method. The French method is the simplest since there is no heating of the egg whites, but it also makes the most fragile meringue. The Italian method is quite complicated, but of the three methods, it's the one that makes the most stable meringue. The Swiss method is kind of in between the two.
For this recipe, I'm using the Swiss method. It's pretty straightforward and makes a very stable meringue that won't deflate easily when folded with the dry ingredients. If you are more comfortable with making a French meringue then that will definitely work! The ingredients in the recipe are the same, but the technique is slightly different.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY SAUCE
- Strawberries: 1 cup, fresh or frozen.
- Granulated sugar
STRAWBERRY ANGEL FOOD CAKE
- Cake flour: Cake flour keeps the cake as light and airy as possible! I don't recommend substituting with all-purpose flour or the cake will come out dense and with an off flavor.
- Powdered sugar: Sifted with the cake flour.
- Salt: You can mix the salt in with the dry ingredients or add it to the meringue, whichever you prefer!
- Egg whites: 300 grams or about 9 large eggs. Fresh eggs are best, egg whites from a carton don't whip as well and make a much softer, less stable meringue.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and gives structure to the egg whites so they whip into thick, billowy peaks that won't deflate.
- Cream of tartar: A little acid speeds up the whipping process and produces a more stable meringue. If you don't have any cream of tartar you can substitute it with fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
- Homemade strawberry sauce: I don't recommend using anything store-bought. Angel food cake can be temperamental and any extra ingredients may negatively affect the meringue or the texture of the cake.
WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
- Mascarpone cheese or whipped cream cheese spread: Adding a little cream cheese stabilizes the whipped cream so it pipes perfectly and holds its shape for much longer than regular whipped cream. Mascarpone cheese is a fancy Italian version of cream cheese. It has a very mild flavor and produces a taste almost identical to whipped cream. Cream cheese adds a subtle tangy flavor, like a cross between whipped cream and cream cheese frosting. If using cream cheese I recommend using a whipped cream cheese spread, which is less likely to leave you with any lumps in your frosting.
- Heavy whipping cream (cold): Keep it in the fridge right up until you need it.
- Powdered sugar
- Salt (optional): A tiny pinch of salt enhances the flavor of the whipped cream.
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY ANGEL FOOD CAKE
1. Make the strawberry sauce: Add the fresh or frozen strawberries to a small saucepan along with the granulated sugar. Cook and stir until the strawberries have softened and released all of their juices. Strain the liquid through a sieve and allow to cool in the fridge until needed.
2. Sift the cake flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Separate the eggs one at a time in a small bowl and add the egg whites to a large, completely clean glass bowl (not plastic) or bowl of a stand mixer. Be careful not to get any yolks in the bowl with the egg whites or you won't be able to whip them to stiff peaks. Add the granulated sugar and cream of tartar and whisk to combine.
4. Place the bowl with egg whites and sugar on top of a saucepan filled with barely simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the water or the egg whites can start to cook.
5. Whisk frequently until the sugar dissolves and the temperature reaches about 140°F on a digital thermometer. This will take around five minutes. If you don't have a thermometer, check by rubbing the mixture between your fingers. It should be warm and you shouldn't feel any granules of sugar.
6. Take the bowl off of the saucepan and wipe any water off of the bottom of the bowl. Use an electric or stand mixer with a whisk attachment and begin whipping the egg whites on low speed until starting to thicken. Increase the speed to medium and keep mixing until the egg whites are thick and glossy with stiff peaks.
7. Add two tablespoons of the strained strawberry liquid and mix until combined.
FOLD THE BATTER
In several additions, add the meringue to the sifted dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in each addition until just combined. Once all of the meringue is added, fold until the batter is smooth with no lumps of dry ingredients remaining.
BAKE
Arrange your oven rack to the lower position and preheat your oven to 325°F.
Add the cake batter to an ungreased angel food cake pan and use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Run a chopstick or butter knife around the batter inside the pan to dislodge any large pockets of air.
Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes. The top should be golden brown and a toothpick should come out clean.
You can also check the internal temperature of the cake to take out any guesswork. The cake is done when the internal temperature reaches 205°F on a digital instant-read thermometer.
Immediately flip the cake pan upside down and allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature. Since the pan was ungreased the cake won't fall out, and cooling upside down helps keep it from deflating.
Cool the cake upside down for at least 1 hour or until no longer warm to the touch.
To remove the cake from the pan, run a knife along the outer edge of the cake to separate it from the sides of the pan. Run your knife along the bottom and around the center until you are able to lift the cake from the pan. Transfer to a serving plate and let cool in the fridge before adding the whipped cream frosting.
WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
1. Use an electric mixer to beat the mascarpone cheese or whipped cream cheese spread until smooth.
2. Add the cold heavy whipping cream and mix until starting to thicken.
3. Add the powdered sugar and mix until thick and billowy, be careful not to overwhip the cream.
ASSEMBLE AND FROST THE CAKE
Once the cake has cooled completely, use a large serrated knife to slice it in half horizontally. Arrange some sliced strawberries on top of the cake, and pipe or spread the whipped cream frosting on top.
Gently set the cut cake layer on top and decorate with more sliced strawberries and more whipped cream.
KEY TIPS FOR MAKING ANGEL FOOD CAKE
Wipe down everything with vinegar or lemon juice. Any trace of fat will prevent the egg whites from whipping to stiff peaks. Before you start, clean and dry all of your bowls, mixers, and spatulas, then wipe them down with a little white vinegar or lemon juice to get rid of any potential oil residue.
Separate the eggs one at a time in a separate bowl. Angel food cake uses a lot of egg whites, and separating them straight into the same bowl is extremely risky!! If even a tiny piece of yolk gets in with the egg whites the meringue won't work, so separate the eggs one at a time into a separate bowl first, that way if a yolk breaks you don't have to start all over! It's also easier to separate the eggs while they are cold.
Beat the meringue to stiff peaks. When you take your mixer and flip it upside down there should be a peak that sticks up at the tip. If it's still droopy then keep mixing. Be patient, it can take 10 minutes or more depending on the mixer you're using.
Fold gently. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the meringue into the dry ingredients by wiping around the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Use the right cake tin. An aluminum tube pan is key for making angel food cake! The tall, slanted sides and inner core promote even cooking and encourage the cake to rise. When choosing a pan, make sure to get one that doesn't have a non-stick coating. Angel food cake needs to stick to the sides of the pan in order to rise during baking and also not fall as it cools. You should also look for a pan with a removable bottom and little feet on the sides that make cooling the cake upside down easier.
Don't open the oven door to check on the cake. At least not for the first 35 minutes. Any sudden changes in temperature may cause the cake to deflate or stop rising.
HOW TO STORE ANGEL FOOD CAKE
Unfrosted cake: Wrap the cake with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 1 week.
Frosted cake (without sliced strawberries): Cover the cake with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 1 week.
Frosted cake (with sliced strawberries): Cover the cake with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can brush the strawberries with a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice to keep them fresh longer.
HOW TO FREEZE ANGEL FOOD CAKE
Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and keep frozen for 4-6 weeks. You can freeze the cake with or without the whipped cream frosting, but for the best results leave off the sliced strawberries until you're ready to serve the cake.
MORE CAKE RECIPES
📖 RECIPE
Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Equipment
- electric or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Digital instant-read thermometer optional
Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce:
- 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Strawberry Angel Food Cake:
- 1 and ½ cups cake flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 9 large egg whites, 300 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons strained strawberry sauce
Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese or whipped cream cheese spread, ½ cup, cold
- 1 and ½ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- pinch salt, optional
Instructions
- Adjust your oven rack to the lower position and preheat your oven to 325°F.
Make the Strawberry Sauce:
- Add the fresh or frozen strawberries to a small saucepan along with the granulated sugar. Cook and stir until the strawberries have softened and released all of their juices. Strain the liquid through a sieve and allow to cool in the fridge until needed.
Make the Angel Food Cake:
- Clean and dry all of your bowls, mixers, and spatulas well. Optional: Wipe everything with a little white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to get rid of any oil residue.
- Sift the cake flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
- Separate the eggs one at a time in a small bowl and add the egg whites to a large glass bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Be careful not to get any yolk in with the egg whites.
- Add the granulated sugar and cream of tartar to the bowl with the egg whites. Place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the water or the egg whites will start to cook.
- Whisk the mixture frequently over the simmering water until the sugar is dissolved and the temperature reaches 140°F on a digital instant read thermometer. This will take about 5 minutes. If you don't have a thermometer you can check by rubbing the mixture between your fingers to make sure there aren't any sugar granules.
- Take the bowl off of the saucepan and wipe any water off of the bottom of the bowl. Use an electric or stand mixer with a whisk attachment and begin whipping the egg whites on low speed until starting to thicken. Increase the speed to medium and keep mixing until the egg whites are thick and glossy with stiff peaks. This can take 10-15 minutes depending on the kind of mixer you're using.
- Add two tablespoons of the strained strawberry liquid and mix until just combined.
- Fold the batter: In several additions, use a rubber spatula to gently fold the meringue into the sifted dry ingredients. After the last addition, fold until the batter is smooth with no pockets of dry ingredients remaining.
- Add the angel food cake batter to an ungreased angel food cake pan and use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Avoid opening the oven door during the first 35 minutes. The cake is done when the top is light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You can also check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer, it should be at least 205°F.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately flip the pan upside down to cool the cake. Since the pan was ungreased the cake won't fall out, and cooling upside down helps keep it from deflating. Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature upside down for at least 1 hour.
- When the cake is cool, remove it from the pan by running a knife around the outer edge of the cake to separate it from the sides of the pan. Run your knife along the bottom and around the center until you are able to lift the cake from the pan. Transfer to a serving plate and let cool in the fridge before adding the whipped cream frosting.
Whipped Cream Frosting:
- Use an electric mixer to beat the cold mascarpone cheese or whipped cream cheese spread until smooth.
- Add the cold heavy whipping cream and mix until starting to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and mix until thick and billowy, be careful not to over whip the cream.
Assemble:
- Once the cake has cooled completely, use a large serrated knife to slice it in half horizontally. Arrange some sliced strawberries on top of the cake, and pipe or spread the whipped cream frosting on top. Gently set the cut cake layer on top and decorate with more sliced strawberries and more whipped cream.
Notes
Frosted cake (without sliced strawberries): Cover the cake with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 1 week.
Frosted cake (with sliced strawberries): Cover the cake with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can brush the strawberries with a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice to keep them fresh longer. HOW TO FREEZE ANGEL FOOD CAKE Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and keep frozen for 4-6 weeks. You can freeze the cake with or without the whipped cream frosting, but for the best results leave off the sliced strawberries until you're ready to serve the cake.
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