Strawberry Angel Food Cake

How to make the perfect Angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream with a divine, light and fluffy texture. This strawberry angel food cake is so delicious with a marshmallow taste and its a very easy dessert to make.

I love this recipe it's made without fat or baking powder and has a perfect texture that melts in the mouth like a cloud.

this recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

The angel food cake is certainly the most divine kind of cake ever, with its perfectly white color, its great height and its light and fluffy texture.

That's why it's called the angel food cake as opposed to the Devils food cake which is more heavy and chocolatey. Angel food cake recipe has the particularity of being composed of only 3 main ingredients, egg whites, powdered sugar and flour.

This recipe is nothing more than a sponge cake like the victoria’s sponge cake recipe but rather similar to the chiffon cake recipe except that it doesn't have any fat inside, which makes it a very light and airy cake.

It is usually baked in a special angel cake pan which is a fluted tube pan somewhat similar to a kouglof pan or a bund cake pan.

It's a fairly easy recipe to make but rather fragile, so it doesn't contain any baking powder, it's only the whipped egg whites in which the other ingredients are delicately incorporated that give it its amazing height and its airy texture.

More strawberry desserts

My strawberry angel food cake recipe is served with a light homemade whipped cream, fresh strawberries and a homemade strawberry sauce made with frozen strawberries.

But this easy to make dessert it is so delicious that you can eat it by itself with just a little icing sugar or add a frosting like cream cheese mixture, cool whip, mascarpone frosting and some fresh berries or strawberries.

I made this angel food cake recipe in a 7 inch tube pan but the quantities are enough for an 8 inch tube pan or 10 inch angel food cake pan.

Tips and Tricks

1. Good temperature: Use room temperature egg whites to beat the whites and have a nice firm meringue.
2. Do not grease your pan: The batter will stick to the sides of the pan during baking. The unlined, ungreased pan will hold the cake and prevent it from collapsing.
3. Cream of tartar: The acidity of cream of tartar helps stabilize the whites, if you don't have any you can replace it with the same amount of white vinegar or lemon juice.
4. Fine powdered sugar: The sugar should be completely dissolved in the whites. Use an extra fine sugar preferably, or blend the granulated sugar for a few moments in a blender.
5. Cool upside down: Last important point, when you take the cake out of the oven, let it cool upside down in its mold. This will prevent it from falling over and it will keep its height and airy texture.

Ingredients et substitutions

Here is an overview of the ingredients needed and possible substitutions to make this delicious angel food cake at home, scroll down the page to see the quantities in the recipe card.

• Egg whites: Use fresh egg whites at room temperature. Preferably separate the whites from the yolks when they are cold, then leave the whites out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before making the recipe.
• Powdered sugar: Extra fine white powdered sugar, not flavored.
• Flour: Preferably use cake flour but if you don't have any you can still make this recipe with all-purpose flour.
• Cream of tartar: Optional, but I recommend using cream of tartar or white vinegar to stabilize the egg whites and make the cake airy.
• Salt and vanilla extract : Essential to bring out all the flavors.

Find the quantities and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

How to make the strawberry angel food cake

• Start by mixing together in a medium bowl the cake flour and half the powdered sugar.
• Then sift these dry ingredients at least twice and reserve.
• Place the egg whites in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix at medium speed for a few minutes until the whites are frothy with air bubbles.

Tip : To properly whip the whites, it is very important not to rush and to do it gradually, starting at medium speed to create a stable meringue.

Tip : As in my pavlova recipe, you really need to keep your utensils clean and free of grease and water to whip the whites. You can use a cloth soaked in vinegar to clean the bowl and the whisk.

• Add cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract and mix on medium-high speed.
• While leaving the mixer running add the other half of the powdered sugar to the egg whites, one tablespoon at a time, leaving 40 to 50 seconds between each addition so that it can be properly incorporated.
• Once you have added all the sugar increase speed to high and run mixer for about 5 minutes until you have a shiny meringue with firm peaks.

Tip: Use your fingertips to check that the sugar has dissolved into the meringue before proceeding to the next step.

Add the dry ingredients

• Sift the flour and powdered sugar mixture through a sieve onto the meringue by small quantities in at least 5 times.
• Mix gently with a flexible spatula between each addition until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous preparation.

Tip : Be careful not to mix too vigorously so that the meringue falls apart. Make circular motions from the center to the edges of the bowl. You should not have any lumps, the flour and sugar mixture should be completely incorporated into the meringue.

Baking

• Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (fan assisted) and prepare your angel food cake tin without greasing or lining it.
• Carefully pour the cake batter mixture into the pan and run a knife through the cake batter to remove any air pockets.
• Bake the angel food cake halfway through for about 30-40 minutes until it is puffed and golden on top.

Tip : Be careful not to open the oven door during baking to avoid thermal shock and the cake falling. You can check the cooking at the end of the time by using a cake tester or a toothpick which must come out clean.

Let the cake cool upside down

1. When it comes out of the oven, immediately turn it over on your work surface so that it is upside down. (the special angel food cake tin has feet that allow you to turn the cake without crushing it)
2. Then let it cool completely without touching or moving it, for at least 1 hour.
3. Once it is completely cool, turn it over and gently run a smooth knife around the outer edge and then the inner edge to loosen it.
4. Unmold the cake by lifting the bottom of the removable pan and again using a knife to gently release the bottom.
5. Place your cake on a serving dish or plate.
6. And serve with homemade whipped cream, mascarpone whipped cream or a cream cheese mixture and some fresh strawberries or fresh berries with a little icing sugar.

Frequently asked questions

How to serve this cake

Truly this cake is so delicious and light and fluffy on its own with only a little icing sugar sprinkled on top.

Its cloud-like texture is perfect with homemade whipped cream, but you can also use a cream cheese frosting recipe, or a vanilla mascarpone whipped cream or why not try chocolate mascarpone whipped cream for a change.

And to make it a very tasty dessert you can like me add a homemade strawberry sauce made simply with frozen strawberries cooked in a saucepan on low heat and serve it with some fresh fruit and you will have a perfect dessert for Mother's Day.

Tip: Use a serrated knife to cut it more easily your cake when serving.

You will also love

• French strawberry tart
• Chocolate sponge cake (molly cake)
• Genoise sponge
• Buttermilk chocolate cake
• Fluffy White Cake

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