Angel Food Cake with Strawberries
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Angel food cake with strawberries is the best angel food cake–for real! It is as light as a cloud and looks fancy and elegant, but couldn’t be simpler to make. Serve it with juicy strawberries and freshly whipped cream for an easy but showstopping dessert that you’ll want to make over and over again.
If you love easy summer cakes, don’t miss these recipes for strawberry tres leches cake and lemon olive oil cake.
Quick Look: Angel Food Cake with Strawberries
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Servings: 12 people
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian, Dairy Free (if served without whipped cream)
- Method: Oven Baked
- Technique: Beat the egg whites and sugar, then fold the sifted dry ingredients and flavoring into the mixture. Spread in a tube pan, bake, cool, and serve.
- Flavor & Texture: This angel food cake has a heavenly light texture that’s always moist and flavorful without being too sweet. It’s perfect for soaking up fruit juices!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This special dessert is one of my all-time favorites. It’s soft cloud-like texture is ideal for soaking up fruit juices and freshly whipped cream.
I love that you can add a variety of different toppings to make it your own, depending on the season and individual taste. I love it with fresh strawberries and a touch of freshly whipped cream. This light cake makes the perfect dessert after any meal, but especially after special favorites like Lasagna Bolognese with Bechamel!
If you love strawberries, you might also love this Strawberry Tiramisu! Or try more delicious cakes, like this Easy Italian Pear Cake and Italian Chocolate Torte.
Made With Amore,
“So light & delicious! Simple ingredients, and easy to follow instructions. The perfect accompaniment to fresh summer fruit. Yum!”
– Janis
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Angel Food Cake with Strawberries
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients
- Variations & Substitutions
- How to Make Angel Food Cake with Strawberries
- Angel Food Cake with Strawberries FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Expert Tips
- More Strawberry Desserts You’ll Love
- Angel Food Cake with Strawberries Recipe
Simple Ingredients
Angel food cake is super simple to make and takes basic pantry ingredients. That means you can make this showstopping cake anytime!
- Egg Whites: Use fresh, room temperature egg whites, as they’ll create a beautifully airy angel food cake. Ensure there’s no streaks of egg yolks in the whites, or they won’t whip up as well.
- Cake Flour: This type of flour is lower in protein than all-purpose flour, which keeps the cake tender.
- Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites, allowing them to whip into a light, fluffy foam that gives angel food cake its signature airy texture.
- Fruit Sauce: Serve with fresh berries (like strawberries) or a fruit sauce, like 3-ingredient strawberry coulis or easy blueberry sauce.
- Whipped Cream: A dollop of freshly whipped and sweetened cream tastes amazing with this cake and the fresh fruit or sauce!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Gluten Free Version: Use ¾ cup of your favorite measure-for-measure gluten free flour instead of the cake flour, and also add ¼ cup of cornstarch to help improve the texture.
- Dairy Free Serving Ideas: Serve with whipped coconut cream instead of regular dairy whipped cream for an absolutely delicious DF option!
- Uses for Leftover Egg Yolks: Make Italian Pastry Cream and serve it with the angel food cake! If you’re looking for other flavors, try my Italian Pistachio Cream and Italian Chocolate Pastry Cream.
How to Make Angel Food Cake with Strawberries
- Pulse the sugar in a food processor for about 2 minutes, or until it has a superfine texture.
- Sift half of the sugar with the flour and salt, then set it aside. This step is crucial for getting a light texture and avoiding lumps.
- Beat the egg whites with the warm water, lemon or orange extract, and cream of tartar until it’s foamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar a spoonful at a time and continue beating until medium-stiff peaks form (glossy, not dry).
- Sift the flour mixture into the egg whites, then gently fold it in with a spatula. Mix until it’s just combined, but be careful not to overmix, as it will deflate the mixture.
- Gently spread the batter in a clean, ungreased angel food cake pan (tube pan).
- Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until it’s lightly golden and springy to the touch.
- Immediately flip the cake over and let it cool completely upside down on a wire rack. This prevents the cake from collapsing on itself as it cools.
- Serve sliced and enjoy with whipped cream, fresh fruit (like sliced strawberries), or strawberry coulis.
Angel Food Cake with Strawberries FAQs
Angel food cake is a low fat cake recipe made mostly from egg whites, cake flour, and sugar. It’s pristine white on the inside with a chewy light brown crumb around the exterior. What it lacks in butter makes up for in texture. This tall, tender, and timeless cake has a cloud-like crumb and ultra light flavor.
No, I would not recommend adding strawberries or any other fruit to the cake batter itself, as it adds moisture and can weigh the cake down as it rises (or may cause it to collapse as it bakes). Instead, I recommend serving a baked, plain angel food cake with strawberries or strawberry sauce or other fruit on the side with whipped cream after it has cooled completely.
Yes, it’s best to bake angel food cake in a tube pan, which is shaped like a bundt pan but with straight sides (no fluted edges). The shape of this pan helps the batter rise upward, and the center tube conducts heat throughout the batter. In addition, do not grease the pan, or the batter will slip down the sides of the pan and collapse.
The cake should be golden on top and spring back lightly when touched. You can also insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean. Avoid opening the oven too early, or the cake may deflate.
Serving Suggestions
This angel food cake tastes divine when served with freshly whipped, sweetened cream and fresh strawberries (or strawberry coulis). Try it with fresh berries (or blueberry sauce) or chopped fruit, like Mexican fruit salad (ensalada de frutas) or Italian fruit salad (macedonia di frutta).
If you’re looking for different flavor combos, try serving this along with creamy vanilla sauce, homemade Nutella, or 5-ingredient lemon curd. A combination of lemon curd and fresh passionfruit seeds and pulp is particularly delicious and refreshing!
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Separate the eggs when cold, otherwise the yolk breaks easily. (Be sure no streaks of egg yolk get into the whites!) Then, let the egg whites get to room temperature before beating; let them sit for about 30 minutes out of the fridge.
- Beat egg whites in a very clean glass or metal bowl without a touch of grease or oil, as fat keeps the whites from getting as fluffy. (Don’t use a plastic bowl, as it will retain a bit of oil or fat from previous dishes no matter how well you have washed it.)
- Do not grease the angel food cake pan. The batter “clings” to the side of the pan as it rises. You will not get as much rise if it is greased. However, that it why you will need an angel food cake “tube” pan with a removable bottom.
- I generally cut down the sugar content of my desserts drastically. However, in the case of an angel food cake, it will not rise as well without the extra sugar. You can cut it down some, but realize it may make a denser cake.
- Do not make this on a rainy or humid day; this is not a myth! Moisture in the air can prevent the meringue from whipping properly and affect the rise and texture of the cake! Likely, the cake will collapse after baking.
More Strawberry Desserts You’ll Love
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Angel Food Cake with Strawberries
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Angel Food Cake
- 12 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1¾ cups sugar
- 1 cup cake flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- ⅓ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons real lemon or orange extract
Optional Toppings
- freshly whipped and sweetened cream
- sliced strawberries, or fruit of choice; or strawberry coulis
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse the sugar in a food processor for about 2 minutes, or until it has a superfine texture.
- In a bowl, sift together half of the sugar with cake flour and salt. Set aside. Keep remaining sugar separate.
- In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, combine egg whites, warm water, extract, and cream of tartar. Beat on medium speed until foamy.
- Gradually add the remaining sugar, a little at a time. Continue beating until medium-stiff peaks form; they should be glossy and holding their shape, but should not be dry.
- Sift the flour mixture over the egg whites in small additions. Using a spatula, gently fold after each addition. Take your time here; don’t deflate the batter.
- Pour batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan. Smooth the top lightly.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, until lightly golden and springy to the touch.
- Invert the pan immediately and cool completely on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Cooling it upside down keeps the cake tall and airy.
- Run a knife around the edges to release. Slice with a serrated knife and serve with whipped cream and fresh strawberries or strawberry coulis.
Notes
- Separate the eggs when cold, otherwise the yolk breaks easily. (Be sure no streaks of egg yolk get into the whites!) Then, let the egg whites get to room temperature before beating; let them sit for about 30 minutes out of the fridge.
- Beat egg whites in a very clean glass or metal bowl without a touch of grease or oil, as fat keeps the whites from getting as fluffy. (Don’t use a plastic bowl, as it will retain a bit of oil from previous dishes no matter how well you have washed it.)
- Do not grease the angel food cake pan, as the batter “clings” to the side of the pan as it rises. If you grease it, the batter will slip down the pan instead of rising.
- I generally cut down the sugar content of my desserts drastically; however, in angel food cake, it will not rise as well without the extra sugar. You can cut it down some, but the cake may be denser.
- Do not make this on a rainy or humid day! Moisture in the air can prevent the meringue from whipping properly and affect the rise and texture of the cake.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
12 large eggs is approximately how much in cups/ounces
You are only using the egg whites, so you do not need the measurement for the whole egg.
Honestly, the only angel food cake recipe worth making! So good!
Top notch. My favorite desserts are simple ones. But this recipe has a way of making it feel much more. The one thing you never want with angel food is a dry cake, and you will never have a more moist cake with this.
Thanks Elena!
Happy you loved it Sato! It is a super moist cake.
This is the best angel food cake recipe! We love to make it for family and friends.
I can tell you I have never been a fan of angel food cake…. Until this recipe. It’s the perfect texture and sweetness. You don’t even need to sugar your fruit when you add it to this. It may become a new summer staple in our house.
So happy you loved it Tiffany. It is a delicious cake recipe and one of our favorites too.
Best Angel cake ever!!!!
Elena thank you for sharing this recipe
Thank you :)! Time to make it again!
So light & delicious! Simple ingredients, and easy to follow instructions. The perfect accompaniment to fresh summer fruit. Yum!
Thank you! It makes a light and wonderful summer dessert!
Insanely good and super easy to make. You can tell Elena has been troubleshooting the places where guys like me might screw up, like thinking you need to grease the sides of the pan. Thanks for this perfect recipe to a spring and summertime staple!
Brandon, you are most welcome! All the tips go a long way with this recipe. Enjoy with family and friends. It makes for a light dessert that is always well received.
This cake is perfection, I made it for Easter and it was so delicious! It was also my first time making Angel Food from scratch.
The instructions were straight forward and easy to follow.
Thank you, Elena!
It is a family favorite here too! You are welcome!Many more cake recipes to try!
Using the tips, I made the best angel food cake of my life. I ate it with fresh berries and it was heaven! Maybe that’s why it’s called “Angel” food cake.
I am so happy! Once you try it homemade there is no going back!