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Flavored angel food cake is an epic summer dessert! Use freeze dried strawberries to make homemade strawberry angel food cake – it tastes like a strawberries and cream angel food cake dessert!
We’ll show you how to make angel food cake without cake flour. Plus 7 tips for making homemade angel food cake and GLUTEN FREE angel food cake too!
I’ve been dying to share this recipe with you! Lots of you voted for flavored angel food cake recipes and when I put a sneak peek on instagram, you went crazy!
There are so many good and important tips to read through in the post about how to make strawberry angel food cake that’s 100% homemade!
How to make angel food cake without cake flour
It is possible to make angel food cake without cake flour! Cake flour is a light, finely milled flour with a lower protein content than all purpose flour.
I’ve never bought cake flour. And I don’t want to have to buy it just to make one recipe. So I set out to create an amazing homemade angel food cake that doesn’t use cake flour.
How to make homemade cake flour
Here’s the best part: you can make your own cake flour at home and all you need are 2 ingredients – all purpose flour and cornstarch!
It does take a little bit more effort, because you need to swift the all purpose flour with the cornstarch FIVE times.
Why sift the all purpose flour and cornstarch together so many times? You are essentially creating cake flour, so you need to make sure everything is well incorporated and light as a cloud.
Well sifted = lighter and fluffier angel food cake
How to make gluten free angel food cake
All my gluten free friends, listen up! This strawberries and cream angel food cake can be made gluten free! I tested it both with gluten free flour and regular all purpose flour. My favorite gluten free flour is King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. You can use this brand of flour as a one for one substitute in this recipe.
7 tips for making homemade angel food cake
1. Sift!!! Don’t skip this step. Sifting the all purpose flour, cornstarch and dried strawberry powder together help make the cake light and fluffy but it also helps to remove those pesky dried strawberry seeds from the dry ingredients!
2. Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature. If you forget like I did to set them out early, you can speed up this process by putting the egg whites inside a container or ziploc bag and place that inside a bowl of warm-hot water for 10 minutes.
3. Whipping egg whites into stiff peaks can take 10-15 minutes. But this is KEY to fluffy angel food cake. Stiff peaks means the mixture doesn’t fall back on itself when your remove the beater.
4. Sift the dry ingredients into the whipped egg white mixture in batches (about 3 or 4 batches) and use a spatula to gently FOLD the mixture together.
5. DO NOT spray the angel food cake pan with cooking spray. The batter needs to be able to travel up the sides of the pan to get that traditional angel food cake height.
6. Use an angel food cake pan! Unfortunately, using a bundt pan will not result in good angel food cake. A bundt pan is not meant for angel food cake, therefore it will not turn out the same.
7. Once the cake is done baking, immediately invert the pan. I like to stick the center of my angel food cake pan on a mug or can of beans to cool inverted. Allow the cake to cool for 2-3 hours, then use a small spatula or knife and go around the sides of the pan and the center piece to help release the cake from the pan.
How do I know if my pink angel food cake is done?
I like to use a popsicle stick or wooden kabob skewer and insert that into the cake. If it comes out with no crumbs, it’s done.
How long do you leave angel food cake upside down?
Leave the strawberry filled angel food cake upside down until it’s completed cool, about 2-3 hours.
How far in advance can you make angel food cake? How long can angel food cake sit out?
You can bake and store an angel food cake in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days.
You can store an angel food cake lightly wrapped in plastic wrap and in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.
How to freeze an angel food cake
Make sure the cake is completely cool, then wrap the cake well in aluminum foil. Place inside a freezer ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the cake to defrost overnight in the fridge.
Fancy strawberry flavored angel food cake
There’s a few things you can do to take your plain angel food cake to the next level. I cut this strawberry cake in half, added homemade whipped cream and cut up strawberries and kiwis, then placed the cake layer back on the cake, and repeated the garnishes on the top of the cake.
More angel food cake recipes
Want to see the recipe in action? Here’s our video for how to make our classic angel food cake, which the process is the same for the strawberry angel food cake.
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Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Angel Food Cake
- 1 oz freeze dried strawberries
- 1 cup minus 2 tbsp all purpose flour OR gluten free all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided into 3/4 cup
- ¼ tsp salt
- 12 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnishes
- Chopped strawberries and kiwi
Instructions
Instructions
- Empty 1 oz of freeze dried strawberries into a blender, blend until you have a fine strawberry powder.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Empty 1 cup of all purpose flour, properly measured, into a medium bowl. Remove 2 tbsp of flour and return to the flour bag. Add 2 tbsp of cornstarch and all the strawberry powder to the flour. Sift 5 times. In this step you’re really making you own cake flour, so everything needs to be incorporated and light as a cloud.
- Add in 3/4 cup sugar and salt to the flour mixture. Sift 2 more times. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl over medium speed, begin to beat the room temperature egg whites for about 2 minutes. Add in the cream of tartar and vanilla extract. Continue to beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, turning the speed up to medium-high.
- Gradually add in the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Wait 10-15 seconds between scoops of sugar. Continue to beat the mixture on high until stiff peaks form. The mixture will be white, glossy and really airy! The whole beating process can take 10-13 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Gradually sift in the flour mixture (in about 3-4 batches). To do this hold the sifter over the bowl, and add in 1/3 or 1/4 of flour mixture. Then use a spatula to gently FOLD the mixture together. To your best to not over mix, which will deflate your egg whites.
- Add the angel food cake batter to an un-greased angel food cake pan. Run a butter knife through the batter to release any potential air bubbles.
- Place in the oven to bake for 42-45 minutes or until a popsicle stick or kabob skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake.
- Once the cake is done baking, immediately invert the pan. I like to stick the center of my angel food cake pan on a mug or can of beans to cool inverted. Allow the cake to cool for 2-3 hours, then use a small spatula or knife and go around the sides of the pan and the center piece to help release the cake from the pan. During the cooling process place a metal mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for the whipped cream.
- Place the cake on a serving plate.
Whipped Cream
- Place a metal mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the freezer. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes, or until stiff peaks form / it’s scoop-able with a spoon and holds its shape.
Assemble the cake
- Use a sharp knife or cake lever to cut the angel food cake in half. Remove the top of the cake. Spread half of the whipped cream onto the cake, top with chopped strawberries and kiwi. Place the top of the cake back on, adding remaining whipped fruit and fruit. Cut with a bread knife and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
