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Strawberry Angel Food Cake is the lightest, pinkest, most berry-kissed dessert of the summer, and it starts with a clever shortcut: strawberry jello whipped right into a from-scratch angel food batter. I first made it for a Mother’s Day brunch and the girls went wild for the cotton-candy color. If you love a fluffy strawberry dessert like our strawberry earthquake cake, this airy cloud of a cake is about to be your new warm-weather favorite.
It tastes like a strawberry cloud, looks stunning on the table, and comes together with just a handful of pantry ingredients.
Strawberry Angel Food Cake Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 45 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 55 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 180kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Light, airy, and sweet with bright strawberry flavor
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a fun baking project like our lemon blueberry poke cake
Quick Answer
Blend a box of strawberry jello into granulated sugar in a food processor, then sift half of it with flour and salt. Whip 12 room temperature egg whites with cream of tartar, slowly streaming in the rest of the sugar until soft peaks form, then fold in the flour mixture. Bake in an ungreased tube pan at 325 degrees F for about 45 minutes and cool upside down.
Jump to:
- Strawberry Angel Food Cake Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Strawberry Angel Food Cake
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Strawberry Angel Food Cake FAQs
- Other Recommended Strawberry Desserts
- Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Jello does the flavor and color work. Blending a box of strawberry gelatin into the sugar infuses the whole cake with real strawberry flavor and that gorgeous pink hue, no food coloring or fresh puree needed.
- Processing the sugar makes it superfine. Whirring the sugar and jello together breaks the granules down so they dissolve into the egg whites fast, giving you a tender, even crumb.
- Cream of tartar stabilizes the whites. That little bit of acid helps the egg whites hold their volume and structure, which is what gives angel food cake its signature tall, springy lift.
- Sifting keeps it light. Sifting the flour mixture twice and folding it in gently means you are not knocking the air out of those whipped whites, so the cake bakes up airy instead of dense.
- An ungreased pan lets it climb. The batter needs to grip the sides of the tube pan to rise, so you skip the grease. Greasing the pan is the number one reason angel food cakes sink.
- Cooling upside down prevents collapse. Flipping the pan while it cools keeps the delicate cake stretched tall instead of compressing under its own weight.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Naturally light. At only 180 calories a slice with no butter or oil, it is the dessert you can feel good about going back for seconds on.
- Showstopping color. That pretty pink crumb makes it perfect for baby showers, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or any spring and summer party.
- Simple pantry ingredients. No fancy equipment beyond a mixer, and it pairs beautifully with a dollop of our stabilized whipped cream and fresh berries.
Key Ingredients
- Egg Whites: The heart of any angel food cake. Use 12 large whites at room temperature so they whip up to maximum volume and give the cake its airy lift.
- Strawberry Jello Mix: The secret ingredient. It delivers all the strawberry flavor and the natural-looking pink color in one little box.
- Cream of Tartar: A must for stable, glossy egg whites that hold their peaks and keep the cake tall.
- Cake Flour or All-Purpose Flour: Sifted twice for a tender, delicate crumb. Keep the amount light so the cake stays fluffy.
- Granulated Sugar: Blended with the jello and processed superfine so it melts right into the whipped whites.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different flavors: Swap the strawberry jello for raspberry, cherry, lemon, or orange to change up the color and taste.
- Add a glaze: Drizzle a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze over the top, or go all in with a strawberry glaze.
- Top it off: Pile on fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream, or serve it alongside our fresh strawberry dump cake for a berry lover’s dessert table.
- Make it a trifle: Cube leftover cake and layer it with pudding, berries, and whipped cream in a glass.
How to Make Strawberry Angel Food Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, then add the granulated sugar and strawberry jello mix to a food processor.
- Process for two minutes until you have a fine, evenly pink sugar.
- Sift half of the sugar mixture together with the flour and salt twice into a large bowl, then set aside.
- Whip the room temperature egg whites with the cream of tartar in a stand mixer on medium speed.
- Slowly stream in the remaining sugar mixture and whip to soft peaks, then gently stir in the vanilla.
- Sift the flour mixture over the whites in four batches, folding gently each time so you do not deflate them.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan and gently shake it level.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, then immediately invert the pan onto a rack and cool for three hours before releasing and slicing.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Room temperature egg whites are key. They whip up taller and faster than cold whites, giving you the most volume and lift.
- Never grease the pan. Angel food cake needs to climb the bare sides of the pan to rise. A greased pan is the fastest way to a sunken cake.
- Keep the bowl spotless. Even a speck of grease or yolk will keep your whites from whipping. Make sure the bowl and whisk are perfectly clean.
- Fold, do not stir. Gently folding the flour in protects all the air you whipped into the whites, which is what keeps the cake fluffy.
- Cool it upside down. Inverting the pan as it cools keeps the tall cake from collapsing on itself. Do not skip the three hour cool.
- Use a serrated knife. A sharp, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion cuts clean slices without squishing the delicate crumb.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This strawberry angel food cake is gorgeous served simply, with a cloud of whipped cream and a handful of fresh sliced strawberries on each plate. The light, airy crumb soaks up the cream beautifully and the berries echo that bright strawberry flavor baked right into the cake.
For a real summer dessert spread, serve it alongside our lemon blueberry poke cake and a strawberry cheesecake bundt cake so guests can sample a little of everything. The pink, blue, and golden cakes look stunning together on a dessert table.
It is also the perfect base for a quick trifle or a strawberry shortcake. Cube the cake, layer it with pudding and berries, or split a slice and pile it with macerated strawberries. If you love a tangy citrus dessert too, our lemon cake with lemon buttercream makes a lovely companion.
Strawberry Angel Food Cake FAQs
The pink color and strawberry flavor both come from a box of strawberry gelatin blended right into the sugar. There is no need for food coloring or fresh strawberry puree, which keeps this strawberry angel food cake light and airy.
Angel food cake batter needs to grip the bare sides of the pan to climb and rise as it bakes. Greasing the pan causes the cake to slide and sink, so always use a clean, ungreased tube pan for strawberry angel food cake.
The most common causes are a greased pan, overmixing that deflates the egg whites, or not cooling the cake upside down. Fold gently, skip the grease, and invert the pan for three hours to keep the cake tall.
Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to five days. The cake is delicate, so cover it well so it does not dry out.
Yes. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic and foil and freeze for up to three months. Thaw it on the counter still wrapped so the moisture stays in the strawberry angel food cake.
A 10 inch ungreased tube pan, also called an angel food cake pan, is ideal. The center tube helps the cake bake evenly and gives it something to climb as it rises.
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Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 ounce box strawberry jello mix
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 large egg whites room temp
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Place the sugar and jello mix in a food processor. Turn the food processor on and let it run for 2 minutes. I put a towel over the top so catch any sugar dust that comes out.1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 3 ounce box strawberry jello mix
- Take half of the sugar mixture, along with the flour and salt, sift it twice into a large bowl. Set aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Place the egg whites into the body of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment along with the cream of tartar.12 large egg whites, 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- Place the mixer on medium speed and very slowly pour the remaining sugar mixture in while the mixer is running.
- Once all of the sugar is added, place the mixer on medium-high speed and whip until soft peaks for 2-4 minutes.
- Stir in the extract.2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Take the bowl off of the mixer and in four batches, sift the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it in. Be very gentle so you don’t deflate the egg whites.
- Once all the flour is mixed in, add the batter to a 10-inch ungreased tube pan.
- Gently shake the pan back and forth so the batter evens out and is almost smooth on top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Take the pan out of the oven and immediately flip it upside down on top of a cooling rack. Let it cool for 3 hours like this.
- Run a thin knife along the edge of the pan and invert the pan again. Give it a few taps until the cake releases from the pan.
- Let cool completely. Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice and serve.
Notes
- Use a food processor to blend the sugar and jello mix for a smoother batter.
- Sift the dry ingredients twice for a softer, fluffier cake.
- Make sure egg whites are at room temperature—this helps them whip better.
- Don’t grease the tube pan. The batter needs to cling to the sides as it rises.
- Let the cake cool in the pan upside down on a rack for the perfect consistency.
- Use a serrated knife for clean, even slices without smashing the fluffy cake.
Nutrition
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These were so much fun to make and tasted delicious.