Strawberry Shortcake with Angel Food Cake
This cloud-like angel food cake topped with juicy strawberries and billowy whipped cream is summer on a plate!
Equipment
Ingredients
Angel Food Cake Recipe
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons; (133g) bleached cake flour
- 2 cups (425g) cold egg whites from 12 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
Strawberry Topping
- 1 lb fresh strawberries trimmed and quartered
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Angel Food Cake Recipe
- Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C).
- Sift cake flour and set it aside.
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract. Use the whisk attachment. Start mixing on low for 1 minute, then increase to medium-low (speed 4 on a KitchenAid) and whip for 3 minutes until the mixture is dense and dark.
- With the mixer running, add lemon juice and salt. Increase speed to medium (speed 6 on a KitchenAid) and whip for another 3 minutes until the mixture is thin and foamy.
- Increase speed to medium-high (speed 8 on a KitchenAid) and continue whipping until the meringue is glossy and thick, about 2 to 4 minutes. The meringue should form soft peaks that hold their shape but are still flexible.
- Sprinkle the sifted cake flour on top of the meringue. Gently stir with a spatula to roughly combine, then fold the mixture by scraping from the bottom up until no flour pockets remain.
- Scrape the batter into a 10-inch ungreased aluminum tube pan with a removable bottom. If you see any unincorporated flour, mix it in gently.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cake is puffed, golden blond, and firm to the touch, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 206°F (97°C).
- Invert the pan onto its stilts or cooling rack and let it cool upside down for at least 2 hours until completely cool.
- Slide an offset spatula around the sides to loosen the cake. Remove the insert, then slide the spatula under the bottom to release the cake. Flip it onto a serving plate, gently pulling on the sides to release it from the center tube.
Strawberry Topping
- Combine the strawberries and sugar in a bowl and set aside while the angel food cake is cooling. The sugar will dissolve into and make a delicious syrup.
Whipped Cream
- Add whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl of a standing mixer.
- Start by whisking at a low speed for about 15 seconds until the sugar is fully dissolved. Increase the speed to medium-high (6 on kitchen aid) for 60-90 minutes seconds. At this point, the whipped cream will be fluffy and thick.
- Lift your whisk out of the bowl. Turn it upright to see if a peak holds its shape on the whisk's wires. If the whipped cream droops, give it another 10 seconds of whisking and check again
- Keep whisking until you get a stiff peak that stands tall without slumping.
Assembly
- Slice a piece of cake with a serrated knife, top with a spoonful of strawberries, and a dollop of whipped cream.
- Store the cake at room temperature for up to 4 days (without strawberries and whipped cream) in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap.
Notes
Slicing the Cake: It’s super important that when cutting angel food cake, you use a sharp, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion. Use a bread knife or angel food comb. Using a straight-edge knife and/or cutting straight down will smush the cake.
Make-Ahead: Angel food cake can be prepared one day in advance. Once it has cooled completely and been removed from the tube pan, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature.
Tube Pan: If your tube pan doesn't have stilts for inverted resting, set up a trio of same-height cans before you start baking. Arrange three or four cans of the same height around the pan. Carefully balance the inverted pan on top of the cans, ensuring that it’s stable. Or, place the inverted pan on a wire cooling rack, ensuring that the sides of the pan are elevated to allow airflow beneath it.