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    Home » Desserts » Cake

    Strawberry Lemon Layered Angel Food Cake

    May 25, 2015 Updated April 30, 2020 BySam 56 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A classic, homemade angel food cake is cut and layered with a deliciously light, sweet, and subtly zesty lemon curd filling (made with homemade whipped cream) and stuffed with strawberries to make this brilliantly summer-y, exquisitely delicious angel food cake.

    Lemon Layered Angel Food Cake on pink platter

    My obsession with this cake goes beyond words.

    This cake is more than just cake; it is the fleeting joys of life embodied in baked goods.

    It is catching fireflies at twilight and letting them go, it is flashing a newly-minted driver’s license to the bartender for your first legal drink, it is a first crush and the first shy brush of your lips against theirs.  It is delightful and innocent and as ephemeral as summertime itself feels in the dead of winter.

    If I were told I could only eat one thing again for the rest of my life… well I’d probably choose something practical like chicken, but my heart would break often for loss of this cake.

    For the loss of it’s sweet, (appropriately) heavenly, fluffy interior, snow-white and slightly sticky.  For the melt-in-your-mouth texture reminiscent of cotton candy, and the way in which you can feel the sugars beginning to melt on your tongue the moment you take your first bite.  For the delicately browned exterior, and for the slightly tangy strawberry-filled cream that takes the cake to an entirely new level of flavor, creating a symphony of flavor and texture with soft notes of almond extract against a clamor of strawberries, and a melody of classic angel food orchestrated by a gentle zest of lemon .

    Lemon Layered Angel Food Cake slice in foreground, whole cake in background

    The recipe for this cake (not the filling) is my mom’s.

    That’s not exactly true; it originated from a Good Housekeeping cookbook that is now so well-used the spine is now duct-taped and each time you open it pages fall out in a flurry of well-loved recipes, too tired to hold on to their binding any longer.

    But my mom has made this recipe countless times (mostly to use up a surplus of eggs from the chickens she and my dad raise), making it her own, and just like my great-grandmother makes the best fettuccine sauce and my grandmother makes the best chicken pot-pie in the world, my mom makes the best angel food cake.  It’s requested with fervor, devoured within moments at parties, and each year on my birthday I ask her to make it for me.

    Lemon Layered Angel Food Cake on plates slice of layered angel food cake, showing strawberry center

    Now, I’m sharing the recipe with you, dressed up with my own strawberry and lemon cream filling, and I sincerely hope you try it out for yourself.

    Homemade Angel Food Cake is not to be compared to supermarket store-bought nor to those contrived from a box.  There is simply no comparison.  Homemade, from scratch, is superior in every way and only this food could ever compel me to write about it so passionately.

    So long as you understand the meaning of “stiff peaks” (and if you don’t, I’m sure you know how to google) it’s really very easy to pull together, so long as you don’t mind taking the time to crack and separate almost a dozen eggs.

    Make it.  Taste it.  Share it.  Try to hold onto it, but remember this cake is as deliciously sweet and fleeting as strawberry season and disappears in the blink of an eye.

    layered cake with strawberries on top and filling

    Lemon Layered Angel Food Cake

    A classic, homemade angel food cake that is cut and layered with a deliciously light, sweet, and zesty lemon curd filling and stuffed with strawberries to make a summer-y dessert!
    4.91 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 12 slices
    Calories: 312kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    Angel Food Cake

    • 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
    • ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ cups egg whites at room temperature 10-12 egg whites
    • 1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
    • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 1 cup sugar granulated

    Filling

    • 1 pint strawberries
    • 8 oz cream cheese softened
    • ¼ cup lemon curd homemade or store-bought
    • 1 cup +¼powdered sugar divided
    • 1 ½ cup heavy cream
    • ½ tsp vanilla
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Angel Food Cake

    • Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
    • In a medium sized bowl, combine powdered sugar and flour and set aside.
    • In KitchenAid mixer, combine egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla and almond extracts and salt. Mix well.
    • With mixer on high, beat in sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, adding more only once the previous tablespoon has been dissolved (As you add the sugar, you should be able to hear the faint sound of the granules scraping against the metal bowl. Once you no longer hear this, the sugar has been dissolved). Do NOT scrape the sides of the bowl as you are doing this, just keep beating.
    • Beat until stiff peaks form (stiff peaks exist when you can dip a knife or spatula into the mixture and the peaks that form when you remove the utensil hold their shape firmly without the point of the peak folding or receding back into the mixture)
    • Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in sugar/flour mix, about ½ cup at a time. Do not over-mix; fold only until the flour mixture is combined with the egg whites mixture.
    • Pour mixture into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan and use a knife or spatula to cut through the batter to break through any air bubbles that may exist.
    • Bake the cake for 35 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched. Any cracks on the surface should look dry.
    • Immediately upon removing from oven, invert the cake onto a bottle or funnel and allow it to cool completely
    • Once cake has cooled, place right-side-up and run a knife inside the rim of the cake pan. Invert cake onto serving platter. Carefully, using a sharp serrated knife, cut the cake crosswise into thirds.

    Strawberry Lemon Filling

    • Reserve 9-10 whole strawberries for top of cake. With the rest, remove tops and slice. Set aside.
    • In KitchenAid, cream together cream cheese and lemon curd on medium speed until combined.
    • Gradually stir in 1 cup powdered sugar on low speed, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl
    • In separate bowl, combine heavy cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat by hand or with handheld electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
    • Stir whipped cream mixture into lemon/cream cheese mixture until just combined (be sure to scrape down sides of bowl)
    • Spread lemon mixture between layers and on top of angel food cake. For the bottom two layers, top with strawberry slices and use whole strawberries on top of cake.
    • Slice using sharp serrated knife and serve.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 696IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Lemon Layered Angel Food Cake

    Strawberry & lemon layered angel food cake SugarSpunRun Strawberry and lemon layered angel food cake SugarSpunRun
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nazia @ Your Sunny Side Up

      May 26, 2015 at 12:54 pm

      Not only does the cake look gorgeous, but the picture you’ve painted with just your words! It sounds and looks incredible, and strawberries are my favourites so I would have no problem devouring this cake 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 1:00 pm

        Thank you for the kind words Nazia! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Vanessa @ Vanessa Baked

      May 26, 2015 at 9:45 am

      Angel food cake is such a light and satisfying dessert. I would have to come back for a second slice, of this cake.

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:53 pm

        I definitely had seconds! Thank you Vanessa

        Reply
    3. Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes)

      May 26, 2015 at 9:44 am

      Wow you do some absolutely beautiful work! Thanks for commenting on my post because I just had to check you out!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:53 pm

        🙂 Thank you so much Jocelyn, that is so nice to hear coming from such a great blogger as yourself 😀

        Reply
    4. Kelly - Life Made Sweeter

      May 26, 2015 at 8:11 am

      What a gorgeous cake! It sounds absolutely delicious and I love the strawberry lemon combo! So fluffy and light and perfect for summer!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:53 pm

        Thank you Kelly!

        Reply
    5. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

      May 26, 2015 at 7:31 am

      Oh what a gorgeous cake, Sam! I love the strawberry and lemon combo! It just screams summer and deliciousness to me! Yum!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:54 pm

        Thanks so much Gayle! Definitely summery!

        Reply
    6. Mir

      May 26, 2015 at 7:01 am

      Making angel food cake is on my bucket list, Sam! I always shy away from messing with egg whites, but now I just might do it. Yours looks amazing!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:54 pm

        Oh you have to try it! It might take a time or two but once you develop a knack it’s really so easy!

        Reply
    7. Ashley | The Recipe Rebel

      May 25, 2015 at 6:33 pm

      I’m kind of embarrassed that I’ve never made homemade angel food cake! This looks so good!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:55 pm

        You should definitely try it out! Thanks Ashley!

        Reply
    8. Beverley @ sweaty&fit

      May 25, 2015 at 3:49 pm

      I am so impressed at the commitment that went into this cake! looks absolutely beautiful.

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:55 pm

        Thank you Beverly! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Ana | Espresso My Kitchen

      May 25, 2015 at 2:35 pm

      The way you describe this cake makes me really want a slice right about now! sounds and looks yummy!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:55 pm

        Thanks so much Ana!

        Reply
    10. Kathy Mader

      May 25, 2015 at 2:00 pm

      That is beautiful! A work of art. I would love to have the fettuccine sauce and chicken pot pie recipes, hint, hint!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:56 pm

        Haha, I’m still working on getting those myself. Thank you Kathy!

        Reply
    11. Brittaney @ Sips and Snacks

      May 25, 2015 at 12:23 pm

      I love how eloquently you talk about this cake, and it looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:56 pm

        Thank you Brittaney 🙂

        Reply
    12. Jess @ whatjessicabakednext

      May 25, 2015 at 11:18 am

      LOVE angel food cake! This looks divine, Sam! Love the strawberries!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:56 pm

        Thanks Jess!

        Reply
    13. Annie @ The Garlic Diaries

      May 25, 2015 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      This cake sounds mouth watering! I love that it’s your mom’s recipe. Family recipes are always the best!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:56 pm

        Aren’t they though!? Thanks Annie!

        Reply
    14. CakeSpy

      May 25, 2015 at 10:59 am

      Truly beautiful. And a wonderful taste of the season! Love the idea of the lemon incorporated with the strawberry flavor.

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:57 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    15. Medha @ Whisk & Shout

      May 25, 2015 at 10:32 am

      Hand me down recipes are just the best! This cake looks stunning and I love the combination of strawberry and lemon flavors paired with this fluffy cake 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2015 at 12:57 pm

        Thank you Medha!! 🙂

        Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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