Description
A delicate and airy strawberry angel food cake made with fresh strawberry puree folded into a light meringue base, baked to perfection and served with chantilly cream and fresh strawberries for a beautifully fruity and elegant dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Strawberry Puree
- 16 oz Strawberries (450g, fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar (100g)
Angel Food Cake
- 12 large Egg Whites (400g, room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups Superfine Sugar (300g)
- 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1 1/4 cups Cake Flour (140g)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 drops Pink Gel Food Color (optional)
To Serve
- 1 batch Chantilly Cream (prepared separately)
- 2 cups Fresh Strawberries
- Leftover strawberry puree
Instructions
- Make the Strawberry Puree: Place strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar in a high-sided saucepan with a splash of water over medium heat. Heat until strawberries start breaking down and boil. Stir and mash regularly. Continue boiling until mixture thickens to jam-like consistency, about 10-15 minutes.
- Cool and Process: Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes, then blend in a food processor until smooth. Pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and chunks. Cool completely.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) or 160°C fan assisted.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, beat room-temperature egg whites on medium speed until frothy.
- Add Cream of Tartar: Add cream of tartar and increase speed to medium-high until soft peaks form.
- Add Sugar Gradually: Increase to high speed and add superfine sugar one tablespoon at a time, whipping about 15 seconds between each addition. Continue until meringue is smooth and forms stiff peaks.
- Incorporate Strawberry Puree and Flavor: Add 3/4 cup (180g) strawberry puree and vanilla extract to meringue on low speed, gently mixing. Add pink gel food color if using, then beat on high for 1 minute.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Mix salt with cake flour. Sift one-third of the flour into meringue and gently fold using a whisk until nearly incorporated. Repeat folding with half the remaining flour, then the rest until fully combined.
- Prepare to Bake: Spoon batter gently into an ungreased tube pan, smoothing the surface.
- Bake: Bake for 34-40 minutes until the top is golden brown, springy, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Cool Upside Down: Remove from oven immediately and invert pan onto its feet or a wire rack. Let cake cool completely inverted to maintain volume.
- Release Cake: When cool, run a spatula or knife around edges to loosen cake from pan, tap bottom to release, then remove from pan.
- Serve: Plate slices with chantilly cream, fresh strawberries, and drizzle with leftover strawberry puree for a fresh, fruity finish.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are at room temperature for better volume when whisking.
- Do not grease the pan to allow the batter to cling and rise properly.
- Folding the flour gently preserves the airiness of the meringue, yielding a light cake texture.
- Cooling the cake upside down prevents it from collapsing as it cools.
- Using superfine sugar helps dissolve quickly and results in a smooth meringue.
- Optional pink gel food color adds a lovely visual pink hue to the cake but can be omitted.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Strawberry angel food cake, light cake, meringue cake, fruit dessert, spring dessert, angel food cake recipe
