Light and fluffy gluten free Strawberry Angel Food Cake is popping with fresh strawberry flavor in both the cake AND the whipped cream!
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UPDATE: Strawberry Angel Food Cake was originally published on April 9, 2021 and has been updated with an entirely new recipe, new pictures, lots of helpful content, and a video.
Over the past several months I've been using a LOT of egg yolks and have amassed tons of egg whites. Just recently, I made my gluten free brioche buns FOUR times, so you can only imagine the amount of egg whites I have (each recipe uses 6 yolks)!
There are lots of things that can be done with leftover egg whites. The one that always comes to my mind is angel food cake. I used to LOVE angel food cakes when I was a kid. And with my updated angel food cake recipe, I've also updated this strawberry cake recipe so it's even easier than ever!
What you'll need for this cake
- Kim's gluten free flour blend - a store bought blend may be substituted, but hasn't been tested.
- Cornstarch - just a little bit is needed to make what's similar to a cake flour
- Freeze dried strawberries - these will be processed into a fine powder and sifted with the flour blend and cornstarch.
- Egg whites - it really is best to weigh the egg whites because no two egg whites weigh the exact same. The amount you'll need will be 360 ml (1 ½ cups), which is "about" 10-12 large egg whites.
- Cream of tartar - just a small amount will stabilize the egg whites so they won't collapse when baking.
Let's make strawberry angel food cake
Combine dry ingredients
- Step 1: Add freeze dried strawberries to blender or food processor container.
- Step 2: Process into a very fine powder.
- Step 3: Combine strawberry powder with gf flour blend and cornstarch in large sieve.
- Step 4: Sift back and forth several times until entire mixture is pink and well combined; set aside.
Make batter and bake cake
- Step 1: Add egg whites to granulated sugar in bowl of stand mixer.
- Step 2: Whip to nearly almost stiff peaks (they should pile up on themselves, but peaks should droop over).
- Step 3: Add dry ingredients to egg whites in three increments.
- Step 4: Fold through until well combined.
- Step 5: Spread into ungreased angel food (tube) pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.
- Step 6: Remove from oven and immediately turn upside down onto wire rack. Cool completely.
Make strawberry whipped cream
- Step 1: Combine all whipped cream ingredients in bowl of stand mixer.
- Step 2: Whip until stiff peaks.
- Step 3: Remove cake from pan and flip over onto serving platter.
- Step 4: Spread whipped cream on top and sides of cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired.
Strawberry angel food cake FAQs
YES! Don't like strawberries or can't find them? Use freeze dried blueberries. Or peaches. Or mango. You can make ANY flavor of angel food cake with whatever freeze-dried fruits you can find!
Please don't grease your tube pan. The egg whites won't be able to climb up the sides and you'll have a pancake instead of a cake!
The best way to cool an angel food cake is upside down so it won't deflate. If you have a tube pan with feet, you can simply place it on a cooling rack. If yours doesn't have feet, tip it over onto the neck of a bottle and let it cool that way. It's the old-fashioned way before tube pans were made with feet!
For a pop of fresh strawberry flavor in a light and airy piece of cake, opt for this Gluten Free Strawberry Angel Food Cake. It's perfect for any spring or summer celebration. You can thank me later 😋
Gluten Free Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (56g) freeze dried strawberries
- ½ cup (70g) Kim's all purpose gluten free flour blend (a store bought blend may work, but hasn't been tested)
- ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
- 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1½ cups (360ml) about 10-12 large cold egg whites (straight from the fridge)
- 1½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (make sure not to use kosher salt--the salt needs to be finer)
Strawberry whipped cream
- 2 cups (480ml) cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (31g) powdered sugar
- 5 ounces (141g) fresh strawberries, pureed and pushed through a sieve to remove seeds (or 1 oz of freeze dried strawberry powder)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have an ungreased tube pan with removable bottom ready and set aside.
- Pour the freeze dried strawberries into the bowl of a food processor or high-powered blender and blend into a very fine powder. Sift strawberry powder with flour blend and cornstarch several times, until mixture becomes pink and uniform. Set aside.
- Pour granulated sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and add cold egg whites. Whisk on low until the egg whites are broken up and combined with the sugar, one minute. Increase speed to medium (4 on the Kitchenaid stand mixer) and whip for 3 minutes.
- Add cream of tartar, pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste) and salt. Increase speed to high (8 on a Kitchenaid) and whip egg whites until soft peaks form, 2-4 minutes. When ready, the egg whites will pile up on top, but the peaks will droop over and not stand straight up.
- Dump the flour mixture on top of the egg whites and gently fold in using a silicone spatula until no streaks of flour remain. Pour batter into ungreased tube pan. Run butter knife through batter to release any large air bubbles.
- Bake at 350° F for 45-50 minutes, or until a long skewer inserted into center comes out clean OR the cake registers 206° F on an instant read thermometer.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately tip the pan over onto its "feet" or rest it upside down on the neck of a bottle. Keep the cake upside down until completely cool.
- Remove the cake from the pan by running a butter knife around the outside and along the inside tube and lifting up on the inside tube to release the cake from the sides. Run the knife along the bottom to release the cake from the bottom. To serve, use a serrated knife to gently saw through each piece (so the cake won't compress).
Make strawberry whipped cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add all whipped cream ingredients and whip on medium high to stiff peaks. Spread over top and sides of cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired.
Shannon says
Kim,
I was looking for a strawberry cake for my granddaughter who is turning 4. She absolutely loves your carrot cake. 🙂 She requested strawberry but doesn’t like angel food cake and it needs to be a birthday cake. I also can’t use red food coloring. What would you suggest ? Can we make a strawberry cake like the carrot cake or the yellow cake using strawberry puree and or strawberry flavoring?
Thank you for your help.
Lori Alaska says
This is a FANTASTIC recipe! Light, airy and absolutely delish! Thanks for the hard work you put into your recipes <3
Kimbo says
Hi Kim! Do I have to use a tube pan? Will it work as a 4” round layer cake?
Kim says
Hmmm, that's something I honestly haven't thought about, but it's a very tall cake so I don't think it will. You could try it, but I have my doubts.
Pamela price says
Kim-do you have this recipe on YouTube ?
I can’t find it!
Kim says
I don't. I'm sorry, Pamela! I'm working my way through a lot of my old content and adding videos as I go, but haven't gotten to that one yet.
Pamela price says
Kim- wanted you to know that even though I couldn’t find freeze dried strawberries I made this cake and the frosting.
It was Devine …. Many people said they liked it better than other Angel Foods cakes that they’ve had because it wasn’t as sweet.
I agree.
Now I have a bowl of egg yokes !!!
Thank you for another delish recipe.
Kim says
Wonderful!!!! Now you can make a number of things with the egg yolks (brioche, pastry cream, homemade pasta, creme brulee, French buttercream, etc) 😋
Vicky says
Did you adjust the flour measurement when you omitted the freeze dried strawberries?
Patricia Haught says
Hello Kim
I am over the moon with your bread mix and recipes. My daughter is celiac and finally a dinner roll not a biscuit!! I’m wondering if you have a recipe for a plain Angel food cake
Thanks ,
Patricia ([email protected])
Kim says
The closest thing I have to a plain angel food cake is my pumpkin spice one. Just leave out the pumpkin spice and it'll be plain 😋