Strawberry angel food cake layered lush
Strawberry angel food cake layered lush is free-form layers of cake, cream cheese, whipped cream and tangy berries with all the goodness you can want in a spring dessert. Have a potluck or graduation around the corner? Try these in a big 9×13 or individual servings for a special touch.
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Time and time again, we have events that require something simple, tastes delicious and won’t take a lot of effort to put together. This strawberry angel food cake lush is just the way to do it.
But the original version had one problem: it used one of those bags of strawberry gel. You know the stuff. It comes in blueberry and maybe pineapple and you get it over in the produce department.
And it tastes like the bag it comes in.
Loaded with colors, corn syrup and not ONE DROP of strawberries, I’m putting my foot down on that garbage and recommending that you suck it up and make your own glaze.
Feel free to use frozen strawberries or fresh and cook them down to make a bright, flavorful glaze instead of bagged chemicals and additives.
Tips for the best strawberry angel food cake lush
- Feel free to use a gluten free angel food cake if you need that type of diet. I do it often and it works perfectly.
- Avoid the temptation to use Cool Whip. Making your own whipped cream will result in a better final result and more wholesome flavor than whipped flavored oil. If you don’t know how to whip your own cream you can check out this post.
- Use fresh berries cut up in your own homemade glaze (see notes in the recipe card)
- Feel free to make this lush up to 48 hours in advance if needed.
Make your own angel food cake! Check out my blue ribbon version here.
Strawberry angel food cake lush
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 14 ounces pre-made angel food cake
For the strawberry topping
- 1 16-ounce package fresh strawberries washed, tops removed and sliced thinly
- 3/4 cup homemade strawberry glaze (see notes)
For the cream cheese layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
For the Whipped Cream *see notes
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Slice the angel food cake into 1″ cubes and layer them in the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
Make the whipped cream
- In a medium bowl, add the cold whipping cream and vanilla. Beat on high with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer until the mixture starts to foam and get slightly thicker–about 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form–another 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to over beat your cream or it will separate and turn to butter. When the mixture will hold a peak that doesn’t fall over, it’s ready.
Make the cream cheese layer
- In a small bowl, blend the cream cheese, powdered sugar, half of the whipped cream and milk together with a handheld mixer.
- Spread in dollops over the cake. Use a spatula and your fingers to spread it around. It will be thick. Just do the best you can.
- Spread the other half of the whipped cream over the cream cheese layer.
Make the strawberry layer
- Mix the berries and glaze in another bowl and spread evenly over the cool whip.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Amazing!!! Took this to a BBQ knowing there was people in attendance that hate strawberry shortcake and they all asked for the recipe afterwards!!!
Yay Tiffany! That’s the sign of a good recipe right there! I’m so glad you all liked it.(How can anyone hate strawberry shortcake?! You may need to make them my version of that too!) –Rachel
I baked the cake in a 12X17 pan and cut it in half, so I had 2 layers, then I mixed all of the whip cream into the cream cheese mixture. I put half the mixture in the bottom half of the cake, then I put a layer of strawberries, then toped the strawberrys with the glaze. I put the top layer on and spread the rest of the mixture over the cake. I then layer strawberries cut in half and blueberrys in rows over the top of the cake. Everyone at the fathers day party loved it.
I made this this past weekend for a family get-together, and it was AMAZING!!! Everyone loved it!
I used real whipped cream, and I didn’t use the strawberry glaze. I put sugar on the cut-up strawberries and let them sit in the refrigerator the night before….so yummy!
This is one of my new favorite recipes. So easy, and I’ll definitely be making it again soon!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Cheri! Maybe next time you can make my glaze (by all means don’t use the store stuff) and see how you like it that way. –Rachel
Can you make this the night before?
Hey Teri, yes you sure can. –Rachel
I just made this for Easter. It was absolutely wonder. Everybody loved it and my son had requested for his “Birthday Dessert”. It was not filling and just sweet enough. Definitely a keeper.
Oh man if you reached birthday dessert status you’ve done something really special there Karen! Way to go! And yes, it’s just light enough that you don’t feel like you need an hour nap after you eat it too. I’m so glad you liked it. –Rachel
Excellent dish. Made this for Easter dinner and the family loved it. I did cut the sugar a tad and will cut it further the next time I make it. I also think that next time, I will make more of the filling and strawberries and assemble in trifle form. I made the whipped cream and the strawberry glaze from scratch and it upped the game! This is a keeper! Thank you.
Oh a trifle would be wonderful Wendy! I’m so glad you made the cream and glaze from scratch too. It’s really worth it. And I am like you on the sugar: keep it low. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. –Rachel
My daughter and I made this recipe for a friends’ Anniversary, and everyone loved it! Our friends’ wedding colours many years ago, were red and white, so they adored how this dessert fit into their theme reminiscent of their wedding. And who doesn’t love strawberries?! A real crowd pleaser!
We did however, cut the amount of icing sugar we used in half, for both the cream cheese mixture and the topping. Mainly due to all of us not really liking super sweet desserts. We made our own strawberry slurry, just by cooking strawberries in some water on the stove, instead of buying that gel.
It is a lovely recipe and we sure appreciated it. So did all the party guests! There wasn’t one morsel left, we brought home a completely empty pan.
Thanks so much, Rachel!
Hey Carrie, that’s great to hear! I never even really thought the sugar amount was too much–but you are always welcome to cut it! I hate cloyingly sweet things myself. Did you read my recipe for the homemade strawberry glaze as well? I never recommend the gel these days so way to go on taking that extra step and making something that’s healthier and tastes better! I’m so glad everyone liked it and you are so welcome! –Rachel
I find the English do not make their foods overly sweet. I think it is a good thing! My fiance’ brought me some chocolates from London and they aren’t nearly as sickeningly sweet as the chocolate it here. This recipe looks divine and I plan to make it Easter Sunday, but I am going to follow suit and cut the sugar just a tad. Happy Easter everyone!
I hope you love it Christina! Cutting the sugar is just fine. –Rachel
My angel cake fell so I quickly googled. Love everything thing in the recipe. Wish I had read the comments first.
Next time either a little lemon juice in the glaze or just a little sugar and o glaze. Other sugars could easily be cut to at least a quarter for me. Serving tomorrow.Thanks for sharing.
I agree Pat. I pass along this recipe as it was given to me but I don’t eat sugar AT ALL anymore so I know it would be too much for me. Feel free to reduce it as much as you’d like and I think I’ll add a note to this recipe for others who may miss the comments. Thanks! –Rachel
Sounds delicious and I’d like to try it. In recipe, you use only the term “whipped” cream (before you whip it, it’s “whipping” cream) . Do I need to beat the half of the whipping cream first, before I beat it in with the cream cheese?
So here’s the scoop on that Kathy: years ago this recipe called for Cool Whip, and the recipe was written in that way. I don’t use Cool Whip anymore and when I updated that recipe I changed it to whipped cream (as in homemade whipped cream made with whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla) beaten to stiff peaks–just a regular old homemade standard. I apologize for any confusion on that. I’ll go in and add a note so that’s clear. You’re welcome to use Cool Whip if that’s something you use. –Rachel
Also, I just went in and gave that post a major overhaul complete with whipped cream instructions so it’s more clear. 🙂
Perfect to take to a family gathering!
I ABSOLUTELY love angel food cake and strawberries together…..only way to make strawberry shortcake!!!! This recipe sounds amazingly good! Will definitely make this soon. Pinned. Thanks for sharing.
Well hopefully you will be able to put this together soon with some fresh spring strawberries!