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    Home ยป Desserts ยป Cake

    Strawberry Lemon Layered Angel Food Cake

    May 25, 2015 Updated April 30, 2020 BySam 58 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 driverโ€™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 lifeโ€ฆ well Iโ€™d probably choose something practical like chicken, but my heart would break often for loss of this cake.

    For the loss of itโ€™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 momโ€™s.

    Thatโ€™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.  Itโ€™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, Iโ€™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 โ€œstiff peaksโ€ (and if you donโ€™t, Iโ€™m sure you know how to google) itโ€™s really very easy to pull together, so long as you donโ€™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 11 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 ยผ cup powdered sugar
    • ยพ cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
    • 1 ยฝ cups egg whites at room temperature 10-12 egg whites
    • 1 ยฝ tsp cream of tartar
    • 1 ยฝ tsp vanilla extract
    • ยผ teaspoon almond extract
    • ยผ tsp salt
    • 1 cup sugar granulated

    Filling

    • 1 pint strawberries
    • 8 oz cream cheese softened
    • ยผ cup lemon curd homemade or store-bought
    • 1 cup +ยผpowdered sugar divided
    • 1 ยฝ cup heavy cream
    • ยฝ 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 ยฝ 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, ยผ 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. Mindi

        February 13, 2024 at 10:12 am

        My daughter would love this but she isnโ€™t a lemon fan. Suggestions?

        Reply
        • Sam

          February 14, 2024 at 10:32 am

          Hi Mindi! You could just leave the lemon curd out. Make sure to cream your cream cheese really well. Since the cream cheese is not going to be thinned by the curd it will be a bit more difficult to incorporate the whipped cream into it. ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
      2. Judith

        August 12, 2022 at 5:27 pm

        Good day to you!
        Can I make this recipe using gluten free flour?
        Thanks

        Reply
        • Sam

          August 14, 2022 at 12:47 pm

          Hi Judith! Honestly I have not tried it so I canโ€™t say for sure how it would turn out. If you do try it I would love to know how it goes. ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
      3. Mama Em

        October 20, 2020 at 2:44 am

        5 stars
        I made this for Motherโ€™s day this year and weโ€™re still all talking about it! Perfect for strawberry season!

        Reply
        • Sam

          October 20, 2020 at 11:46 am

          I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
      4. Mara Schmittinger

        July 11, 2020 at 11:58 am

        5 stars
        Obsessed! Best dessert yet. Feel free to substitute other โ€œcurdsโ€ for filling and any fruit at all! Perfect for every occasion!

        Reply
        • Sam

          July 13, 2020 at 10:09 pm

          I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Mara! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
      5. Mtngirl

        June 12, 2020 at 12:16 pm

        5 stars
        Having never made Angel Food Cake before & living at altitude, I was a little apprehensive making this. I think the cake was a little โ€˜denserโ€™ because of altitude issues, but I had several people tell me this was the best dessert they had ever eaten. Thank you for the recipe and the very clear directions, I will be making this again. Itโ€™s a showstopper without being terribly difficult.

        Reply
        • Sam

          June 14, 2020 at 2:02 pm

          I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
      6. Mikes

        February 11, 2019 at 2:21 am

        Hi!! Super excited to make this!!
        Could I split up the cake batter into 3 standard cake pans and bake the cake that way instead of using a tube pan โ€“โ€“ and if so, do you have any recommendations for adjusting the baking time and/or temperature to accomodate?? Thank you <3

        Reply
        • Sam

          February 11, 2019 at 8:23 am

          Hi Mikes! unfortunately Iโ€™m not sure how this will bake in a standard cake pan, the tube pan is pretty critical for getting the lift that the angel food cake needs and for cooling it upside down.

          Reply
      7. Sarah

        August 20, 2018 at 3:04 pm

        4 stars
        I made this cake for our Sunday Family Dinner and it was a hit! Thank you!
        I felt 3.5 cups of sugar over all was too much so I cut the sugar in the cake by 1/4 cup, and in the filling used only 1/2 cup. I made my own lemon curd -(which had even more sugar!) that was very tangy, but even so next time I would increase the lemonyness in the filling by increasing the added lemon curd to at least 1/2 cup, if not more! I used 2 lbs of strawberries! Also, why use only 1.5 cups of heavy cream instead of the whole pint?! Just dump it in, the more the merrier!
        This served 9 people with about 2 large portions leftover for the birthday girl to take home. Really delicious and festive!

        Reply
        • Sam

          August 20, 2018 at 10:20 pm

          I am so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for commenting, Sarah!

          Reply
      8. Kathleen

        December 18, 2017 at 1:01 pm

        Hello! Iโ€™m thinking about making this for a large family gathering at Christmas. Iโ€™m curious how far in advance the cake can be made, and how I should store it. Iโ€™m also wondering if the whipped topping will store well, or if I need to make it at the gathering. Can the cake be assembled in advance, or should I assemble it just before eating? Final question, we have some nut allergies in the family, so what do you think about substituting vanilla bean paste for almond extract? Thanks for your help!

        Reply
        • Sam

          December 20, 2017 at 11:39 pm

          Hi Kathleen! I hope Iโ€™m not too late getting back to you! The Angel Food Cake can be made 1-2 days in advance, store at room temperature in an airtight container (like a cake carrier), or wrap well/store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Iโ€™ve never had any problem making the whipped topping in advance, I think youโ€™ll be fine to make it a day or two beforehand, just store in an airtight container refrigerated and if any separation occurs you can just stir it before putting it on the cake.
          Iโ€™ve assembled the cake in advance, since itโ€™s so soft Iโ€™d probably not do it before the morning of the day you plan to serve it, and if you need to transport it and have a bumpy ride it may be best to just assemble it when you get to the location as the layers may slide under those circumstances.
          You can definitely substitute vanilla bean paste for almond extract, or just leave out the almond extract and sub a little extra vanilla extract, thatโ€™s not a problem at all.
          I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
      9. Debra

        April 05, 2017 at 4:22 pm

        5 stars
        Hi, Sam! Thank you so much for this recipe. I have to say, I made this cake yesterday, and it is my new favorite dessert. The lemon, the strawberries, the cream cheese, the sweetnessโ€ฆthe balance of flavors is perfect! Thanks again!

        Reply
        • Sam

          April 08, 2017 at 12:04 am

          Debra I am so glad to hear you love the cake so much, it is one of my favorites as well. Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
      10. Diane

        May 29, 2016 at 12:32 am

        I love this recipe. I do believe that people devour it immediately. Butโ€ฆโ€ฆI just noticed something that I had not read before.
        The recipe lists โ€œpowdered sugarโ€ for the cake as well as the lemon filling. I interpreted โ€œpowdered sugarโ€ to mean Confectioners powdered sugar, yet you made reference to hearing โ€œgranulesโ€™ when the sugar is spooned and mixed into the cake batter. Could you clarify for me please? Is it granulated, sugar for the cake and confectioners powdered sugar for the filling?
        Canโ€™t wait to try this recipe!!! Thanks so much for sharing it!!!

        Reply
        • Sam

          May 29, 2016 at 9:30 am

          Hi Diane!
          This recipe actually uses both powdered sugar (yes, confectioners sugar) AND granulated. The powdered sugar gets mixed in with the flour, and then youโ€™ll see that the granulated sugar is added into the egg white mixture. I hope this helps, and I hope that you love this cake as much as I do! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
      11. Julia

        May 29, 2015 at 12:51 pm

        5 stars
        Oh Sam, itโ€™s not just looks good, but also very tasty! I love cakes with fruit. Look at my exeperimental with strawberries http://tastynice.com/prostoj-pirog/, a simple pie.
        Thank you Sam

        Reply
        • Sam

          May 29, 2015 at 6:17 pm

          Thanks Julia! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
      12. Thao @ In Good Flavor

        May 28, 2015 at 10:44 pm

        Itโ€™s amazing how certain foods conjure up such fond memoriesโ€ฆand they are memories that you carry throughout your life. This cake is beautiful and I know tastes just as good!

        Reply
        • Sam

          May 28, 2015 at 10:57 pm

          Indeed it is amazing. Thank you so much Thao!

          Reply
      13. Sam

        May 27, 2015 at 10:09 am

        ๐Ÿ˜€ Thanks so much Sues! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
      14. Sues

        May 26, 2015 at 11:33 pm

        Um yes, this cake is totally โ€œthe fleeting joys of life embodied in baked goods.โ€ I love this post!!

        Reply
      15. Beeta @ Mon Petit Four

        May 26, 2015 at 3:25 pm

        Iโ€™m so excited youโ€™re sharing this recipe, Sam! I tried an angel food cake once and I ended up with a sunken cake that was slightly unbaked on one side. Needless to say, I was turned off by making a homemade angel food cake again. That and the fact that I was hesitant to try a random Pinterest recipe since thereโ€™s so much sifting and eggs involved. But I love your recipes so Iโ€™m going to definitely give yours a try โ€“ thank you so much for sharing! Your cake looks gorgeous! <3 XO

        Reply
        • Sam

          May 27, 2015 at 10:09 am

          Itโ€™s all in the egg whites, you gotta beat them til theyโ€™re stiff and taking up most of the mixer bowlโ€ฆ youโ€™ll get a knack for it. Let me know how it turns out Beeta, and Thanks! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
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