Ultra Pink Gluten Free Strawberry Angel Food Cake

Any high school musical theater folks out there? Or musical theater folks in general? I was BIG into musical theater in high school – and still am, though I’m just a fan off the stage instead of on it. Those moments before the curtain rose, or each time you waited in the wings for an entrance, or mimed dance moves back stage to get out all of that nervous energy were the ultimate thrill. And every time that curtain came up or you walked onto the stage you were entirely free of yourself – you were living this totally fantastically new life of Cecily Cardew or Plate number 5 or Sandy Dumbrowski and every fear and worry that was once yours was magically shaken from you while you reimagine that new life on stage. Sure, everyone tells you “you can be anything when you grow up,” as a kid – but what about everything? What if you want to be everything when you grow up? Theater was a way to have everything – every possibility of a life you could find in a character and live it – an impossibility in your own life (unless you planned on changing careers and countries 100+ times before you’re 80).

You may be wondering what this blindingly pink cake has anything to do with all of that: throwback to Junior year and my high school’s production of Grease! In which I did, in fact, play Sandy Dumbrowski (a laughably accurate portrayal of what the rest of the school assumed I was – the goody-two-shoes of AHS). This gluten free strawberry angel food cake is an ode to 1950s desserts in general (modified for the 21st century, of course – not sure gluten free was the most popular fad 70 years ago), but especially to the Pink Ladies of Grease. That unshaken, badass group of struggling teens that at once clashed with the new girl in school, and ultimately showed their humanity and dreams by the end. So, here you go: a two layer, HOT pink angel food cake, filled with tons of fresh sliced strawberries, strawberry whipped cream, and wrapped up in loads of more strawberry whipped cream and more fresh strawberries! It’s the ULTIMATE vintage cake and also happens to be one of the happiest, funnest cakes you’ll ever make. This year feels like it needs everything in ultra-colorful tones so this is our commitment to keep crafting the most vibrant treats we can. Plus, angel food cake is lighter than any cloud that may be hanging over your head, so I recommend making this if you’re feeling down.

If you’re already a life-long angel food cake fan (like me) and want more than this gluten free strawberry angel food cake, we do also have a classic angel food cake recipe here that you should absolutely try, or this ube angel food cake for an equally vibrant and gorgeously coconutty/toasty/gloriously-purple take on the traditional pillowy dessert. Summer on your mind? Check out these fresh strawberry cupcakes, or this strawberry lemonade cake, or these pink lemonade bars! We’re ready for more sun, more blooms, more smiles, and more blue skies.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Ultra Pink Strawberry Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Whipped Cream

This heavenly strawberry angel food cake is sliced in half and layered with strawberry whipped cream and fresh strawberries!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Resting time3 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: angel food cake, cake, chiffon cake, gluten free, strawberry, strawberry cake, summer, whipped cream

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• 10-inch angel food cake pan (NOT non-stick)
• Electric mixer
• Whisk
• Nutribullet or food processor
• Sifter/sieve

Ingredients

For the angel food cake:

• 1 1/2 Cups white sugar
• 1 Cup minus 1 Tbsp gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum added (if it doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 3 Tbsp sifted, powdered freeze dried strawberries instructions below
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 large egg whites room temp, NO bits of yolk!
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pink or red food coloring optional

For the construction:

• 4 Cups heavy cream
• 1/4 Cup sifted, powdered freeze dried strawberries instructions below
• 1/4 Cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pink or red food coloring optional
• 2 Cups sliced fresh strawberries

Instructions

• First, make your angel food cake! Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Do NOT grease your angel food cake pan! You actually want your cake to stick to the pan so that you can let it cool/dry upside down once it comes out of the oven. First, blitz up just the freeze dried strawberries that you're using for the cake (wait to do the ones for the whipped cream) into a fine powder, then sift to remove seeds. Then, pulse the white sugar in a food processor or nurtibullet until fine and dusty/powdery. Remove one cup of the sugar and set aside, then add the flour, sifted powdered freeze dried strawberries, and salt to the food processor with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and continue to pulse for 30 seconds.
• Then, separate your egg whites into a large bowl. I recommend separating one egg at a time into a small bowl in case any shell or bits of egg yolk get into the whites (if egg yolk does get into the whites, you have to throw them out – they will not whip correctly). Once all of your egg whites have been separated into a large bowl, let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (if your eggs are already room temp, skip this step). Once the eggs whites are room temp, use an electric mixer to beat the egg white on medium speed until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and continue to beat until very soft peaks form. At this point, get the 1 cup of the fine sugar you set aside and start sprinkling it into your egg whites (while still beating with the mixer), 2 Tbsp at a time (do not pour sugar all in at once or it will deflate the eggs). Continue to beat and sprinkle in sugar until all sugar has been combined, and until stiff peaks form (this will take about 10 minutes). Add in the vanilla and pink or red food coloring and beat to combine.
• Once stiff peaks form, sift your flour/sugar/strawberry powder/salt mixture again into a separate bowl, then slowly fold in the flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time until all of the mixture is combined into a voluminous cake batter. Do not mix/whisk/stir, as this will deflate the eggs. Carefully scoop the angel food cake batter into your un-greased pan and then shimmy the pan on the counter to even out the top of the cake batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of one side of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately turn the cake, in the pan, upside down. Let the cake cool completely upside down for about 3 hours (or overnight). This will preserve the height of the cake – if you let it cool sitting right side up, it will settle and not be fluffy.
• Once the cake is cool, construct! First, blitz up the remaining freeze dried strawberries and sift to remove seeds. Then, in a large bowl, whisk your heavy cream with the food coloring you desire until thicker, then add the powdered sugar, powdered strawberries, and vanilla and continue to whisk until combined and stiff peaks form.
• Then turn the cake right side up and run a butterknife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Push the cake out of the pan, removing the inside cake pan piece, and plate on a serving dish. Then, using a longer sharp knife, slice the entire cake into two even layers. Finally, spread whipped cream in a thin layer over the first cake layer, line with sliced fresh strawberries, spread another thin layer of whipped cream over berries, and place the second layer on top, then frost the entire cake with all of the remaining whipped cream! Last decoration – use the remaining sliced fresh strawberries to adorn the outside of the cake, then serve immediately or keep in fridge until ready to serve (I recommend serving immediately for fresh whipped cream).

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cake!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber