This cool and creamy Strawberry Angel Food Cake Dessert is perfect for potlucks and layered with fresh strawberries, angel food cake, sweet cream cheese, and strawberry Jello.
Strawberry Angel Dessert Recipe
A favorite summer strawberry dessert at our house and is the perfect potluck dessert.
Even better, this angel food strawberry dessert is absolutely refreshing on a hot day or evening and makes large batch.
I’m continually on the hunt for easy strawberry desserts for potlucks similar to this one.
Save this Recipe
Enter your email address and we will send you this recipe to your mailbox for easy reference! Plus, we will send you our latest recipes every week!
They are a BIG hit with family and friends.
Plus, this dessert calls for ingredients that I typically already have on hand for strawberry recipes, and I find that a great thing.
Take this to your next potluck or family gathering to be the hit of the party.
Strawberry pie. Strawberry cake. Any strawberry dessert, truly.
We love them ALL, especially when they are easy and fast desserts to make, just like this one.
Ingredients for Angel Food Strawberry Dessert
- Angel food cake
- Fresh strawberries
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Whipped topping
- strawberry gelatin
- ice cubes and boiling water
- whipped topping as a garnish, for serving, if desired
How to Make Layered Strawberry Angel Food Cake Dessert
Place the cubes of angel food cake into a 10 1/2″ x 14 1/2″ casserole dish.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth.
Use a spatula to gently fold in the whipped topping by hand.
Spread the prepared cream cheese mixture over the angel food cubes, pressing down to get some of the topping down into the angel food cake area.
Sprinkle with diced strawberries.
Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil and whisk in the gelatin, stirring until fully dissolved.
Stir in the ice cubes to cool and thicken the gelatin.
Using a ladle or a measuring cup, carefully and slowly pour the cooled gelatin over the top of the cake.
Allow the gelatin time to soak down into the bottom of the dessert a bit.
Place the dessert into the fridge to chill over night or at least 8-10 hours before serving.
Can I make this strawberry dessert recipe ahead of time?
The longer this dessert rests and chills, the better it gets.
This resting time gives the angel food cake the opportunity to soak up lots of good moisture from the creamy filling.
It gives the cake cubes a more tender texture and better eating experience.
How long will this strawberry dessert keep in the fridge?
After about the 3-4 day, this dessert gets pretty “weepy”.
But don’t worry – you won’t have any remaining for that long!
What if I don’t own a 10 1/2″ x 14 1/2″ casserole dish?
Use a basic 9″ x 13″ pan and roll with it.
Just know that you’ll have some extra ingredients to enjoy that won’t quite fit into the 9″ x 13″ pan.
Can I make two pans of this dessert instead?
When I want to split this dessert, I assemble each one in 8″ x 8″ or 9″ x 9″ pans, or a couple of 9″ deep-dish pie plates.
It works great and you can share a dessert with someone!
Does the gelatin ice trick really work?
You’ll be amazed at how much more quickly the gelatin begins to thicken and set up.
This also makes it easier to pour over the strawberry layer since it doesn’t slosh around as much and as easily.
What about ingredient substitutions?
Feel free to use low-fat cream cheese, low-fat whipped topping, and sugar-free gelatin.
I’ve done this many times and this dessert is still FANTASTIC.
Nary a soul will even notice….they will be too busy shoving it into their face.
Why are the strawberries diced instead of sliced in this recipe?
You can do either option. I personally think the diced strawberries making a prettier topping but that’s up to you.
Sometimes when I use the strawberry slices, I feel like they look like big eye balls staring back at me….weird, I know.
Can this strawberry cake be served as a frozen dessert?
I did this once, totally on accident!
Not sure why the pan of dessert went into the freezer, instead of my fridge that day, but it definitely did.
That said, I ended up with a frozen-solid dessert for my gathering.
Of course, the frozen dessert is harder to serve since it now needs to thaw and bit and has to be sliced instead of scooped, but nobody cared a lick and it was totally delicious.
More Strawberry Recipes
Step aside apple crisp. Strawberry Crisp is new in town! This easy strawberry dessert recipe is made with fresh strawberries and crunchy oat topping.
Strawberry Angel Food Cake Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 angel food cake mix baked according to pkg. directions, cooled and cut into 1-inch cubes, may use a purchased 12-14 oz. pre-baked angel food cake, if desired, works great
- 16 oz. cream cheese softened, may use low-fat cream cheese
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 8 oz. whipped topping or light whipped topping
- 1 lb. box fresh strawberries cleaned, stemmed, and diced
- 2 – 3 oz. pkgs. strawberry gelatin may substitute sugar-free gelatin, if desired, it works great
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 3 cups ice cubes
- whipped topping or whipped cream for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Evenly spread the angel food cake cubes over the bottom of a 10 1/2″ x 14 1/2″ glass casserole dish; reserve.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until very smooth.
- Using a silicone spatula or large spoon, gently fold (don't beat) the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture by hand; place the prepared mixture on top of the angel food cubes in the pan.
- Use a long spreader or narrow spatula to spread the cream cheese mixture out evenly over the angel food cubes, press down as you work so that some of the cream cheese mixture gets down into the angel food chunks a bit. **You will feel as though you are squashing the cake cubes, but don't worry. Doing this step also ensures that the dessert will cut into nice servings and hold their shape well. In a single layer, sprinkle the diced strawberries over the cream cheese topping.
- Meanwhile, combine both packets of strawberry gelation with the boiling water; whisking until all the gelatin is fully dissolved; add the cubed ice, stirring until the ice is melted and the gelatin has cooled and is starting to thicken slightly.
- Using a ladle or measuring cup, slowly and gently pour the cooled gelatin mixture over the strawberries on top. As you add the gelatin, you will see that it slowly seeps down a bit into the dessert which is exactly what you want. Add the gelatin a little at a time – you may not need quite all of it since it can make your pan a bit too full sometimes.
- Refrigerate the dessert over night or until very well chilled, at least 8-10 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream or more whipped topping, if desired.
- Dessert is much better made the day ahead of serving so all the ingredients can meld and moisten together.
Sandy
Love your recipes!
Alli
Hi Sandy –
Thanks so much! I appreciate you letting me know this. It totally makes my day!
Chef Alli
Kellie
im going to make this for myself!!! And to save some time I’m going to buy the cake already baked !!!
Chef Alli
I promise you won’t regret it….even if you eat the entire pan all by yo-self! 🙂
Chef Alli
Rebecca ROSS
E excellent recipe 😉
Chef Alli
Hi Rebecca – I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for letting me know,
Chef Alli