Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling

This Angel Food Cake is absolutely delightful.  It’s light, airy, slightly sweet and stuffed with a delicious strawberry cream cheese filling.  Don’t get me wrong, I like cream cheese, but it’s not my absolute favorite- I don’t crave it like others do- but in this recipe, I adore it.  One of my best friends, Trish, made this cake for me my sophomore year in college and I haven’t forgotten it since (so thanks to her for the recipe!).  Since I don’t own an angel food cake pan, I used a cake pan with a removable bottom and an empty V8 can to serve as the hole in the middle.  That little hole in the center is important as this cake is very delicate and needs all the help it can get from sides of a cake tin to rise properly. This is a perfect summer cake that’s ultimately topped with homemade whipped cream and freshly picked sliced strawberries. It looks impressive and is perfect for a backyard mid-summer gathering.

Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
Serves 8
Total Time: 1 hour

Angel Food Cake
• 10 large egg whites, at room temperature (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
• 1 8oz container strawberry cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 pound strawberries, 1/2 diced and 1/2 sliced to garnish

Whipped Cream
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350°. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until firm peaks form. Add the granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating for 10 seconds before adding more. Beat in the vanilla. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat the whites at high speed until stiff, about 3 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the confectioners’ sugar and salt. Sift the dry ingredients over the beaten whites in 3 batches, folding gently with a large spatula until incorporated. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch angel food cake pan (do not use nonstick)*. Bake for 45 minutes, until the cake is risen and golden. Invert the cake in the pan and let cool.

In a medium bowl, combine strawberry cream cheese with 1/2 of the diced strawberries and powdered sugar and reserve the mixture. Using an electric mixer, add the heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and whip on high until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Slice cake in half and reserve top half. Add all the cream cheese to the middle and use a spatula to even out. Place top back on. Cover the cake with the whipped cream and garnish with sliced strawberries.