Strawberries and Cream Angel Food Cake Roll
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One last recipe before Easter, and I felt like a light, fresh, spring-themed dessert was in order. The strawberries here have been gorgeous the last week or so; they’re ruby-red, plump, and amazingly sweet. It seemed a shame to not use them in some way this weekend when thinking up dessert ideas. When I was a kid, my favorite thing to eat during the summer was angel food cake. Yes, you could feed me chocolate and peanut butter all year round, but once the seasons changed so too did my taste buds. When it was time to spend my days sloshing down a slip n’ slide and my evenings barefoot in the cool grass catching lightning bugs, it was time for angel food cake. My grandma always had an angel food cake on hand for dessert on Sundays during the summer. I loved getting a huge piece, topped with sliced strawberries, and a massive mound of whipped cream. Nothing could beat it on a warm summer day. This dessert is a riff on the classic angel food cake, strawberries, and whipped cream dessert. While it makes a beautiful presentation, it’s also very easy to make and not very time-consuming. That’s the best kind of dessert there is, right?!
Angel food cakes can sometimes be intimidating due to using a tube pan, precise cooling methods, unmolding, etc. This recipe takes all of the guesswork out of that by baking a thin angel food cake in a jelly roll pan. The bonus is that it only takes about 15 minutes to bake and cools relatively quickly. Believe it or not, this was my first time making a rolled cake. Now that I know how easy it is, I can’t wait to try all sorts of new combinations!
I made the filling by folding a ton of chopped fresh strawberries into sweetened whipped cream. This filling is unbelievably delicious. So light and naturally sweet. I ate spoonful after spoonful before I even got it onto the cake. It would certainly make for a perfect summertime treat to keep on hand anytime, whether you have a cake to fill or not.
The combination of the light and spongy angel food cake with a strawberries and cream topping rolled right inside is fabulous. It tastes fresh, doesn’t weigh you down, and is everything wonderful about the fruits of spring. I think it would be a fabulous way to top off your Easter menu – it provides nice balance at the end of a sometimes heavy meal.
What are you planning to make for dessert on Sunday?
One year ago: Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Strawberries and Cream Angel Food Cake Roll
Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
9 egg whites
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ cup cake flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugarFor the Filling:
2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups diced strawberriesPowdered sugar, for dusting top of cake (optional)
Directions:
1. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, line a 15x10-inch baking pan with waxed paper; lightly coat paper with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in flour, ¼ cup at a time.
4. Carefully spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.
5. Dust a clean kitchen towel with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Turn the cake out onto the kitchen towel. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream on medium speed until it begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; increase the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the strawberries. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
5. Unroll cooled cake; spread filling to within ½-inch of edges (you will have some filling leftover). Roll up again. Place seam side down on a serving plate; sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with any leftover strawberries and cream filling. Store leftovers, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.
(Recipe for the cake adapted from Taste of Home Recipes)
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Oh My goodness that looks absolutely divine. I love strawberry shortcake, it only makes sense that it would taste just as great rolled up in a food cake roll! Thanks for the fantastic idea!
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This. Looks. AWESOME.
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This looks sooo…. good! If I invite you to Easter dinner ,will you bring this?
Happy Easter !
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What a beautiful cake and recipe! And I have never done a roll-up style cake…you make me want to try!
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Your first time at making a rolled cake and it looks absolutely perfect! It looks incredibly spongy, and I love that light whipped cream strawberry filling.
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I love the look of a rolled cake but was always afraid to try one. You make it look so easy!
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This looks amazing!!!
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Looks great! I’m planning to make your lemon-limoncello cupcakes for Sunday.
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Ohhh, this looks decadent
What a treat. Love the fresh strawberries!
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That looks wonderful. I have never made a rolled cake before, but it is on my to do list, so I might start here.
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This looks fantastic, I love cake rolls!
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Whoa baby! Looks amazing!
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That photo just screams summer! Our strawberry shortcake was always angel food cake also.Now you know that you can make the pumpkin roll with ease after doing this lovely recipe.
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A perfect spring recipe to brighten my day!
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I want this for dessert NOW!
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O.M.G.! I love this recipe! Angel Food cake is one of my favorites!!! This looks fabulous!!
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I’ve never made a roll cake. Yours is beautiful! Happy Easter.
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I always make my grandma’s hot milk cake ( http://blessusolord.blogspot.com/2008/03/hot-milk-cake.html) for Easter. But it’s a little dry and my family doesn’t eat much. Last night when I was trying to fall asleep (a full hour before you posted!) I decided to frost it with whipping cream and fill it with strawberries and cream. How very coincidental!
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WOW! Fantastic! Cake rolls are always a pleaser and this looks so fresh!
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What a beautiful dessert! And it sounds delicious. You are right that angel food cake can be scary. I successfully made it in a food production class in college, but have never attempted it in the home kitchen.
I am making a carrot cake with buttermilk frosting for Easter. It’s making my stomach growl just thinking about it!
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Oh my gosh. This looks so good. Such a great alternative to the original angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream. Yum.
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Looks delicious!! I will be making a lemon meringue pie for Easter brunch!
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I want this entirely to myself
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I just found the perfect dessert for Easter!
))
OMG!!! It looks so pretty and yummy!
Can’t wait to make it. Thanx so much.
Happy Ea(s)ter
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MMM!
Looks so good.
Reminds me of my peaches and cream roll.
Thanks for sharing.
Charlie
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This looks divine! I’m making a chocolate version for Easter Sunday lunch!
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This looks so good! I have a large group to serve and was wondering if the cake would be too thin if I just served it sheet cake style instead of rolling it?
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Michelle on April 6th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Yes, it is only about 1-inch high once baked. I don’t think it would be substantial enough to serve like that without rolling.
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Looks lovely! Do you happen to know if it keeps well? I’m guessing with the whipped cream based filling that it doesn’t.
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Michelle on April 6th, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Hi Sarah, I made it during an afternoon, and ended up eating it for dessert around 9pm that night and it was fabulous. I kept leftovers in the refrigerator and finished it off the next night around 11pm and it was still just as good. If you make it ahead of time I would just wait to dust with powdered sugar until you serve it; it will dissolve into the cake in the refrigerator.
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Gina on February 4th, 2013 at 11:51 am
I am thinking about laying it, probably 3 layers high…what are you thoughts on that method
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Michelle on February 4th, 2013 at 7:40 pm
I’m sure that would be delicious!
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My grandma would always have an angel food cake for us, too! Your cake roll looks like the perfect spring dessert! YUMMY!
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I can’t wait to make this! I love the idea of an angel food cake roll! My son wants to eat it now though!
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This looks fabulous! What a perfect spring treat – and Angel Food Cake with strawberries was my grandfather’s favorite dessert
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I was trolling the web trying to figure out what to do with all the strawberries I bought on sale…perfect! This looks outrageously delightful!
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This look sooo good.. Gotta try this… Thank you..
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Hi Michelle–
This looks incredible and I am definitely making it for Easter! I was wondering if I could make the cake a day ahead and leave it rolled in the towel until tomorrow morning to fill….
Thanks!!
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Michelle on April 9th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
Hi Nicole, You could make it a day ahead, but I wouldn’t leave it in the towel. I would keep it rolled in the towel until it was completely cool, then unroll, remove the towel, roll it up again and wrap very tightly in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.
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I could live on strawberries and whipped cream – so good!! I can’t wait to try this
I made my first rolled cake a few months ago and was surprised it wasn’t more difficult. Yours looks perfect!
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What a totally gorgeous and scrumptious cake!! I hate that I can’t fit a swiss roll pan into my halogen oven otherwise I’d be out the door to get a punnet of strawberries for this.
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Smurfette on March 9th, 2013 at 3:46 am
I used a plain cookie sheet. Not sure how much it differs but.
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This looks like heaven!!! Can not wait for the strawberry picking time.
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I’ve been craving strawberries lately and this looks delicious. Thanks for sharing this. I love the fact that you only have to bake it for 15 minutes. You’re a genius!
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I would have never thought to make an angel food cake in a jelly roll pan. That’s such a fantastic idea and looks so incredibly gorgeous. Many thanks for passing along your epiphany.
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Looks amazing! Quick question though, what could you use the 9 egg yolks that are leftover for? It would be a waste to throw them away. Thanks!
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Michelle on April 9th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Ice cream!
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/category/ice-cream-frozen-dessert-recipes
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this looks DIVINE
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is it ok to put wax paper in the oven? I thought you weren’t supposed to.
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Michelle on April 9th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Hi Lauren, I have always heard the same thing, but every rolled cake recipe I found called for wax paper, so I just went with it and didn’t have any issues. If you are nervous, you could cut a piece of parchment to fit your pan and use that.
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I made this for our Easter Dessert today and it was amazing! Very simple to make and a perfect dessert. Not too sweet. Just the right combinations of everything. I loved it. Thanks so much for sharing!
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I made your dessert for Easter Dinner! It was fun to make and delicious to eat! And the best part…..it turned out as beautiful as the one you made! It was the perfect end to our dinner and our friends even had a second piece! Thanks for the great post!
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Made this for dessert for Easter Dinner. What a hit it was. Just finished sending the recipe on. Hard to believe that it was my first angel food cake from scratch at 57!
Thanks for giving me the confidence to try.
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Made this for our Easter dessert. It was fun and easy to make. I Will be making this again! Thanks for the great recipe.
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Angel Food is my boyfriend’s favorite. Looks like I have his birthday cake figured out
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I had to restrain myself from licking the screen. This looks so delicious!
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This is a beautiful dessert! A very unique take on a classic angel food cake or strawberry shortcake. Perfect for spring!
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This recipe looks amazing. I make mine roulade with raspberries, but this gives me another great idea. Love your blog.
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My mom used to make a very similar roll-up when I was young. Thanks for the reminder. I love easy dessert recipes!
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I made this yesterday and it turned out fantastic ! I used an angel food cake mix though as I did not know what to do with 9 egg yolks and didnt want to waste them. The mix worked just fine (probably tasted different than home made) It was an easy recipe to follow and simple to make. I have some sugar free strawberry syurp that I am going to try in the cake mix next time (this evening) and instead of vanilla in the whip cream I will substiute the strawberry syurp also. Will let you know how it turns out. May thicken up some of the syrup with corn starch to drizzle over the top when serving along with left over filling.
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Arlene on April 13th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
Hi, Debbie. I have the same issue with not knowing what to do with the yolks. So with the angel food cake mix, did you end up using the whole box? And for the baking pan (actually, anyone else who already made this can answer if they’d like), could I use a jelly roll pan or does it have to be a baking pan that comes up 1 to 2 inches up the sides?
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Debbie R on April 17th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Arlene, I used a cookie sheet type of pan, I think the sides only come up about a half inch or so. I used the whole cake mix but only poured about 2/3 of the batter in the large pan then used a smaller baking pan for the rest. It turned out just fine. I left the smaller one flat and used it for dessert that evening just putting whipped cream and strawberries on top. It turned out well.
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Arlene on April 22nd, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Hi, Debbie. I ended up making it the day after my first comment because I was craving it too much haha. I somewhat wished I had waited for your response because I did use the whole mix in one cookie sheet pan since I figured an 11×17 pan was big enough. It cooked nicely after 15 min but it was so thick. I ended up pushing it down to flatten it a lot just so the roll wouldn’t be so big. It still tasted great after putting the strawberries and cream. Next time I’ll do what you did with 2/3 of the mix in the larger pan and the rest in a smaller one. Thanks!
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Debbie R on April 17th, 2012 at 1:07 pm
Up Date: I made the second roll. I added the strawberry syurp to the whipped cream and it added a nice strawberry flavor. I messed up though and left the roll in the towel overnight in the fridge because it was too warm to add the filling. The cake broke in a couple of spots when I unrolled it but I was able to “patch” it back together with the filling and it still tasted amazing. This cake roll should be eaten within 2 days or the cake starts getting lightly soggy. It is best eaten fresh the same day. Overall a great cake roll !
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This is just beautiful! The photos are stunning, and it looks delicious!
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I’ve made a number of jelly rolls in my life but I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out too long if you have a cream filling because it can spoil. I’ve had it spoil and that’s never a good thing.
And I’m assuming the piece on the plate is an end piece? I’ve always worried how the cake looks because the ends never look pretty, but when they get cut, they usually look perfectly filled out so I’m wondering why yours seems to have gaps in the cream. Was it because of the strawberries and you had a hard time rolling it? Or did it melt a bit? I’ve never used a filling that had stuff in it and now I’m thinking I never will…
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Those look absolutely fantastic. I’ll definitely add those to my list!
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My husband asked for an angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries for his birthday cake, and I have been wondering where in the world I was going to find one. Now I don’t have to. This is perfect. Thanks!
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I used an angel food cake mix (the whole box) and baked it in a jelly roll pan. Turned out perfect. Just be sure to take it out of the dish cloth once it’s cooled or it tended to get a little sticky. Spread on the whipped cream and strawberries and roll it back up. I sliced up additional strawberries and added sugar to taste, stirring until the sugar was dissolved. I served this over the slices of cake roll and it was DELISH!! My two boys were fighting over the last piece and one of them doesn’t even like dessert that well.
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Arlene on April 22nd, 2012 at 7:35 pm
Hi, Linda. I also used a whole box mix in a cookie sheet type pan (it’s about an 11×17 inch sized pan). It came out nicely after 15 min, but it was so thick, maybe 2 inches high or so. I ended up pushing it down a lot just so the roll wouldn’t be so big. Did you have this same problem as well or was it just me?
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Linda R. on May 2nd, 2012 at 3:04 pm
I didn’t have that problem. My cake was about an inch thick. My pan was the same size, 11×17 inch. Maybe different brands of cake mix make the difference. I believe I used Best Choice brand.
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Have you ever tried frying angel food cake in a little bit of butter? It’s SO good! The outside gets a little crispy and caramelized while the inside is still soft and delicious. I tried it last year with my in-laws and then topped it with a homemade warm strawberry sauce. You won’t regret it.
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Michelle on April 17th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Oooh I have not, but that sounds fantastic!
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This is beautiful! I especially love the second photo
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Is there any reason not to make the cake ahead of time and wrap it in saran wrap as you suggested to put in the frig overnight. Then make the whipped cream & strawberry filling & store overnight then assemble right before lunch? Will the whipped cream lose its fluff?? Have you tried making everything ahead of time & then assemble right before serving??
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I found your recipe via Pinterest. So delicious! I blogged about my adventure making it today. Hopefully it isn’t too depressing, because I am a lazy baker! Thanks for sharing such a tasty and simple recipe!
http://lifemadejoyful.blogspot.com/2012/05/pinterest-success-strawberries-and.html
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wait, can someone explain step 5 with the towel? i dont quite get it…
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Smurfette on March 9th, 2013 at 3:53 am
You have to roll it while slightly warm so that it cools in that shape. Otherwise it will crack when rolling out. The towel is so that it doesn’t stick together.
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I love angel food cake, but getting it out of the pan is always such a nuisance. I was delighted to see this option—and even more delighted when we tried the recipe out last night. So delicious! So easy!
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Having only tasted angel food cakes from the grocery store, I was never a fan. I assumed all angel food tasted like dry, airy nothingness. That was not smart of me.
My husband, however, LOVES angel food. Loved it since he was a little boy. So, for a special night, I made him this cake. I figured it was a sacrifice I could live with, making him something I normally wouldn’t like.
But oh, man, was I wrong. I ate 3/4 of that cake. Poor husband barely got any of it.
I am now obsessed. Thank you, BEB, for all the great recipes that I keep using!
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This looks fabulous for a summer dessert. I think I would love it with blackberries as well. Any thoughts on this?
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How could I make this into cupcakes? Anybody have any ideas?
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Thanks for sharing this recipe. My husband and I had strawberry shortcake filling for our wedding cake. So, now every year for our anniversary we have some form of strawberry shortcake. I decided to try this recipe this year. I usually have great luck when it comes to baking, but for some reason the cake did not turn out right! It was tough and chewy like it didn’t rise. Do you have any ideas for what I did wrong? I was wondering if maybe it had something to do with the type of flour that I used…any tips would be appreciated!!
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Michelle on June 28th, 2012 at 10:52 am
Hi Hannah, What type of flour did you use? If it was tough, it’s very possible that you could have overmixed the batter when folding in your egg whites, and it got too heavy.
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jp on July 29th, 2012 at 1:02 am
When making angel food cake it is imperative not to get ANY fat in the egg whites – (ie no yoke). Use a glass or metal bowl – no plastic- and beaters should be very clean (no fat). The fat molecules will keep the egg whites from getting stiff and holding in the air that makes the cake so light. Also, you don’t want any grease on the side of the pan (so, no ‘well- seasoned’ pans).
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I’ve had one of these before. Consider this bookmarked.
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In fifty-seven years I’d not made angel food cake from scratch, just made my 3rd since discovering this recipe! This one has mini choc. Chips added and will be filled with ice cream for my daughter’s birthday! Love your recipes!
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Hi Beb and other-wonderful-bakers,
Just wondering if someone could ‘dumb’ down the instructions for baking the cake (in what kind of pan) and how to roll it. I am currently on full time medical treatment for a terminal blood disease but I take much joy in baking these days and love the look of this angel cake – but never done one like this before. any tips would be wonderful and appreciated.
SJ
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I’ve just tried it as a yule log for Christmas : I’ve replaced strawberries (impossible to find some) with raspberries. I think my whipped cream is a little flat and it was hard to understand the recipe since I’m French and I had to convert every measure… But still, it looks delightful and I can wait to taste it !
Thank you
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What is cake flour? Is it.. basically just all purpose flour?
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Michelle on January 24th, 2013 at 3:10 pm
Hi Kelly, Cake four is different than all-purpose flour; it has a lower protein content, which creates lighter more tender-crumbed baked goods.
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This looks wonderful! I was wondering if it could be made ahead of time and frozen until we were ready to use it? I know some things don’t freeze well, but I’m hoping your roll does!
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Michelle on February 20th, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Hi Crystal, I think you could make the cake and freeze it, then thaw it and fill/roll it. I don’t think the combination of the cream and fresh strawberries would freeze and thaw all that well.
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I have to thank you, I made this last night and it was AMAZING. So easy to do and so good!!! Thank you!
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I just tried this today and I had to comment and say thank you for the recipe! Apart from being very healthy and easily adapted for a diabetic, it turned out really lovely, so soft and moist! It’s simply amazing!! Thank you!
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I made this cake this weekend for a birthday dessert and my niece absolutely loved it! She told me it was the best cake in all of Utah and that it could win first prize it was so good! Thanks for the recipe! Its amazing! I love all your recipes!
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i have made this 4 times in 3 weeks….i have cheated each time by using a boxed mix. this is one of the best recipes i have found via all the food blogs i have ever read. it’s so simple, yet so delicious!
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Made this for Mother’s Day and it was perfect!! Definitely a keeper!!
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Love evey thing about this recipe. Was just wondering if diced up peaches could be used instead of berries? Just in the mood for peaches…
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Michelle on May 15th, 2013 at 11:40 am
Hi Nancy, Peaches would be delicious! Go for it!
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I made this with the peaches. It was really tasty! Thanks! You can’t go wrong with this recipe, and any fruit.
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