Make a heavenly strawberry angel food cake dessert. Easy dessert recipe, layered with fluffy angel food cake, cream cheese and whipped cream filling, and fresh strawberries in a ruby red strawberry sauce. Best dessert you can take to potlucks and family gatherings.
We've made strawberry lush with vanilla wafers, and we've made strawberry delight with a pecan nut crust. This strawberry season, we're making strawberry delight with angel food cake.
It's no secret that I love a good no bake dessert, especially when it involves strawberries. Strawberries and cream cheese are just so delicious, especially when layered together in this strawberry angel food dessert.
This angel delight dessert is ever so creamy. The strawberries mixed with a homemade glaze really take this recipe above and beyond into strawberry heaven. It'll be the perfect dessert wherever you decide to share it, whether a special occasion, family get together, or church potluck.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes
You'll need a few simple ingredients for the sauce and the cream cheese filling, and then of course, an angel food cake.
Strawberry Sauce Ingredients –
- Corn Starch – Corn starch acts as a thickening agent for the strawberry sauce.
- Water
- Cane Sugar – You can also use granulated sugar.
- Fresh Strawberries – I make the strawberry glaze with fresh berries. You can very likely use frozen berries, but it may not turn out quite right as frozen will add more water to the mix; if you do use frozen strawberries, be sure to thaw and drain them before using.
- Strawberry Purée – To make strawberry purée, blend whole strawberries into a purée, using a blender. It'll likely take 8-12 strawberries, depending on their size, to make 1 cup of strawberry purée.
Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients –
- Dream Whip – While I prefer to use Dream Whip, I've had readers tell me they've made this type of filling with Cool Whip too.
- Whole Milk – I recommend using whole milk vs. 2% or skim milk; whole milk will give a much creamier texture to the cream cheese filling.
- Vanilla Extract – A good quality pure vanilla extract works best.
- Cream Cheese – I recommend using a full fat cream cheese vs. light or 1/3 fat cream cheese. Full fat will really add to the creaminess and flavor in this angel delight recipe.
- Powdered Sugar – or confectioners' sugar.
Angel Food Cake –
You can get a pre-made or already baked plain angel food cake at your grocery store's bakery. You can also make my homemade angel food cake recipe or grab a boxed angel food cake mix.
Let's Talk about Crust Options and Variations
There are several different crust options you can choose from for a strawberry no bake dessert.
- Graham cracker crust
- Pecan Sandies crust – Make it like you would a graham cracker crust.
- Vanilla Wafer crust – Made like a graham cracker crust vs. just placed in the pan.
- Golden Oreo crust – Again, like a graham cracker crust.
- Pound cake – Slice up chunks of pound cake to layer in the bottom of the pan.
- Pecan nut crust – Or buy a store bought crust and press pecans into it.
- Store bought crust
- Homemade single pie crust
If you're going to make a more complicated crust than just angel food cake, be sure to make your crust ahead of time, so it's all set and ready to go. From that point on, there will be no baking necessary.
How to Make Strawberry Angel Food Cake Dessert
I prefer to start by gathering every single ingredient I need and prep anything that needs prepping. That way it's easier to work down through every step of the recipe more quickly and efficiently.
Be sure to get out your cream cheese ahead of time, so it can soften. Then wash, hull, and slice the berries, so they're ready to go.
How to Make Strawberry Purée
I've had a lot of readers over the years ask how to make strawberry purée. All you need to do for this recipe is put maybe 8-12 strawberries, depending on the size of your berries, into a blender and use the purée setting.
Making purée is just crushing those berries down into liquid form; and a blender is the best way to do that.
Cook the Strawberry Sauce
- Whisk corn starch and water together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- Add the corn starch mixture together with the sugar in a medium saucepan.
- Mix in the strawberry purée.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over low to medium heat, constantly stirring with a spatula. Once the mixture boils, cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, or until your sauce thickens up and turns a deep ruby red.
- Then remove your strawberry sauce from the heat and allow it to cool. I like to put mine in the freezer, stirring occasionally, while I go about making the filling and preparing my crust.
Make the Dream Whip Filling
- Add the Dream Whip, milk, and vanilla to a large bowl.
- Using an electric mixer or hand mixer, whisk them together, according to package directions, 'til the mixture begins to form soft peaks. It'll take about 4 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese well. Then add both the cream cheese and the powdered sugar to the Dream Whip mixture.
- Whisk for about 3 to 5 minutes, or 'til smooth and creamy.
Layer Strawberry Delight with Angel Food Cake
Once everything is ready, you're ready to layer your dessert together.
- Slice the angel food cake into 1-inch cubes, and spread those cubes in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Spread the creamy Dream Whip cream cheese layer over the angel food cake pieces.
- Once the sauce has cooled, mix the sliced juicy strawberries into the sauce.
- Then spread that wonderful strawberry sauce over the Dream Whip filling.
At this point, you're ready to cover your dessert, and chill it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ's:
Just your typical 13-14 ounce round store-bought angel food cake you find in any grocery store bakery will work for this strawberry dessert recipe.
Yes, you can easily make this a gluten-free dessert by making a gluten-free angel food cake or using a gluten-free angel food cake mix (which I have seen at Aldi). Be sure to check all ingredient labels to make sure everything you use is truly gluten-free.
Yes. It needs to sit in the fridge at least 4 hours before eating, or overnight if possible. Although it will keep for 2-3 days, I wouldn't make it more than a day in advance because the berries can start to fade in color and not look so pretty.
Cover it with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container, and store it in the fridge. If you use a 9×13 dish with a lid, you are good to go.
Yes, you can freeze it. Just be sure it’s in a sealed container or covered really well so it doesn’t get freezer burn. It should last up to 6 months in the freezer.
How to Serve Strawberry Angel Dessert
There are a few ways you can choose to serve this perfect summer dessert…
- While I prefer to use a simple 9×13 ceramic baking dish, you have options… You can use a 9×13 cake pan, a large glass trifle dish for really pretty layers, or small individual sized serving cups or mason jars.
- Think about drizzling chocolate syrup or melted white chocolate on top.
- Serve each serving with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
- Sprinkle cookie crumbs on top… Think Golden Oreos, vanilla wafers, etc.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
More Strawberry Desserts
If you love this strawberry angel delight as much as we do, you'll love these recipes too!
- Strawberry Shortcake with Biscuits
- Strawberry Jello Pie
- Strawberry Cupcakes with Berry Filling
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Strawberry Jello Cake
- Strawberry Krispie Treats
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Strawberry Angel Food Cake Dessert
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup strawberry purée*
- 2 envelopes Dream Whip 1 box
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 10 ounces angel food cake
- 6 cups sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Whisk corn starch and water together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- Add the corn starch mixture together with the sugar in a medium saucepan.
- Mix in the strawberry purée.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over low to medium heat, constantly stirring with a spatula. Once the mixture boils, cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, or until your sauce thickens up and turns a deep ruby red.
- Then remove your strawberry sauce from the heat and allow it to cool. I like to put mine in the freezer, stirring occasionally, while I go about making the filling and preparing my crust.
- Add the Dream Whip, milk, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk them together, according to package directions, 'til the mixture begins to form soft peaks. It'll take about 4 minutes.
- In a separate large bowl, whip the cream cheese well. Then add both the cream cheese and the powdered sugar to the Dream Whip mixture.
- Whisk for about 3 to 5 minutes, or 'til smooth and creamy.
- Slice the angel food cake into 1-inch cubes, and spread those cubes in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Spread the creamy Dream Whip filling over the angel food cake.
- Once the sauce has cooled, mix the sliced strawberries into the sauce.
- Then spread that wonderful strawberry sauce over the Dream Whip filling.
- Cover and chill it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible, before serving.
Very easy recipe. It was very delicious.
Thanks, Dodie! I’m glad you liked it!