This strawberry angel food cake vintage recipe is made with jello, cool whip, frozen fresh strawberries, and angel food cake. That’s it! Only four ingredients. It’s a sweet no-bake make-ahead refrigerated strawberry dessert that has become a true family favorite for us.
If you like this recipe (and have plenty of strawberries around), you’ll also love fresh strawberry pie and strawberry shortcake from scratch.
Table of Contents
Why You Need Strawberry Angel Food Cake In Your Life
A good fresh strawberry dessert recipe is one of my favorites this time of year. While the strawberries aren’t ripe for picking YET in Ohio, I do know that they are in other parts of the country, which has me thinking about strawberry desserts like strawberry rhubarb pie. And because I see the prices drop at our area grocery stores, I wanted to make a fun dessert that was very easy but used fresh strawberries!
- Fresh strawberries. When strawberries are in season they are the best! This is a unique strawberry dessert that uses only 1 pound of fresh strawberries.
- Easy to pull together. This dessert is super simple to make and a great one to have the kids join in on!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Only Four Ingredients
To make this fresh strawberry dessert recipe you will only need four ingredients!
- Strawberry Jell-O – I recommend the name brand. This is one instance where generic just doesn’t cut it.
- Fresh Strawberries – You will need your strawberries to be frozen. You can use fresh; just pop them in the freezer for 24 hours before making this recipe.
- Cool Whip – It brings this recipe all together. Use good ol’ cool whip or make your own.
- Angel Food Cake – I buy it at the store in the bakery section. I mentioned, easy, right?
How to Freeze Fresh Strawberries
It was easy to freeze the fresh strawberries. I would recommend doing this as you’re able to control the size of each strawberry. You know how huge strawberries can be? I like to be able to control that and cut cut them before freezing.
- Wash: The day before you plan to make this recipe, wash and cut one pound of fresh strawberries. You’ll want the strawberries to be bite-size.
- Freeze: Place them on parchment paper and freeze.
- Store: Once they are semi-frozen you can put them in a plastic bag to use when you’re ready to make the strawberry angel food cake.
How to Make
- Break the angel food cake into 1 – 2 inch pieces. Add to a bowl and set aside.
- Boil 1 1/4 cups of water on the stove. Dissolve the Jell-O into the boiling water. Once dissolved, add the frozen strawberries and stir. I then transferred the strawberry mixture to a mixing bowl.
- Fold in the cool whip into the strawberry mixture. Yum!
- Add the angel food cake into the strawberry mixture until well combined.
5. Pour into an 11×7 pan. You can use a 9×13 pan, but I like my strawberry angel food cake thicker.
6. Chill. Place the cake into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to chill. Longer is better!
This Fresh Strawberry Dessert recipe took minutes to make! It’s an easy and fresh dessert to enjoy those fresh strawberries on a hot day! No oven required. Top with whipped cream if you prefer and enjoy!
Strawberry Angel Food Cake FAQ
I used a 13 oz bakery made angel food cake for this recipe.
No. I didn’t and had no problems.
I like to be in control of how big the strawberry bites are. I’ve also found that buying fresh certain times of the year is much cheaper. That being said, you could use store bought frozen strawberries if you prefer.
I did in the past, but it was very difficult to get the cake out of the pan. For this reason, I suggest using an 11×7 or 9×13 inch pan.
Watch How to Make This Strawberry Dessert
Strawberry Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 3 oz package of strawberry Jell-O
- 1 1/4 cups water boiling
- 1 lb strawberries frozen
- 8 oz Cool Whip thawed
- 13 oz angel food cake
Instructions
- Break angel food cake into 1 – 2 inch pieces.
- Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add frozen strawberries and stir.
- Place strawberry mixture into a large bowl and fold in the Cool Whip. Add angel food cake pieces and combine.
- Pour into 11×7 or 9×13 pan.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until fully set.
Notes
How to Freeze Fresh Strawberries
- Wash: The day before you plan to make this recipe, wash and cut one pound of fresh strawberries. You’ll want the strawberries to be bite-size.
- Freeze: Place them on parchment paper and freeze.
- Store: Once they are semi-frozen you can put them in a plastic bag to use when you’re ready to make the strawberry angel food cake.
Nutrition
More Strawberry Recipes
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe
- Homemade Strawberry Bread Recipe
- Easy Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe
Strawberry Angel Food Cake Recipe originally shared May 2014. Updated 2021.
Comments & Reviews
Qween Sharetta says
I also made it with sugar free jello… and good! Wanted a treat that wouldn’t kill me with carbs- DONE!
Lynette says
So glad it worked out with sugar free jello! Thank you for sharing!
Heather says
how do you get the left overs to not have the cake break down in cool whip ? made left it refrigerator over night but like angel cake dissolved you could taste it but it was t chunks like pictured .
Lynette says
Yes, this is one of those recipes that doesn’t make the best leftovers. The flavor is there, but the angel food cake does break down over time. Using a more stale angel food cake will last longer with the mixture and be drier in the immediate. 🙂
Lois Brunkhorst says
Can I double this recipe?
Lynette says
You can, if you’re making two angel food cakes. Or one very large one? Honestly, I’ve never tried to double it. Let me know if you do and how it turns out!
Janet Shaw says
I have made this WW friendly using sugar free jello.
Michelle says
2nd time making it and its sooooooo delicious!!!! YUM
cheryl says
Line the pan with saran wrap first, easier to unmold. Then frost with cool whip & top with strawberries – so good!
Annette Robichaud says
Do you have any Nutritional information on this? I’m diabetic, but this seems like it could be be a low- calorie recipe if you used sugar free jello.
Malinda Fraser says
if do not like cool whip that purchase in store, what can I use with the strawberry angel food cake ?
Lynette says
Malinda, you can make your own whipped cream homemade. I don’t see why that would be any different. You’ll just need to be careful that you use the same amount as cool whip.
Theresa says
What size cool whip container do you use?
Shelley says
I’m wondering if I could just put this in my trifle bowl and chill and serve it in that? It’s SO pretty I’d had for no one to be able to see it if it was just in a casserole dish! Can’t wait to try it, it looks delish!
Lynette says
I don’t see why not. Let me know how it goes!
Julie T says
Found your recipe through Facebook. The picture looks scrumptious! You mentioned the desert was fragile when you removed it from the angel food pan: have you considered using a 2nd box of jello or packet of Knox gelatine to firm it up?
When we make it, we will be using the Knox gelatin and twice the strawberries as we have red dye allergies. That’s ok tho, who turns away from double strawberries? Lol
Lynette says
That sounds really good with the double strawberries. I have not tried it with twice the jello. Let me know how it turns out!