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Vanilla Bean Angel Food Sheet Cake with Roasted Strawberries

Hey, hey, MDW! I love Memorial Day Weekend; it gets me so excited for summer. And BBQs. And cold drinks. And firepits at night. And all the summertime things I’m hoping we still get to enjoy during this quarantine!

This weekend’s menu is a simple mix of some burgers, hot dogs and watermelon salad, plus this vanilla bean angel food cake with the best roasted strawberries you’ll want to put on everything. I used a special vinegar, which you can find online here and here. But you could do a balsamic vin too!

I somehow lost or gave away my angel food cake, not really sure how or why I would have done such a thing. I am loving this cake right now. It’s so light! It’s really quite perfect for summertime. Really, who wants a super heavy dessert when the weather starts to warm up?

The key to this is patience as you wait for the egg whites to get their peaks. I would recommend that you leave your eggs out overnight to ensure they are 100% room temperature. “They” say you can leave eggs out for 30 minutes to come to room temp, but mine always seem to feel chilly so I go full overnight.

So to make the cake, you sift together flour and sugar, then whip your egg whites to, literally, high heaven with a scraped vanilla bean. You’ll slowly and very gently fold your sugar/flour mix into the egg whites. I used a lasagna baking dish for this cake and it was perfect!

Then the roasted strawberries. Oh man. The vinegar I used is from Napastak in Napa Valley, which I scooped up when we visited for New Year’s. This vinegar is a pear lime cinnamon white balsamic that is just so freaking good. You’ll definitely be seeing it in a cocktail this summer.

As the strawberries roast, they smell heavenly from the vinegar. You can really smell the cinnamon, and then it gets all good and syrupy. You pour it right over the angel food cake and let the syrup soak in. Serve it all up with whipped cream. You’re welcome 😉

Tell me if you try this!

Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake with Roasted Strawberries

Get ready for your go-to summer dessert with a light and airy vanilla bean angel food cake and the best roasted strawberries you’ll want to put on everything!
5 from 1 vote
Servings 1 sheet cake

Ingredients
  

Angel Food Cake

  • 1 1/4 c cake flour
  • 1 1/2 c granulated sugar not organic, you want the smallest grain possible without it being powdered sugar
  • 12 egg whites at room temperature leave out over night
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, about half a lemon
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped

Roasted Strawberries

  • 1 pint strawberries, washed, stems removed and sliced
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp Napastak vinegar see notes for suggestions
  • lemon zest, mint, and powdered sugar for garnish optional
  • whipped cream, for serving optional

Instructions
 

Angel Food Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350. Prepare lasagna pan with parchment lining. If using an angel food cake pan, do not spray anything in the pan. 
  • Sift together 3/4c sugar and cake flour in a bowl, set aside. 
  • Using the whisk attachment for your stand mixer or hand mixer, add your 12 egg whites and beat until foamy, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add cream of tartar, lemon juice, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds from scraped bean. 
  • Beat until you see soft peaks. 
  • Once soft peaks form, beat in 3/4c sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until you get stiff peaks and they are glossy. 
  • Slowly sift flour and sugar mixture into egg whites, 1/4 c at a time. Gently fold the flour mixture into the eggs. Repeat until all of the flour sugar mixture has been added to the eggs.
  • Pour batter into the lasagna sheet or angel food cake. Gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. 
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes until the center is firm. Set aside and allow to cool while making the roasted strawberries. 

Roasted Strawberries

  • Increase oven temperature to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  • In a bowl, combine sugar, vinegar and prepared strawberries. Toss until strawberries are well coated in the sugar and vinegar. 
  • Bake 12-15 minutes, until strawberries are soft and the juices begin to form a syrup on the pan. 

Assembly

  • Remove angel food cake from the lasagna pan and place on a large platter or cut desired size slices.
  • Pour strawberries and any accumulated juices/syrup over the angel food cake. 
  • Top with lemon zest, chopped mint and powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream. 

Notes

If you can’t get your hands on the Napastak vinegar:
  • Swap the vinegar for balsamic
  • Or use a white balsamic, juice of half a lime and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon – it should taste tart but also cinnamon forward

2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this delightfully easy, mouthwateringly delicious recipe. Have baked this cake several times since I first tried it a few weeks back and it’s been a huge success each time!

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