Strawberry cake so easy!

I got a call last week from Anne Sharpe, a loyal reader of my food column.

Anne had guests to cook for, and she wondered what I thought of a recipe idea she and her daughter had. Anne had made two-ingredient angel food pineapple cake some weeks back, and she wanted to try it with strawberries. She asked my opinion.

I told her to please try it and let me know the outcome. I wondered that night how the cake had turned out. I was so pleased when she called the next day with the results. The cake was delicious and a hit with her guests!

I couldn’t wait to make my cake and went home at lunch Friday and mixed it up.

Anne used a 15 oz. package of thawed frozen strawberries for her cake and added in a few fresh berries. I had a lot of strawberries in my refrigerator from a visit to a local strawberry farm earlier in the week, so I used fresh. I sliced enough berries to equal two cups. I poured them in a bowl and sprinkled about 1⁄8 cup of sugar over them, then mixed them up and let them sit. An hour later, there was plenty of gorgeous red juice with the fresh berries.

Using my mixer, I blended the berries and juice with an angel food cake mix. There were no other ingredients. I mixed for about two minutes and watched as the batter rose and expanded and turned a beautiful shade of pink!

The cake rose even more as it baked, but it did fall some once it cooled. I didn’t wait for it to cool before I tried it, though! It’s really good. Really, really good. I like it even better than the pineapple!

That night, I cut up more fresh strawberries and sprinkled them on top of individual servings, then put a dollop of low-fat whipped topping on for good measure. The dessert was a big hit with my family. We ate it with the berries and topping this weekend as well as without the toppings. It’s delicious both ways.

When I ran that first angel food cake recipe, I know there was a run on the grocery stores for angel food cake mix. I hope everyone has a mix in their pantry or can find a mix on the shelves because this cake is delicious and the perfect way to use those wonderful Wilson County strawberries!


Strawberry Angel Food Cake

• Angel food cake mix
• 2 cups fresh strawberries
• 1/8 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice strawberries to measure 2 cups. Add 1/8 cup sugar and stir to blend. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour until juice has formed.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, mix cake mix with strawberries and juice for 2 minutes. Do not add any other ingredients.

I baked mine in a 13X9-inch dish, which I had prepared with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cake can be served without topping or with fresh strawberries and whipped topping.

*The pineapple cake is basically the same. Instead of strawberries, add a can of crushed pineapple in its own juice (my readers have used both the 15.5 and 20 oz. sizes). Do not add extra sugar.