Sometimes you just need a cake fast. This simple No-Bake Strawberry Cake is an old favorite from grandma’s kitchen — and once you try it, you’ll see why! All you need is four store-bought ingredients and about 10 minutes to whip up a sweet delight that looks almost as good as it tastes. Birthday party? Wedding shower? Holiday feast? This three-tiered treat is your secret weapon.
Life doesn’t always leave you time to cook and bake everything from scratch. While we have many wonderful DLYK recipes that offer a step-by-step adventure from flour to confection, we firmly believe that sometimes it’s OK for a clever home chef to cheat a little.
The Ingredients
So how do you make something so simple taste so good (and look so fabulous?) Really, it’s all about layers and good ingredients:
- Angel food cake: Check the bakery at your local supermarket. Most have packaged pre-made angel food cakes ready to go. This fluffy, sturdy cake makes a wonderful base for lots of creative flavors and decorations.
- Cool Whip®: There’s a reason this sweet staple has been charming Americans since the ’60s. We love using Cool Whip® in this recipe because it’s sturdier and a tad sweeter than whipped cream. Whipped cream can melt off and get runny. Cool Whip does a better job keeping its shape, although we do recommend keeping the cake refrigerated.
- Fresh strawberries: Go organic if you can, and choose strawberries that are bright red from stem to tip. Ripe, delicious ones should have a nice smell too. Remember, you’ll need extra for decorating.
- Powdered sugar: Mashing the fruit with powdered sugar is a simple way to add sweetness and elevate your desert. Powdered sugar packs down just like flour, so we suggest fluffing it up in the bag before you scoop to avoid overdoing it.
Tips for Success
- Take the Cool Whip® out of the freezer about 10 minutes before you start to soften it up so it’s spreadable.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the cake, as well as a delicate touch (just move the knife back and forth, don’t press).
- Once you start, work fast! While you want the Cool Whip® soft enough to spread, if it’s too warm it’ll be hard to manage and the cake will droop.
- When you’re done decorating, refrigerate your No-Bake Strawberry Cake immediately, and keep it cold until ready to serve. Have fun!
No-Bake Strawberry Cake
Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutesThis quick-and-easy dessert is perfect for potlucks, birthdays, and bridal or baby showers.
Ingredients
1 store-bought angel food cake
2 pounds strawberries, washed and de-stemmed
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tubs Cool Whip®
Directions
- Cut 1/4 of the strawberries in half, and set them aside. Then in a large bowl, mash the other 3/4 of the berries until the mixture is (mostly) smooth.
- Place a strainer over a bowl to remove the extra juice from the mashed berries. (You can save the juice to use later in a smoothie or spritzer).
- In a small bowl, mix together the mashed berries and the powdered sugar.
- Use a serrated knife to carefully cut the angel food cake into 3 even horizontal layers.
- Spread one layer with 1/3 of the the Cool Whip® and 1/2 of the berry mix.
- Top with a layer of the cake, and repeat.
- Add the final layer of the cake. Then use a frosting spatula to cover the entire cake with Cool Whip®.
- Decorate the top and sides of the cake with the halved strawberries you prepared in Step 1. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- You can use full or low fat Cool Whip for this recipe.
- Take extra care when you slice the cake. Even layers look good and make a big difference.
- Be sure to keep the cake cool until serving to avoid any melting.
