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Fresh strawberries in a beautiful garden setting representing Strawberry Heaven

Strawberry Heaven

A light, crowd-pleasing dessert that combines fluffy angel food cake, a creamy cheese layer, and a glossy strawberry glaze, perfect for potlucks or weeknight treats.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake Base
  • 1 loaf angel food cake Use pre-made for convenience.
  • 1 (16-ounce) container Cool Whip
Cream Cheese Layer
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened Use full-fat for best results.
  • 1/2 cup sugar Used for cream cheese layer.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry Glaze
  • 1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced Choose ripe, fragrant berries.
  • 1 cup sugar, divided Total sugar in recipe.
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch For thickening glaze.
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup water

Method
 

Make the strawberry glaze
  1. In a saucepan, whisk together ½ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 cup water until smooth.
  2. Heat over medium, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a gentle boil and thickens to a glossy, translucent syrup.
  3. Let it cool slightly before using.
Fold strawberries into the glaze
  1. Add the sliced fresh strawberries to the cooled glaze and fold gently to coat each slice without crushing them.
Layer the cake with Cool Whip
  1. Tear the angel food cake into roughly 1-inch pieces and mix with 2 cups of Cool Whip until lightly coated.
  2. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
Prepare the cream cheese layer
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese with the remaining ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until silky smooth.
  2. Fold in the leftover Cool Whip until fully combined and spread over the cake layer.
Top with the strawberry mixture
  1. Pour the strawberry and glaze mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for about 2–3 hours.

Notes

For best flavor, chill overnight. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze individual slices for up to 1 month.