This classic strawberry shortcake is made with a light angel food cake base and topped with whipped cream and sweetened strawberries. It's a fruity dessert perfect for summer!
Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Do not grease the tube pan.
In a food processor, pulse the sugar 18 to 20 times, or until fine and powdery. Remove 1 cup and set aside, leaving the rest in the processor. Add the flour. Pulse 8 to 10 times, or until combined and airy.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on medium high until pale and frothy. With the mixer on, add 1 Tablespoon sugar at a time, waiting until combined, before adding the next Tablespoon. Whip a total of 5 to 6 minutes, or until medium peaks form. Add vanilla extract and whip just until combined. Remove bowl from mixer.
Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over the top of the whipped eggs. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold (see notes) in flour mixture until no dry ingredients can be seen. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, sifting 1/4 cup at a time.
Carefully pour mixture evenly into a 10-inch tube pan. Smooth the top and gently run a knife through the batter to remove any air pockets. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until the top is lightly browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Place pan upside down on a wire rack and cool at least 1 hour. When completely cooled, run a knife along the inner and outer edge and gently tap on counter until the cake releases.
Topping
While the cake cools, make the topping. In a large bowl, toss together the strawberries and sugar until combined, adding more sugar for extra sweetness, if desired. Chill until ready to serve.
Spread whipped cream evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Using a slotted spoon, spoon strawberries decoratively over the top. Reserve any liquid to drizzle over the sliced cake when serving.
Using a serrated knife (a regular knife may squish the cake), gently cut cake into slices. Drizzle with reserved liquid, if desired.
Notes
Cake: If you are short on time, you can always use a store-bought angel food cake instead of the homemade one (though it won't be quite as good, I promise). How to fold: The main purpose of folding is to gently incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients. To do this, use a rubber spatula to slice down the center of the batter, scraping up the side as you bring the spatula back up while turning the bowl slightly. Repeat until no dry ingredients remain.Tube pan: This pan is an absolute necessity for making this cake, as it won't get the same rise and will probably get stuck in a Bundt pan or regular cake pan. I like the ones with the little feet that makes it easy to cool, but you can let it cool on a wire rack if your pan doesn't have them.Sugar: Don't skip the step of pulsing the granulated sugar to make superfine sugar. If you happen to have superfine or caster sugar, you can pulse 3/4 cup of it with the flour and use 1 cup in the egg whites. Eggs: This cake really benefits from the room temperature egg whites, so don't skip this step. I find it easiest to separate eggs while still cold. Save the egg yolks to make lemon curd. If you forgot to bring the egg whites to room temperature, covering them with warm water for 5 minutes before separating.Cream of tartar: If you don't have cream of tartar, you can use an equal amount of white vinegar or lemon juice (will alter the flavor of the cake) to stabilize the eggs.Variations: This cake is easily adaptable. Try swapping all of the the vanilla extract with almond extract or adding lemon, orange, or lime juice and zest. Storage: The completed dessert is best on the day it is made, but the cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Simply make the toppings when ready to serve. Freeze: The cake can be frozen. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store in freezer-safe bag in the freezer up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before making the topping for serving.