Angel Food Cake Toppings: Amazing Ideas and Recipes

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Last Updated on February 6, 2023

Today, we have a ton of delicious angel food cake toppings for you to try at home that will take your baking to the next level!

These angel food cake toppings are perfect for any occasion and you can even choose one that fits your skill level, time frame, and theme of the occasion. So, you can choose something as simple as freshly cut fruit with whipped cream, or make something a little more complex like a mocha ganache or a buttercream frosting.

The possibilities are endless and our list will hopefully inspire you to push those flavor pairings and make your angel food cake extraordinary!

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What is an Angel Food Cake?

Angel food cake is a very popular type of sponge cake that is made with a combination of flour, egg whites, and sugar. What makes this cake unique from other types of sponge cake is that it doesn’t contain any fat (like butter) or egg yolks.

The way this cake is made by whipping the egg whites to soft peaks before gently folding in the remaining ingredients. So, thanks to the ingredients used and the way they are prepared, you are left with an incredibly delicious, light, and fluffy cake.

This cake can be easily recognized not only by its pale color but by its shape. It is commonly baked inside a Bundt pan or tube pan. After it has been baked, you have an endless list of angel food cake topping ideas to choose from.

How to Choose the Best Angel Food Cake Toppings

The internet is filled with thousands of angel food cake ideas, but how do you know which to choose? It can all be very overwhelming but follow our simple tips to help you narrow down the best topping for your cake.

First, decide how much work you want to put into the topping for your angel food cake. You can choose a simple cake topping like fresh-cut fruits, or make something a little more complex or elaborate, like buttercream frosting.

Then, decide on the flavor profile you are looking for. There are many classic toppings for angel food cakes like berries, whipped cream, and even vanilla frosting. But, you can also make your flavor profile more interesting.

Because this cake has a very neutral flavor, you can pair it with virtually all other flavors. We love adding something salty with the sweet cake, but you can also go for classic chocolate-flavored toppings.

Quick and Easy Angel Food Cake Topping Ideas

Some of the best angel food cake ideas are those with simple toppings. This can be anything from fresh berries, cut tropical fruit like kiwi, pineapple, and mango, or some chopped nuts.

You can also add some freshly whipped sweet cream, softened Mascarpone cheese, a dollop of Greek yogurt, or a nut spread like Nutella. Another fantastic and easy idea is royal icing. You can lightly drizzle it over the cake before topping it with fruits or nuts.

Sauce Toppings for Angel Food Cake

Another very overlooked category of toppings is dessert sauces. These function in a similar way to frostings; however, they add a lot more moisture because they are runnier.

Some of our favorite types of sauces to add as an angel food cake topping are ganaches, berry sauces, caramel sauces, and any type of citrus sauce. You can be very experimental when it comes to making these sauces.

For example, make a lemon curd dessert sauce or a salted caramel sauce. And, with ganaches, you can make a classic dark chocolate ganache or a coffee-flavored ganache.

Frostings for Angel Food Cake

Moving on to frostings, this is also a topping you can play around with. You can even turn a simple buttercream frosting into one with more complex notes. Try making a peanut butter cream cheese frosting, a lemon-flavored Italian meringue, or even something like grapefruit curd.

What You Will Need: Chocolate Ganache Sauce

Ingredients

• 340 grams (12 ounces) of dark chocolate
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup extra fine sugar (castor sugar)
• 2 tablespoons salted butter

Equipment

• Medium heat-proof bowl
• Medium saucepan
• Whisk

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Chop the Chocolate

Regardless of what chocolate you choose to use, make sure the chocolate pieces are finely chopped. This will help them melt easier and at a more even pace.

Step 2: Heat the Cream and Sugar

Place the cream and fine sugar into a medium saucepan. Gently heat the cream and whisk until all of the sugar has dissolved. Add the butter and whisk until it is fully melted.

Step 3: Melt the Chocolate

Pout the heated cream over the chopped chocolate and gently whisk the ingredients together until they are evenly mixed. You should have a nice thick and smooth ganache.

Smucker’s Simple Delight Ice Cream Topping 11.5oz Glass Jar (Pack of 4) (Salted Caramel)

Tips and Tricks for Ganache

Your ganache will start setting as it cools. To reheat it, simply place it inside the microwave or oven using a low temperature.

You can thin the consistency of your ganache by whisking in heated cream or milk. You can also make it thicker by heating your already-made ganache and pouring it over more chopped chocolate.

To make a flavored ganache, try to infuse the cream with the flavor. For example, if you want to make a coffee-flavored ganache, simply add some instant coffee to the cream. White chocolate is also a great “neutral” chocolate that will allow you to elevate other flavors.

Servings and Preparation Time

Preparation Time	Cooking Time	Servings
5 minutes	5 minutes	2 cups

What You Will: Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature.
• 2 cups (280 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
• 1/4 cup (60ml) salted caramel, room temperature

Equipment

• Electric mixer
• Medium bowl

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Beat the Butter

Place the butter inside the mixing bowl and beat it until it is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on high speed. Make sure to scrape the sides so that all of the butter gets evenly whipped.

Step 2: Add the Powdered Sugar

Next, slowly add the powdered sugar in two batches while the mixer is running at a low speed. Remember again to scrape down the sides so that all of the ingredients can be evenly incorporated. Then, increase the speed to high and continue beating the buttercream frosting until it is light and fluffy.

Step 3: Add the Remaining Ingredients

Add the vanilla and salted caramel and mix them in until you have a uniform mixture. You may need to slightly heat the salted caramel sauce otherwise a thick one won’t incorporate well.

Tips and Tricks: Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

You can also use a homemade salted caramel sauce instead of a store-bought one.

Make sure you use room-temperature softened butter. If your butter isn’t soft enough, it will create lumps inside your frosting. These lumps will eventually melt and cause the frosting to potentially separate and become grainy.

Servings and Preparation Time

Preparation Time	Total Time	Servings
5 minutes	15 minutes	3 cups

Strawberry Sauce for Angel Food Cake

Another topping that works well for angel food cake is the strawberry sauce. For this, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1lb of sliced strawberries
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water (for a slurry)

Now all you need to do is:

1. Add the following ingredients to a saucepan: strawberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice. Mix and heat over high heat until it starts to boil.
2. Once boiling, lower the heat and leave for around 10 minutes. This allows the strawberries to soften.
3. Once soft, remove from heat and blend the strawberries. Once blended, use a strainer to strain the strawberry mixture.
4. Add the liquid back to your pan and reheat on low heat. In the meantime, make your slurry by mixing your cornstarch and water.
5. Add the slurry to your sauce and mix well. This allows your sauce to thicken.
6. Place heat on high and keep mixing for around 5 minutes. At this point, it should be thick.
7. Remove from heat and leave to cool before pouring over your angel food cake. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Chocolate Frosting for Angel Food Cake

A pairing that’s a match made in heaven is angel food cake and chocolate frosting. For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar

Now all you need to do is:

1. Before you begin, chill your mixing bowl for at least 10-15 minutes.
2. Remove your bowl and add the following ingredients: cocoa powder, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
3. Add the powdered sugar gradually and keep mixing until you have a fluffy chocolate frosting. Frost your angel food cake. Serve and enjoy!

Pineapple Whip Topping for Angel Food Cake

If you want something fruity for your angel food cake, then look no further. For this recipe, you’ll need the following recipe:

• 1 can of crushed pineapple
• 1 box of instant vanilla pudding (and milk)
• 32oz of Cool Whip

Now all you need to do is:

1. 1. Before you use your pineapple, drain the juice and leave it on one side.
   2. Add pudding and milk to a bowl and mix until you have a light pudding.
   3. Add the drained pineapple, Cool Whip and prepared instant pudding to a bowl and fold them together.
   4. Frost your angel food cake and chill immediately. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

 

Peach Sauce for Angel Food Cake

For another fruity option, you could try this peach sauce. For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

1. 1. • 10oz of fresh peaches (or frozen)
      • 10oz of peach jam (or apricot)
      • 1/4 cup of water (+ 4 tablespoons)
      • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
      • 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Now all you need to do is:

1. 1. 1. Cut the peaches into small chunks and add them into a saucepan with 1/4 cup of water, jam, and lemon juice. Heat until it starts to boil.
      2. Make a slurry by adding cornstarch and additional water. Mix well and then pour into your saucepan of peach sauce; this is to help thicken the sauce.
      3. Keep whisking and leave to heat for around 2 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool before pouring over your angel food cake. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

How to Serve Angel Food Cake

You can serve angel food cake with a range of options, including:

1. 1. • strawberries and cream
      • chocolate or coffee ganache
      • ice cream
      • yogurt
      • whipped cream
      • fruit (like bananas or berries)
      • marshmallow fluff
      • lemon curd

How to Dress Up Store-Bought Angel Food Cake

If you have a store-bought angel food cake and are looking for ways to make it a little more exciting, you can try one of the following options:

1. 1. • adding fresh berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.
      • drizzling in fruit sauces, such as cherry, strawberry, or raspberry
      • adding candied or crushed nuts
      • adding crushed cookies, such as Oreo or Biscoff
      • chopped candies, such as peanut butter cups
      • pouring caramel sauce over the top
      • coating in frosting, icing, or glaze

The Best Toppings For Angel Food Cake

Let us know what you think about our favorite angel food cake toppings or what you love to use. And, remember to share the recipes with your friends and have a look at some other amazing topping ideas we have on our site.

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