The Retro Angel Food Cake Twist Whipped Cream Lovers Should Know

For fans of whipped cream, everything is better with a big dollop of it. From silky mounds on a mocha to scoops slathered atop ice cream sundaes, whipped cream adds richness and creaminess. In fact, a simple whipped cream made of heavy cream and sugar is a great way to transform an angel food cake into a dessert of which dreams are made.

In the mid-20^th century, light and fluffy angel food cake was all the rage. Not just any iteration, but cakes where whipped cream was used to form a center layer. Homemade whipped cream can be used, as well as pre-made frozen whipped topping for a faster and more nostalgic ingredient. Plain whipped cream can be upgraded with cocoa powder, vanilla, or other flavorings including berries. For a holiday, such as Valentine's Day, red food coloring could be added for increased festiveness or you could go for a patriotic touch by including strawberries and blueberries for a summer holiday.

Traditional recipes for angel food dream cakes call for slicing the cake in half and then spreading whipped cream in between the cake layers. But why stop at creating that layer of whipped cream between halves of a cake when it can also be used as a frosting for the outside? Take a spatula and spread whipped cream across the top and sides of the cake for more sweet goodness. There's no reason to stop at just whipped cream as a frosting and filler, even if cocoa has been added to it. Place fresh berries in between the layers of the cake and arrange them on top of it for edible decoration. Or chop them up finely and blend them into the whipped cream for additional fresh flavor.

With so much surface to cover, plan on using about 4 cups of cold heavy cream. If you end up with any extra, you can always add it to your French toast, coffee cake, or ice cream sundae. Sometimes there really isn't too much of a good thing.