Heavenly Blueberries and Cream Angel Food Cake Dessert
This heavenly blueberry angel food cake dessert is light and delicious! So simple to prepare, it is the perfect ending to any meal!
This amazing little dessert is just how it sounds. Heavenly. And fluffy. And creamy.
Sweet and tart, it’s a mess of heaven on a plate. And because it is so light and luscious, this blueberry angel food cake dessert is the perfect finale to any meal (fantastic for a potluck or for when you have company over for dinner).
And if you are thinking what I’m thinking, YES, this dessert is easily, easily adaptable to other flavors. Check out the amazing ideas I’ve detailed below!
Shockingly simple to make, this dessert starts first with…yep, you guessed it…angel food cake.
Store-bought vs homemade angel food cake
For this blueberry angel food cake dessert, you can use a:
- cake mix
- store-bought prepared angel food cake
- homemade angel food cake
Whatever you prefer – use it with confidence and don’t look back!
I was raised on angel food cake from the box (literally my mom’s favorite cake ever), and I have absolutely no shame in admitting I actually prefer it over homemade angel food cake. As in, do not leave me alone with a baked cake mix angel food cake intended for something important. It won’t end well.
However, I can also give a strong vote in favor of this super easy homemade angel food cake recipe. It is pretty amazing. It doesn’t call for cake flour + it includes a ridiculously delicious chocolate variation.
Cut the angel food cake into cubes, about 1-inch, and toss them in a bowl.
Those irresistible cake bits get smothered in a creamy mixture of half-and-half (or evaporated milk), sugar and cream cheese.
It may feel a little weird and slightly scary to mix the cake cubes into the creamy coating. Don’t stress about the crumby bits forming little glumps here and there. It will all work out. And the cake will hold up just fine as long as you are mixing it gently and as unaggressively as possible.
Trifle dish or not?
Years ago when I first told you about this recipe, I was all about prettily layering the creamy angel food cake cubes with the blueberries and cream in a fancy trifle dish. And I still do that. Sometimes.
But usually, I opt for a simple 9X13-inch pan. Not only is it a little more practical, but it also makes the layers thinner so that serving the dessert is a lot easier. You can use a trifle dish for a super pretty presentation, a 9X13-inch (or slightly smaller pan) or just a glass bowl.
This dessert is a mashed up mess of delicious wonder once it is served, so don’t stress too much about the presentation.
Assembly is simple! Half the coated angel food cake cubes, half of the blueberry filling, half of the whipped cream…and…REPEAT!
I like to refrigerate the dessert a few hours before serving. Bonus: it can easily be made the day before and keeps well in the refrigerator overnight.
Variations on the blueberry theme
The flavor options are endless…just read through the comment thread to get a little inspiration!
Many readers have:
- subbed in canned pie filling for the homemade fruit filling
- used raspberries, blackberries, peaches, cherries or strawberries (or frozen mixed berries) in place of the blueberries
- made a red, white and blue variation for patriotic holidays (using blueberries and strawberries)
- doubled the fruit filling for a higher fruit-to-cake ratio
This past summer, I made a variation using this lemon yogurt bread for the angel food cake and raspberries in place of the blueberries (everything else was the same – the creamy filling, the whipped cream, and the other ingredients for the fruit filling). Oh.my.goodness. It was incredible.
If you haven’t experienced this heavenly blueberries and cream angel food cake dessert, I think it’s high time you did! It’s delicious and one of my favorite desserts ever!
One Year Ago: Chocolate and Coconut Cream Pie Bars
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Wafer Cream Cake
Three Years Ago: Wild Rice and Creamy Goat Cheese Stuffing
Heavenly Blueberries and Cream Angel Dessert
Ingredients
Blueberry Filling (see note):
- 12 ounces (340 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons (27 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) cornstarch
- ¼ cup cold water
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon
Cake and Cream:
- 1 angel food cake cut into 1-inch cubes (see note)
- 16 ounces (454 g) light or regular cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup half-and-half or evaporated milk
- ⅔ cup (141 g) granulated sugar
Whipped Cream:
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons (22 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- For the blueberry filling: in a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened, 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- For the cake and cream layer: in a blender or with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer), whip together the cream cheese, half-and-half or evaporated milk, and sugar until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl if you used a blender. Fold in the angel food cake cubes. Keep in mind (from the note below) that you may not use all the cake cubes, depending on the size of the cake. Add cake cubes until they are all thickly coated with a layer of cream.
- For the whipped cream: beat together the heavy cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
- To assemble: in a trifle dish, a large glass bowl or a 9X13-inch (or slightly smaller) dish, spread half of the angel food cake mixture. Top with half of the blueberries, dolloping across the top, and then spread half of the sweetened whipped cream on top. Repeat the layers. The layers don't have to be perfect. It's going to be a little haphazard and messy. Don't stress.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from my Aunt Marilyn
Recipe originally posted November 2013; updated August 2019 with new photos and recipe notes.
I used 16 oz frozen blueberries and I definitely could’ve doubled it. Mine didn’t look nearly as “blueberry” as yours. The sauce was a little thick too. Should I have cooked it less?? Added more water?? I’m not exactly a pro in the kitchen 🙂 I think I will try canned pie filling next time, just to eliminate one step.
Both cooking less time and using a bit more water could help with how thick it is. 🙂 You could always double the fruit filling if you want it more fruity.
This is a great showstopping dessert.
I can’t wait to buy some fresh blueberries at my local farmers market and make this! Thanks for sharing the recipe
Loved this recipe. I cheated and used store-bought cake and pie filling. It was amazing and quick.
Does this really only serve 8. It looks comparable to similar desserts in a bowl like this, and others say it serves 18. Don’t want to double if its not needed.
You could serve smaller portions and get more servings – it’s a lighter dessert thanks to the angel food cake and so I probably serve pretty large portions.
Hi what does2/3 half of half mean. This looks really good
2/3 cup half and half (the cream-milk mixture at the store) or you can use evaporated milk. Good luck!
I made this today for my sister’s baby shower and everyone went back for seconds! It was delicious and I look forward to making it again. I did double the sauce for the blueberries as suggested by others. I love that this dish LOOKED like I worked really hard on it but it was actually quite simple. Thanks!
Made this today – it was a hit!!
So am making this for this weekend!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
This is one of the best desserts ever and it isn’t even chocolate!
I made this with mixed berries and it was amazing. I found my husband in the fridge at 2:00 am licking the last of the leftovers out of the bowl. Literally… LICKING the bowl…the animal. 😉
Haha! That had me laughing out loud, Vanessa.
Your blog is beautiful!! This recipe looks amazing!
This looks fabulous! Can’t wait to try it.
I just have one question – why use light cream cheese when you are already using sugar, half and half, and whipping cream? The light dairy products have a lot of nasty additives and chemicals to make them taste good and feel good in the mouth. Yuck! The amount of fat you would be saving by using the light cream cheese is not worth the extra junk in the product when you consider how much fat you’re already eating with the rest of the dessert.
It’s simply a matter of preference, Ann. The light cream cheese I’m able to find in my local grocery store doesn’t have any additives like many other light products although the consistency is a bit softer than full-fat cream cheese.
Made this with canned blueberry filling and (gasp) cool whip and one of the kids had three servings and said “this blueberry stuff is awesome.” So, going to try it with all the real stuff come summer.
no way to share this on facebook 🙁 Bummer!
Thank you for this and all of your amazing recipes! On the cream cheese – do you use light for calorie/fat reasons, or for taste/texture reasons?
Mostly just for calories – either light or regular will work just fine.
Made this several months ago using the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for angel food cake that calls for lemon zest. The lemon zest was subtle and a wonderful compliment to the blueberries. Still dream about this dessert! Will be making it again soon for company but think I will increase the blueberry syrup by 1/2 and use 18 oz of blueberries…can’t wait!!
Dear Mel,
I made this last July for a party. Doubled the blueberry filling as suggested above, and it was a huge hit! I decided to make it this week for a New Year’s Eve get together and couldn’t find the recipe. Then I remembered the key word – Heavenly!!! A quick search and here I am! Yay!
Looking forward to the most delicious dessert ever to ring in the New Year!
Could you just use canned blueberry filling?
Worth a try although I haven’t tried it myself.
I make this all the time and I always use the blueberry pie filling in a can. I sometimes use other fruit pie fillings.
My exact question, Joni. Did you ever try that out? Have a can sitting in my pantry looking lonely.
I haven’t tried it but I think the original recipe called for canned pie filling so I’m sure it would work.
this is a favorite dessert of ours as well, though we like it with blackberries even more than with blueberries
This was delicious! I made it for a family gathering and got rave reviews and many requests for the recipe. I used fresh blueberries rather than frozen but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely be making this again!
This is a wonderful recipe. I’ve made it twice, once with blueberries and once with strawberries. I like it because I don’t have to use processed cool whip. It is simply delicious and everyone eats it happily.
I made this for “dessert night” at our house (we only eat dessert 2x/week) and while it was delicious, it didn’t come out nearly as pretty as yours. When I mixed the AF cake cubes with the cream cheese mixture it got all brownish from the cake crust. Did you cut the crust/outside of the cake off before you mixed it?
Annabeth – Hmmm, not sure why you had this issue. I didn’t scrape off the crust of the cake – my angel food cake pan is fairly light aluminum so the crust isn’t very dark.
Loved this! Made for my friends birthday and was a huge hit. Pretty and delicious at the same time and so convenient as its a make ahead dessert.
Can this be made with fresh blueberries? we just went blueberry picking and I have lots. Also, whats your favorite way to can/preserve blueberries?
Julie – Yes, this dessert could definitely use fresh blueberries. Funny on the timing of the question! I have about 20 pounds or more of fresh blueberries staring me in the face right now. I’m going to make blueberry syrup this time (I have a nutristeamer which extracts the juice and then I use Pomona’s Pectin to make a low-sugar syrup). If I have extras, I’ll probably make blueberry jam. Also, I don’t think you can beat frozen blueberries – we use them in smoothies and desserts and lots of other things. I like to spread them out on a tray and freeze them before tossing them in a ziploc bag to go in the freezer again.
I made this for a 4th of July pool party and it was a hit!
This is AMAZING! I can’t wait to make it again. It’s nice that you use frozen berries so you can make this any time of year. Unfortunately when I was whipping the cream I thought I had time to shower. I was wrong and made butter! But with real whipped cream, this dessert is absolutely heavenly indeed!
Me again! Just made this for fathers day dessert tomorrow. I have only tasted it in parts, but I can guarantee this is gonna be a mega hit. I doubled the blueberry filling because of earlier comments. And used about almost all of it. Gonna look like a superstar with the in laws! Thanks a mill Mel.
Am having it for breakfast right now. Next time will double blueberry sauce and bump up the amount of lemon juice. Adding the water slowly to the cornstarch at the beginning of constructing the sauce will avoid lumps. Probably no need to increase the amount of cornstarch. Also think toasted almonds on top would be nice.
Thanks for the recipe and the fun blog.
Have made it twice in a week! Everyone loves it. Second time I used 16oz of frozen blueberries and it was fine. I also used 8oz no fat and 8oz of light cream cheese. Tried it with light cream ( thats all I had! ). It tasted great but I will say it was a bit thicker in the mixture when you add the cubed angel food cake. This is my new ” go to ” recipe !! I even had it for breakfast one morning! Don’t tell my kids that!!!
I was wondering if I could substitute a white cake for this recipe, I’m not a huge fan of Angel food cake, although yours did look delicious. Thank you, Susan
Susan – Certainly worth a try – make sure the white cake is on the light, airy side and not too dense. Good luck.
just wanted to respost and say we made it tonight as a v-day dessert. This is so good. I can see this being a favorite dessert at the house and I might think about bringing it to social gatherings ^_^
Made this for company this weekend and it was awesome! Really loved the combination of flavors. I would probably double the blueberry sauce next time. And there will be a next time 🙂
My grandma’s two favorites are blueberries and angel food cake. Well, if I don’t count gummy candy (blech!). I will definitely be making this for her!
it looks delish!
this is all kinds of scrumptious, mel. desserts blending flavors and textures like this are my favorite.
This looks amazing, and a perfect dessert for the upcoming holidays.
This sounds amazing! This is high on my recipes to try list. If not this month then it’s my birthday dessert for next month 😛
Gorgeous! This looks SO AMAZING – yum.
Mel – now is this the cake you added garlic too in high school and fed to the boys
Do you have a low-fat/low-calorie version of this, pretty-please?!
Hi Julie – the only version I have is the one you see here although you could definitely play around with it to make it as a low-cal as you like (it really is delicious as is, I have to say!).
Use fat-free cream cheese, fat-free half and half, fat-free cool whip instead of cream, artificial sweetener…BOOM! Won’t be quite as good, but will still be an awesome dessert! Great for diabetics, too as most can eat angel food cake!
Yum! My friend makes something similar with canned cherry pie filling and white cake and I always go back for seconds and ummm…thirds. 😉 This looks even better though with the homemade whipped cream and non-canned blueberry filling!
This does look heavenly–oh,my~~~Yum! Thanks for sharing!
I’m assuming we could substitute any frozen fruit such as strawberries or raspberries if we wanted, correct?
Lacee – yes, the fruit filling is really adaptable, but you do want to keep an eye on the amount of sugar/acid in the fruit filling depending on what you use.
This is heavenly indeed!! I have made 3 times now, twice with frozen and once with fresh blueberries. Huge successes and I shared recipe with all.
I love your recipes so I hope you continue for many years.
Could u do a layer of strawberry filling & a layer of blueberry filling looks so yummy
I’m sure that would work just fine! 🙂
I have to make this! Do you have a good angel food cake recipe, Mel?
You had me at Angel Food Cake. I had NO IDEA it was fat free!
Oh my…. for the record, “Cakety-cake-cake” is my word for the day. You are too funny, and this cake, slash, trifle, slash “hello lover” is my new favorite superfood too. Yeah cakety-cake-cake!
This dessert is gorgeous! Yum!
Dear Mel, I am not sure if I visit your website everyday for the amazing recipes or just to read your blog and get a good laugh! I am so grateful for both! Thank you Mel and God bless you and your family!!
That certainly does look heavenly. I’m drooling over here.