Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Some dessert lovers might argue that any type of cake provides a little slice of heaven on earth, but actual Heaven on Earth cake takes things to a whole new level. This Heaven on Earth cake recipe is ideally simple, incredibly tasty, and almost nostalgic in its elements, too (which makes sense for such a retro dessert). This cake is also a (nearly) guaranteed hit for any angel food cake lover, as those sweet, airy bites primarily make up the bulk of the cake.
Of course, angel food cake doesn't work alone here. In fact, this cake is a heavenly concoction of angel food cake softened and submerged in tart-sweet homemade strawberry pie filling, classic vanilla pudding, and dreamy whipped topping. Those almond slivers add a lovely toasty, nutty, and crunchy texture too.
You may be wondering one important question: How can this possibly be an "easy" recipe when it requires angel food cake? Fortunately, you don't need to whip up your own angel food cake for this recipe (you could if you wanted to, of course). Since you'll be cutting it into cubes and combining it with pie filling and whipped cream, store-bought angel food cake works just fine, as does box mix cake. The trickiest aspect of this recipe is having enough patience as the cake sets in the fridge for 10 hours, but trust me when I say that first heavenly bite will be oh-so worth it.
Gather the ingredients for Heaven on Earth cake
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
You'll kick off this recipe by making a strawberry pie filling that consists of sliced fresh strawberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. The bulk of the cake itself is cubed angel food cake, and you can either opt for store-bought angel food cake, a box mix, or make one from scratch. Other cake ingredients include sliced almonds, vanilla pudding mix, half-and-half, sour cream, and a tub of whipped topping (like Cool Whip).
Step 1: Add half of the strawberries to a saucepan
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Place half of the sliced strawberries in a large saucepan.
Step 2: Mash the strawberries
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Using a potato masher, mash the strawberries into a juicy pulp.
Step 3: Stir in the sugar
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Sprinkle the mashed strawberries with the granulated sugar and stir to combine.
Step 4: Simmer the strawberry mixture
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Bring the mixture to a low simmer over medium-low heat.
Step 5: Mix cornstarch, lemon juice, and water
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Combine the cornstarch, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons water, and stir until the cornstarch has dissolved.
Step 6: Whisk the cornstarch into the strawberries
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Pour the cornstarch mixture into the simmering saucepan and whisk to combine.
Step 7: Simmer until thickened
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened.
Step 8: Stir in the remaining strawberries
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the remaining strawberries.
Step 9: Set the strawberry filling aside to cool
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Stir to combine and set aside to cool at room temperature.
Step 10: Preheat the oven and prep a baking sheet
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a small baking sheet with parchment.
Step 11: Spread the almonds on the baking sheet
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Place the sliced almonds on the prepared baking sheet and spread out in an even layer.
Step 12: Bake the almonds
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Place in the oven and toast for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden.
Step 13: Set the almonds aside to cool
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Step 14: Set 1 cup of strawberry pie filling aside
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Remove 1 cup of the strawberry pie filling from the saucepan and set it aside to use for topping the cake.
Step 15: Begin assembling the cake
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
To assemble the cake, place half of the cubed angel food cake in the bottom of a 13x9-inch glass casserole dish.
Step 16: Spoon the strawberry filling over the cake
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Spoon the remaining strawberry filling over the cake cubes.
Step 17: Top with more cake cubes
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Top the strawberry filling with the remaining cake cubes.
Step 18: Add the pudding mix, sour cream, and half-and-half to bowl
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Place the vanilla pudding mix, half-and-half, and sour cream in a large bowl.
Step 19: Whisk until thickened
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Whisk until thickened and combined, about 2 minutes.
Step 20: Spread the pudding over the cake
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Spoon the pudding over the cake and spread it out evenly.
Step 21: Spread the whipped topping over the pudding
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Top the pudding layer with the whipped topping and spread it out evenly.
Step 22: Top the cake with reserved strawberry filling
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Dollop the top of the cake with the reserved strawberry filling.
Step 23: Cover and refrigerate the cake
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 to 12 hours to set.
Step 24: Garnish and serve the Heaven on Earth cake
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
Once set, garnish the cake with toasted almond slices before serving.
What pairs well with Heaven on Earth cake?
Heaven On Earth Cake Recipe
Our retro cake is a heavenly concoction of angel food cake softened in tart-sweet homemade strawberry pie filling, vanilla pudding, and whipped topping.
Total time: 10 hours, 50 minutes
- For the strawberry pie filling
- 1 pound sliced fresh strawberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- To assemble
- ⅔ cup sliced almonds
- 16 ounces cubed angel food cake
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla pudding mix
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 (8-ounce) tub whipped topping
- Place half of the sliced strawberries in a large saucepan.
- Using a potato masher, mash the strawberries into a juicy pulp.
- Sprinkle the mashed strawberries with the granulated sugar and stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a low simmer over medium-low heat.
- Combine the cornstarch, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons water, and stir until the cornstarch has dissolved.
- Pour the cornstarch mixture into the simmering saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the remaining strawberries.
- Stir to combine and set aside to cool at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a small baking sheet with parchment.
- Place the sliced almonds on the prepared baking sheet and spread out in an even layer.
- Place in the oven and toast for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Remove 1 cup of the strawberry pie filling from the saucepan and set it aside to use for topping the cake.
- To assemble the cake, place half of the cubed angel food cake in the bottom of a 13x9-inch glass casserole dish.
- Spoon the remaining strawberry filling over the cake cubes.
- Top the strawberry filling with the remaining cake cubes.
- Place the vanilla pudding mix, half & half, and sour cream in a large bowl.
- Whisk until thickened and combined, about 2 minutes.
- Spoon the pudding over the cake and spread it out evenly.
- Top the pudding layer with the whipped topping and spread it out evenly.
- Dollop the top of the cake with the reserved strawberry filling.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 to 12 hours to set.
- Once set, garnish the cake with toasted almond slices before serving.
| Calories per Serving | 334 |
| Total Fat | 14.4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6.9 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.3 g |
| Cholesterol | 36.3 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 47.7 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.0 g |
| Total Sugars | 20.3 g |
| Sodium | 358.9 mg |
| Protein | 5.6 g |
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
What are some other versions of Heaven on Earth cake?
Patterson Watkins/Mashed
I whipped up a quick homemade strawberry pie filling for this recipe, because I am a bit of a snob when it comes to pie filling. For me, the canned pie fillings taste slightly metallic. It bothers me because I know, and therefore find the taste off-putting all the more. If you don't mind canned pie fillings and want to make this recipe even easier, then by all means, reach for your favorite flavor and go for it. There's no reason why you need to stick with strawberry, either. All fruity flavors are fair game here, with cherry, apple, blueberry, and peach being some of the top options that come to mind. If you want to skip the canned filling but don't want to make strawberry filling, then you can swap out the strawberries for your fresh fruit of choice (just make sure to maintain the same ratio of sugar, water/lemon juice, and cornstarch).
There's also plenty of room for experimentation with the pudding mix in this recipe. Vanilla is classic and pairs well with just about any fruit, but I could see strawberry or almond especially working well since those flavors are already at play elsewhere in the cake. If you want to get really adventurous, try something like chocolate or banana pudding.
Why does Heaven on Earth cake need to set before I serve it?
Heaven on Earth cake is famously easy to make, with virtually no bake time required (other than 5 minutes for toasting the almonds, of course). There is one major time block that simply cannot be avoided, unfortunately, and that's the (at minimum) 10-hour refrigeration period, which allows the cake to set.
There are a few important reasons why the cake needs to chill for such a long time, but most importantly, setting this cake allows for it to meld together into clean, cohesive slices. Pudding mixes also need time to activate under refrigeration, so at the very minimum, you'll need 3 to 4 hours of resting time if you want something more akin to spoon cake than sliced cake. But if you want a truly sliceable, cohesive cake, then you'll need the full 10 hours. That time also allows for the strawberry pie filling to really soak into the angel food, which greatly enhances the flavor, giving you a berry-tasting experience in every bite.
The good news is that a lengthy refrigeration requirement makes Heaven on Earth cake a great candidate for making ahead. Prep the cake in its entirety the night before you intend to serve it, and it will be perfectly sliceable and soaked by the following evening.
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