Heaven on Earth Cake is an easy no-bake dessert made with a store-bought angel food cake, cherry pie filling, a creamy vanilla pudding layer, and Cool Whip. You just cube the cake, layer everything in a 9×13 pan, and let the fridge do the rest. The whole dessert costs about $10.00, or $1.25 for serving.
Heaven on Earth Cake is one of those desserts I love bringing to family gatherings because everyone can scoop out a serving and enjoy it together. My kids enjoy the sweet cherry topping, and I love having a dessert everyone looks forward to sharing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- No Oven Needed: A store-bought angel food cake keeps this completely no-bake.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: It needs to chill anyway, so you can make it the night before.
- Feeds a Crowd for Less: One cake, one can of pie filling, and one box of pudding fill a whole 9×13 pan.
- Creamy and Fruity: Tangy pudding, airy cake, and sweet cherries in every spoonful.
After 14 years of baking and testing dessert recipes, I love finding ways to make classic desserts easier for busy families. Using a ready-made angel food cake saves time while still giving this dessert its light, airy texture that pairs so well with the creamy pudding and sweet cherries.
I also love to make Cherry Yum Yum and Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake for potlucks and family dinners.
What It Costs To Make
This whole 9×13 uses one store-bought angel food cake (about $4.48), one can of cherry pie filling (about $2.24), one box of instant pudding (about $1.00), plus sour cream, milk, and Cool Whip, for roughly $10.00 total. Cut into 12 servings, that’s about 83¢ each.
Ingredients
- Prepared Angel Food Cake. One store-bought angel food cake (about 14 ounces), from the bakery section. To make your own, use a boxed angel food cake mix or our Easy Angel Food Cake Recipe and let it cool completely.
- Cherry pie filling. You can also use Homemade Cherry Pie Filling.
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix. One 3.4-ounce box. Use just the dry mix. Don’t prepare it according to the box.
- Milk. I like to use whole milk, but you can use reduced fat if you prefer.
- Sour Cream. Full-fat sour cream makes the pudding layer thicker and adds a little tang so the dessert isn’t overly sweet.
- Almond Slices. About ¼ cup. Toasting brings out their flavor and keeps them crunchy. Spread them in a dry skillet over medium heat and stir for 3–4 minutes, just until golden.
- Whipped Topping. We used Cool Whip, but store brand is just fine.
Find the complete Heaven on Earth Cake Ingredients at the bottom of the page.
How To Make Heaven On Earth Cake
Step 1. First, cut the angel food cake into bite size pieces with a serrated knife. The serrated blade makes it easy to cut the fluffy texture of the cake using a sawing motion. I like to do about 1-inch cubes. If you are not using store-bought angel food cake but a cake mix, make sure to let it cool completely first.
Step 2. Place half of the cake cubes in an even layer in the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Spoon 2/3 of the can of cherry pie filling over the cake and spread it out. Save the rest of the pie filling for the top.
Step 3. Top with the remaining cake cubes.
Step 4. Get out a large mixing bowl and whisk together the pudding mix with milk. Then mix in the sour cream until everything is well combined. Whisk for about 1–2 minutes. The mixture should look smooth and thick, like Greek yogurt. If you see lumps of pudding powder, keep whisking – they’ll show up in the finished dessert.
Step 5. Carefully spread the pudding mixture evenly on top of the cake. This step needs to be done right away because the pudding will thicken as it sits.
Step 6. Spread the thawed Cool Whip over the pudding layer with an offset spatula. Start in the center and work out to the edges so you don’t drag the pudding up into the topping.
Step 7. Finally, top the cake with the remaining pie filling. Make sure to spread it around so you get cherry pie filling in each bite. I like to swirl the pie filling using a butter knife.
Step 8. The cake needs to refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours before serving. When ready to eat, garnish with the toasted almond slices on top. It’s also tasty served with vanilla ice cream.
Pro Tips
- Want a Smaller Pan? Use half the angel food cake and half of each layer in a 9×9 pan. A full recipe will overflow a 9×9.
- Try a Trifle Dish: Using a clear trifle dish showcases the beautiful layers, making it especially festive for holidays or special occasions.
- Individual Servings: Serve in mason jars, clear cups, or dessert bowls for a pretty presentation and easy portion control.
- Gentle Layering: When assembling, spread pudding and whipped topping gently to avoid breaking the cake layers.
Which Pan Should I Use?
The same ingredients fit a few different dishes. The pan just changes how thick the layers are and how many servings you get.
- 9×13 pan: Thinner layers that are easy to scoop at a potluck. Serves about 12, around 83¢ each.
- Deep 8×8 or 9×9 (3-inch sides): Taller, more dramatic layers. Serves about 8, around $1.25 each. A regular 2-inch 9×9 will overflow, so make half the recipe instead.
- Trifle dish: Shows off the layers for Easter or Christmas.
- Individual cups or mason jars: Easy grab-and-go portions for parties.
Variations
- Pie Filling: Cherry is classic, but you can swap in blueberry, lemon, raspberry, or strawberry pie filling. For a seasonal twist, try apple pie filling in the fall.
- Cake Options: Use yellow cake, vanilla sponge, white cake, or pound cake. For a richer dessert, chocolate cake or brownies also work beautifully.
- Nuts: Slivered almonds add a nice crunch, but they’re optional. Leave them off if you prefer a nut-free dessert.
- Sour Cream Substitute: Plain Greek yogurt works well in place of sour cream. Be sure it’s plain, not flavored, to maintain the right taste.
- Whipped Topping: Cool Whip can be swapped with homemade whipped cream for a fresher, lighter topping.
- Pudding Flavors: Experiment with different instant pudding flavors like cheesecake, lemon, or even chocolate for a new twist.
- Fresh Berries: Top individual servings with fresh berries for extra color, flavor, and a touch of freshness.
Storage
Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The texture is best in the first 1–2 days. After that, the angel food cake keeps soaking up moisture and gets softer. I don’t recommend freezing it; the pudding and whipped topping turn watery when thawed.
How To Serve?
This yummy dessert can be scooped right into a bowl using a large serving spoon. No need to cut the cake.
You can add more almonds or whipped cream on top when serving if desired. This is optional as the recipe is already delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It needs at least 4 hours to set, so making it the night before works great. Add the toasted almonds right before serving so they stay crunchy.
No, use instant pudding mix. Cook-and-serve won’t thicken with cold milk and the layer will stay runny.
No. It’s soft enough to scoop with a big spoon, which makes it easy for potlucks.
More Easy Cake Recipes
Leave a comment below and let me know which pie filling you used!
Heaven on Earth Cake
Ingredients
- 1 prepared Angel Food Cake store bought or make a boxed angel food cake mix and let it cool
- 1 can cherry pie filling (21 oz.)
- 1 Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix 3.4 oz (just the mix – do not prepare based on the box instructions)
- 1 ½ cups Milk
- 1 cup Sour Cream or plain greek yogurt
- 8 oz Whipped Topping Cool Whip, thawed
- 1 Tbsp Almond Slices toasted
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Cut the angel food cake into bite size pieces (approximately 1 inch cubes).
- Layer half of the cake pieces in the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Top with 2/3 of the can of the cherry pie filling.
- Then top with the remaining cake pieces.
- Whisk together the milk and the pudding. Then mix in the sour cream until well combined.
- Then spread this mixture evenly on top of your cake. You will need to work quickly on this step as the pudding will thicken as it sits.
- Then spread the whipped topping on top of the pudding layer on the cake.
- Top the cake with the remaining cherry pie filling.
- Refrigerate for 4-5 hours before serving. Top with the toasted almond slices when serving and enjoy!
