Berries, cream, and light, fluffy cake- this is what summer dreams are made of am I right? When those temps start to get into the eighties and nineties I start to forget about the chocolate and start fantasizing about watermelon, creamsicles, and berries by the pound. Warmer weather also means a lot of backyard barbecues and family get togethers where you might be feeding a crowd. As I started thinking about food for some of our upcoming shin-digs I decided I needed to perfect a few sheet cakes for the greater good. That’s where this strawberry shortcake sheet cake comes in.
I have been focusing a lot on special event type layer cakes these past few months. I have LOVED picking up this hobby and wish that I could make a special cake for every single gathering. But the truth is-that’s unrealistic. A nice cake often takes four or five hours and it’s simply not possible to scrounge up that kind of time for a simple backyard barbecue. I never want to stop making cake but I’ve come to the conclusion that simple can be beautiful.
Over the next few weeks and months I’ll be doing a sheet cake series that features cakes that feed a big group, takes minimal time to prepare, and still looks stunning. I had a couple different ways I thought to style this particular cake so I thought I’d walk you through my ideas.
If you are going to pre-slice the cake- Score your cake into equal slices and then add a cluster of berries to each slice making them look uniform. I would do one fanned out strawberry, one blackberry, and one raspberry. If you’re feeling extra fancy add a little slice of lemon to each piece.
If you are going to let guests cut their own slices-FILL the cake with berries. I mean REALLY fill it up so that you can’t see any white from the topping. Add a few sprigs of mint randomly throughout to give a little bit of contrast between the reds and blues of the berries. This takes a ton of berries, but looks gorgeous in the end.If you’re going to go this route DON’T fan out the strawberries with the stems still on. It will make it really hard for your guests to eat.
I’ll make this cake a few more times for you to see some of the fun styling options but, in the meantime, tag me in your photos so that I can see your stunning creations.
Sheet Pan Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
Sheet Cake
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 4 egg whites
- 1 box white cake mix
Toppings
- 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese softened
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tub cool whip-thawed
- 5 cups various berries
Instructions
Sheetcake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Whisk together melted butter, milk, and eggs whites until well combined
- Sift in the white cake mix trying to get out all of the lumps
- Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes
- Let cool completely before topping.
Topping
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the softened cream cheese until smooth
- Add the powdered sugar and lemon juice and mix until creamy
- Spread the topping over the cake and top with Cool Whip and berries.
Sheet Pan Strawberry Shortcake
A simple and stunning shortcake to feed a crowd loaded with berries, cream, and a light fluffy cake.
Course Dessert
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10-12 minutes
Servings
36
slices
INGREDIENTS
Sheet Cake
1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cups milk
4 egg whites
1 box white cake mix
Toppings
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese (softened)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tub cool whip-thawed
5 cups various berries
INSTRUCTIONS
Sheetcake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Whisk together melted butter, milk, and eggs whites until well combined
Sift in the white cake mix trying to get out all of the lumps
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes
Let cool completely before topping.
Topping
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the softened cream cheese until smooth
Add the powdered sugar and lemon juice and mix until creamy
Spread the topping over the cake and top with Cool Whip and berries. *See above for decorating tips.
