
I had house guests this past weekend. When I was thinking about a dessert, I had berries on the brain. And when I found beautiful strawberries at the store, I knew what I would do—sort of. I envisioned a cake piled with strawberries. In my mind, it seemed fabulous.
But when I came home and started looking through recipes, I couldn't find exactly what I had imagined. So I used a recipe I knew I liked for the cake part. But as I started the strawberry part, I ran into some dilemmas.
I didn't want the heaping strawberries on top to fall off when the cake was cut. Easy enough. I could use corn starch or gelatin to hold them in place. But I didn't want it to be like strawberry jello on top of the cake, either. At this point I wondered why I do this to myself. I could have just settled for a standard recipe. But I forged ahead.
I cut half of the strawberries into small pieces so they would fill in between the larger pieces. Then, because I didn't want it to be like jello, I used corn starch to thicken the structure. But it dawned on me that cornstarch would not give them that beautiful glistening top that was in the image in my mind. There were a few alternatives on that one, but I decided to do something daring—I added one packet of gelatin to the strawberries. Like magic, it immediately made them glisten! Yay!
Now there is one drawback to my gelatin solution. The pretty glaze disappears around day three. It's a big cake, but you won't have much left by day three anyway, and the not-so-shiny leftovers taste every bit as good!
Strawberry Sheet Cake
Cake:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature or softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and mace in a bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in each egg. Alternate adding the
flour mixture and the milk and vanilla. Bake 25 - 30 minutes. It should be lightly
golden on top and a cake tester should come out clean. While it bakes,
prepare the strawberries.
Strawberries:
2 pounds strawberries (divided)
2 cups sugar (divided)
1/3 cup corn starch
1 1-ounce packet unflavored gelatin
Hull and slice 1 pound of the strawberries. Slice in quarters and then slice into pieces from the end to the top. Combine with 1 cup of the sugar in a pot and cook
over medium heat, stirring constantly for about five minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the liquid by draining or spooning. While the cake is
still warm, poke holes into it with a wooden skewer. Pour 1/4 cup of the liquid
over it slowly (if you do it too fast it will run off to the sides).
Hull and slice the remaining pound of strawberries. Quarter large strawberries and half the small ones. Add them to the berries in the pot, along with the remaining 1 cup of sugar and cornstarch. Stir to combine. Cook one minute while stirring. Whisk gelatin into the remaining 1/4 cup of berry liquid and add to the pot. Stir to cover everything. Pour all the strawberries and juice onto the cake. If you like, turn the strawberries so the curved side is up. Refrigerate several hours before serving.
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat the cream until it begins to take shape. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until it holds a soft peak.
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Bake cake. |
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Chop 1 pound strawberries. Halve, quarter, slice. |
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Cook with sugar. |
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Poke some holes and add 1/4 cup of the juice. |
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Not glossy! |
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Whisk gelatin into 1/4 cup juice. |
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Now they're glossy! |
I'm giving away a copy of THE DIVA SERVES HIGH TEA today!
Please leave a comment below with your email address to enter.
Good luck!
BEAUTIFUL summer dessert cake; and the book sounds awesome! EMS591@aol.com
ReplyDeleteYum, Yum, Yum!
ReplyDeleteStrawberries, Cake & Whipped Cream = :D
Yum, I love strawberries, my favourite summer fruit. I don't think this cake would last here long enough for the glossy glaze to disappear, lol! grace dot koshida at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteThat cake looks really good.
ReplyDeletesgiden at verizon(.)net
That looks amazing!! And just this past weekend I found strawberries at the local farmer's market.
ReplyDeleteharbingerdc(at)gmail(dot)com
Fresh!!
ReplyDeleteSjgolding@sbcglobal.net
The cake looks really yummy!
ReplyDeletea.connolley@gmail.com
That looks and sounds delicious! I can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteioncookbooks@yahoo.com
That cake looks so yummy!! Love strawberries!! This book sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeletejawdance@yahoo.com
Love strawberries!
ReplyDeleterhondajgothier@yahoo.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDesserts and mystery stories go together. Need to try your strawberry dessert. Would love to win. I keep having to delete the post then re post because I forget my email. sueannames@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThis cake sounds delicious! dawnmariekelley(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteLooks Delicious! rackylemaire(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteLooks Delicious! rackylemaire(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious. sable677 at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteIt's an upgraded strawberry shortcake.
ReplyDeleteNice job.
libbydodd at comcast dot net
That cake looks yummy. The book is looking really great also. cochrandcr(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious!! Cant wait to bake it!! arglock@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThat looks so delicious!
ReplyDeletekaren(dot)kenyon(at)rogers(dot)com
Nothing better than fresh strawberries!! Looks yummy...
ReplyDeletesandie.white@live.com
Nothing better than fresh strawberries!! Looks yummy...
ReplyDeletesandie.white@live.com
OH my gosh. I am going to have to try this. Lady(dot)Janel@hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI have been making all kinds of desserts with my strawberries from my garden this year. This looks yummy. I love Krista Davis's Diva series.
ReplyDeleteFor Father's Day, my mother-in-law made strawberry crepes - with strawberry sauce. Perfect! cheers@marjimmanor.com
ReplyDeleteLove this series I just found. jrparkfan@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteCake looks good!!
ReplyDeletedcriley8409@aol.com
Strawberries are one of our favorite fruits along with peaches. So will definitely be giving this one a try. And would love to read the Diva book. thanks for both the recipe and the chance to read the book. Della at deepotter@peoplepc.com
ReplyDeleteYou can never have too many ways to use strawberries. Looks delicious. Congrats on the latest release!
ReplyDeletesallycootie@gmail.com
Hmm the cake looks tasty but with only two of us I think we would still be eating it in three weeks not three days! So I think I will stick with good old strawberries and cream :D
ReplyDeletedragonsteeluk@gmail.com
We are just starting to get strawberries in our Farmer's Markets---I must try this recipe.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Looks delicious! Thank you for offering the giveaway, lilflynracer at msn.com
ReplyDeleteThe cake looks delicious! Vickiela3@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteI love cakes with strawberries. Yum!! pgenest57@aol.com
ReplyDeleteHmm, wonder if I should add some rhubarb for my hubby. Yum! bobbipad@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI lived in England for 2 years and your cake reminds me of a typical High Tea treat called a cream tea. A luscious biscuit/cake with strawberries and clotted cream. Would love to have a nice cuppa with the cake while reading your new book.
ReplyDeleteI lived in England for 2 year and your cake reminds me of a typical High Tea treat called a cream tea. A luscious biscuit/cake with strawberries and clotted cream. Would love to have a nice cuppa with the cake while reading your new book.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect cake for summer. Thanks for the giveaway. Pattie.tierney@gmail.com
ReplyDeletedammad58@gmail.com Good luck everyone
ReplyDeleteThe Strawberry Sheet Cake sounds perfect for the summertime. Thank you for the recipe and the chance to win (I love the Domestic Diva series). myrifraf (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteDefinitely going to try this cake. Looks delicious
ReplyDeletedebbie.erickson14@gmail.com
Delectable cake which is ideal for the summer. Thanks for this great feature and giveaway. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI love strawberries!-cannot wait to read the book as will! Thank you!! Cindy
ReplyDeleteCbalevre@ptd.net
Looks good pwtish171@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteEnticing cake. Love it. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThat cake sounds so good thanks for the recipe, I'm looking forward to reading this, thanks for the chance to win
ReplyDeletePenney penneyw(AT)sbcglobal(DOT)net