LEMON STRAWBERRY SHEET CAKE
The perfect SUMMER DESSERT
16 servings, 1 hour
Ingredients:
Cake base:
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-2 lemons (for 1/4 cup juice, and 4 tsp zest)
1 cup, 2 tbsp (essentially 2.25 sticks) unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temp
1 cup sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream cheese frosting:
4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted (basically 2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup lemon zest
Topping:
1 container strawberries, thinly sliced
1 lemon for decoration, thinly sliced then halved
Optional: Fresh mint leaves for decoration
The Blistered Peppers Take:
It’s funny that for years we all judged a sheet cake (we did). We’d go to a party and see the host bring out a sheet cake and roll our eyes. Why wasn’t the cake insanely shaped or character themed?! When all the while…sheet cakes were the best. Go to any grocery store and pick up their sheet cake, and it’s the best guilty pleasure. But make those sheet cakes at home and you’ve got other-level-dessert at your fingertips. Top that with cream cheese frosting and forget it. Give me anything with cream cheese frosting and I’m tasting it. Sheet cakes are easy and they can serve a large party. What else could you ask for?
My first tip when it comes to this cake is to buy more lemons than you need and you’ve got cocktails, dinners, and dressings for the week! My second tip is to bring this dessert to any summer BBQ and your friends will be swooning.
The best part about cake is that you dump and mix. The worst part about cake (or baking anything) is measurement. I’ll say it a million times. Baking is legitimately a science so do not skimp on the measurements. But other than that it’s easy. I’m also very keen on quality ingredients when it comes to a simple baked dessert like this but the classic flavors like Daisy’s sour cream will bring some nostalgia to the cake. I tend to look at the ingredients that make up the most of the recipe and focus, quality wise, on those. That said, even though it’s a small amount, don’t skimp on the lemons. Remember good lemons will look glossy, have a nice yellow color - not too pale - and still firm to the touch! Lastly, do yourself a favor and buy a microplane - this is the one I use. You’ll be zesting citrus in no time and you’ll use it on nutmeg shavings, chocolate shavings, parm sprinkles, and more!
(NOTE: Don’t worry if you have to zest a lemon but don’t need to use the juice yet, it’ll last until you need to use the juice.)
Please take a minute before the summer is over and bake up this cake. Take it to your labor day BBQ or simply bake it for yourself! Show me how you did and tag me on social. Enjoy!
Steps:
Butter and flour a large sheet pan (18x12 inch is ideal).
For easiest serving, butter the sheet pan lightly and then cover with a piece of parchment paper.
In a standing mixer, beat the sugar with 4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest until flagrant. Using a paddle attachment, add the butter and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).
I learned from Ina Garten that if the butter is too cold to become light and fluffy, add a teaspoon or two of warm water!
On medium-low speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir until well combined and smooth.
In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared sheet pan and using a rubber spatula smooth the top of the cake batter making sure it is evenly spread.
Bake at 350 for about 20-22 minutes.
While the cake cools, make the frosting. Combine the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until very smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and lemon zest, mix on low speed until combined.
Using a large surface such as a cutting board, flip the cake from the sheet pan to the cutting board and remove the parchment paper.
If you’re serving in the sheet pan, you will need to flip the cake twice. Once out of the pan, remove parchment paper, then back into the pan. Otherwise your guests may have a crunchy bit of paper at the bottom of their slice of cake.
Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the frosting onto the cake. If you haven't done so, thinly slice the strawberries and lemon. Decorate the cake as you choose.
For more details on how I decorate my Lemon Strawberry sheet cake, watch the YouTube video.
