Roasted Strawberry Sheet Cake

Sheet cakes are the best because you can either feed a crowd with them, or just have a feast all to yourself. I actually don’t recommend eating it all by yourself…at least not in one sitting. Although, it does depends on what day of the week it actually is. If it’s Friday, and work has been hectic, then maybe you do want an entire cake all to yourself? Who’s to say, really? There’s fruit in it so it’s basically healthy. All kidding aside this Roasted Strawberry Sheet Cake is the dessert I’ll be making all summer long because it’s versatile and so easy to make. Use whatever fruit is in season to bake it again and again without getting bored of it. The base is a delicious yellow cake that lends itself to any flavor you pick. Serve it with a dusting of powdered sugar, fresh whipped cream or ice cream, if you’re feeling adventurous. I really don’t cake how you make, just as long as you make it! 

Let’s start with the strawberries, which it just so happens to be strawberry season and so they’re extra-good at the moment. Give them a rinse and let them air dry for a bit.

**Note: You can also pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel, if you want to speed things up a bit. They need to be dry so that they roast perfectly in the oven.**

Hull the berries and cut them in half. If they’re very small, you can leave them whole. Place the strawberries on one baking sheet and toss together with 1/4 cup of the sugar and balsamic vinegar until well coated.

**Tip: The balsamic vinegar brings out the flavor of the strawberries and helps the roasting process in the oven! You won’t be able to pick out the vinegar taste, but rather it will compliment the dessert!**

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until tender and their juices have just started to release, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, let’s work on the cake, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and the remaining sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the eggs, adding one at a time, and beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract.

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients, mixing just until combined after each addition. Pour the batter onto the second prepared baking sheet that has been greased with cooking spray and spread out into an even layer.

**Tip: To make the spreading of the batter easier, I recommend using an ice cream scoop to dollop batter throughout the pan and then spreading it with an offset spatula!**

Top with 3/4 of the roasted strawberries, sprinkle with turbinado sugar and drizzle with some of the roasted strawberry juice in the pan, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Then slice into 24 (or smaller or larger) pieces of cake and serve.

You can serve this cake, simply by dusting with powdered sugar, fresh whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream along with the remaining roasted strawberries on top. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can swap out the roasted strawberries for any other fruit. Roasted cherries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches or plums would all be great!

This cake is that perfect summer cake because you can bake it, without much fuss, in the morning and then serve it for dessert later that evening. It feeds a crowd and isn’t too sweet, which is what I look for in a dessert. Give it a try this summer and enjoy it all season long.

Roasted Strawberry Sheet Cake

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour 10 mins

Total time

1 hour 25 mins

 

This Roasted Strawberry Sheet Cake is the easiest dessert you'll make all summer! The best part, aside from the taste, is that it's perfect for a crowd!

Author: The Candid Appetite

Serves: 24 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half
• 1¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup turbinado sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 15x10x1-inch baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the strawberries on one baking sheet and toss together with ¼ cup of the sugar and vinegar until well coated. Bake until tender and their juices have started to release, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and the remaining sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the eggs, adding one at a time, and beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients, mixing just until combined after each addition.
3. Pour the batter onto the second prepared baking sheet that has been greased with cooking spray and spread out into an even layer. Top with ¾ of the roasted strawberries and the turbinado sugar and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Slice and serve with the remaining roasted strawberries and fresh whipped cream or ice cream. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Notes

Adapted from Taste of Home.

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