Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

Strawberry shortcake for a crowd just got easier! Skip the individual servings, and make this Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake.

Perfect for a Mother’s Day spread, or anytime the strawberries are ripe, this sheet cake combines tender, buttery biscuits and juicy berries with a tangy mascarpone whipped cream for a truly upscale treat.

Instead of time-consuming techniques, you’ll use a few really easy tricks to make the best strawberry shortcake cake. The tender, buttery cake base is as easy to make as biscuits, and folding in some chopped strawberries to the dough adds bursts of berry flavor in every bite. A sprinkling of crunchy sugar on top of the cake gives it a bit of sparkly crunch. 

The strawberry topping basically takes care of itself, as the sugared berries soften and make a juicy sauce just sitting on the counter. Whipped cream gets an effortless upgrade when you fold it into tangy mascarpone, for a hint of tart, rich flavor to balance the fresh berries. 

Strawberry shortcake is a classic, but if other berries are calling your name, give them a starring role in this shortcake cake. You will love it!

Shortcake Vs. Cake

Shortcake is quite different from a typical sheet cake. The term "short" is an old English way to describe a pastry that’s crisp and rich, from the addition of fat. Cutting in butter coats the flour and discourages the development of gluten, resulting in a tender, slightly crumbly texture.

On the other hand, your typical layer or sponge cake starts with creamed butter and relies on whipped eggs to create a light, open texture.

The process for making a shortcake is much easier than making a regular cake, because you’ll just mix your dry ingredients, cut in butter, then stir in the liquids and chopped strawberries. The batter is thick enough to scoop, rather than pour. The resulting cake has the texture of a strawberry scone, that can hold its own with the juicy berries and cream.

Ingredients for Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

First, you need the best strawberries you can find. Locally-grown berries will be the most flavorful and juicy, since they can be picked when fully ripe and didn’t spend days in a refrigerated truck to get to you:

• Look for vibrant red berries with no white shoulders, and no soft or moldy berries hiding on the bottom.
• Take a sniff—the best berries are fragrant, and a flat of just picked strawberries will fill your car with an intoxicating scent on the drive home.

The flour you choose is important. You’ll need a soft wheat, self-rising flour like White Lily for the meltingly tender texture you crave. To substitute for a cup of White Lily, use 1 cup cake flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. 

Mascarpone is an Italian specialty, and you can find it in the dairy section of the store. It’s a rich cream that’s been fermented just enough to make it spreadably thick and a little tart. The best substitute for mascarpone is crème fraîche, although crème fraîche is a little tangier.

How To Make Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

1. Wait to wash the berries until just before making the cake so they won't get soft or moldy. You may want to try cleaning them in a vinegar or baking soda solution.
2. You'll slice and macerate half of the berries, a simple technique in which sugar pulls the juices out of the berries and dissolves, creating a syrupy sauce with no effort on your part. With the rest, you will chop as many as it takes to make a cup of chopped fruit to stir into the dough. You will have a few left over to snack on, or save for your cereal in the morning.
3. For the cake, it's as simple as whisking the flours, salt, and sugar in a bowl, and using a pastry cutter to cut in cold butter. Once the butter bits are the size of peas, just add buttermilk, lemon zest, cream, and vanilla, and fold in gently. Be careful to not over work the dough, or it can become tough. Then fold in the chopped strawberries with the same gentle hand.
4. By using a floured 1/4-cup measure, you can quickly scoop evenly-sized portions of dough and drop them in the pan. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle on crunchy sanding sugar, and your cake is ready to bake.

How To Serve Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

The mascarpone topping is easy to make. First, you stir the mascarpone with powdered sugar and vanilla, then whip the cream and fold it in. The fluffy whipped cream lightens the texture of the creamy cheese, creating a cloud of creaminess to cradle the sweet berries.

This cake is best served that day it is made. Do let the cake cool completely before topping, so the mascarpone cream will stay cold and fluffy. 

Can you make this cake in advance?

The cake, strawberry topping, and mascarpone mixture can all be prepped and held separately for a day, to assemble before serving. Tightly cover the cake and leave at room temperature, and refrigerate the berries and cream in covered containers. 

When ready to serve, spread the mascarpone topping over the cake, then spoon the vibrant red berries and their sweet juices over it all. 

Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, where the cake will soften as it absorbs the berry juices. 

Strawberry season is fleeting, and this delectable cake is too. Luckily, it’s so easy to make that you can put it together in a snap. Then watch it disappear!

Editorial contributions by Robin Asbell.