Strawberry Biscuit Sheet Cake

strawberry biscuit sheet cake
Photo: Alpha Smoot
Prep Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
55 mins
Servings:
12

In this strawberry shortcake that feeds a crowd, a tender biscuit cushions a cloud of lightly sweetened cream and a tumble of juiced-up berries. Peaches, plums, or nectarines can be swapped in for the strawberries if you prefer.

Ingredients

Biscuit

  • 4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), such as Swans Down, plus more for dusting

  • cup granulated sugar

  • 5 teaspoons baking powder

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk

  • Heavy cream, for brushing

  • Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Berries and Cream

  • 4 cups sliced strawberries (from 2 quart containers)

  • 5 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 ¼ cups heavy cream

  • Scraped seeds from 1 vanilla bean, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste

  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

  • Freeze-dried strawberries, finely ground, for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Biscuit: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk; stir until just combined.

  2. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead once or twice to help it come together. Pat into a 10-by-7-inch rectangle, about 3/4 inch thick. Cut length‑wise into thirds, then crosswise into fourths to create 12 equal pieces. Using a spatula, transfer to a 9 1/2-by-12 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet or other pan, arranging pieces to roughly re-create original rectangle but leaving 1/2 inch between them.

  3. Brush tops with cream; sprinkle generously with sanding sugar. Bake, rotating sheet once, until golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 28 minutes (gaps should be gone, so you have a single but easily separable biscuit). Let cool on sheet 10 minutes, then carefully lift with 2 large spatulas onto a wire rack. Let cool almost but not quite completely, about 1 hour.

  4. Berries and cream: Meanwhile, combine strawberries, granulated sugar, salt, and lemon juice; let stand, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 30 minutes. Beat cream with vanilla and confectioners’ sugar on mediumhigh speed to stiff peaks.

  5. Carefully slide biscuit onto a serving platter. Spoon 2 cups whipped cream over biscuit; top with 3 cups berry mixture, drizzling with some juices. Sprinkle with berry powder; serve immediately, with remaining whipped cream and berries on the side.

Cook's Notes

To bring out the best in the fruit, we tossed it with sugar, lemon juice, and a generous pinch of salt. This trick also intensifies sliced peaches, plums, or nectarines—all are fantastic substitutes for the strawberries in this recipe.

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