Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake with Lemon Curd

It’s just like your favorite summer dessert but better. No assembly line at the counter. No berries rolling off the plate. Just a beautiful 9×13 pan that you can make ahead, chill, and slice when you’re ready. It feeds a crowd, it travels well, and it’s a natural beauty.

The lemon curd is what makes this really special. It sits between the cake and the whipped cream and gives the whole thing a tartness that keeps it from being all sweetness. And the mascarpone in the whipped cream gives it just enough body that it holds up in the fridge.

what You’ll Need

Cake:

• 1 ¾ cups cake flour (210 grams) If you don’t have cake flour, use 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, remove 3 ½ tablespoons of the flour, and replace them with 3 ½tablespoons cornstarch; whisk or sift together before using.
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (divided)
• 6 eggs (2 whole, 4 separated)
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Lemon Curd:

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 4 egg yolks
• ⅓ cup lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Strawberry Topping:

• 2 pounds fresh strawberries, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick
• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Whipped Cream:

• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Step One: Prep the Strawberries

Core and slice your strawberries into ¼ inch slices and toss them gently with ¼ cup of granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

This gives the sugar time to dissolve and draw out the natural juices, creating a beautiful glossy glaze on the berries. Use fresh, ripe strawberries free of blemishes or soft spots.

Step Two: Mix the Dry Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 ¼ cups of the sugar until everything is thoroughly combined. Getting the dry ingredients evenly distributed now means an evenly textured cake later.

Step Three: Add the Wet Ingredients

Add the melted (and cooled) butter, water, vanilla, 2 whole eggs, and 4 egg yolks to the dry ingredients. Whisk until the batter is smooth and combined, then set it aside. You’ll come back to this after you deal with the egg whites.

Step Four: Whip the Egg Whites and fold them in

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add your 4 egg whites. Start on medium-low speed and beat until the whites are frothy, about 20-30 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar while the mixer is running. Continue beating at medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes.

Soft peaks means the whites hold their shape but the tips gently fold over when you lift the whisk.

Add about one-third of the whipped egg whites to the batter and whisk them in. This loosens the batter so the remaining whites fold in more easily. Then add the rest of the whites and gently fold until no streaks of egg white remain.

Step Five: Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Step Six: Make the Lemon Curd

In a medium saucepan, add the sugar and lemon zest. Whisk together until the sugar turns pale yellow and has the texture of wet sand, about 20-30 seconds. This rubs the oils from the zest into the sugar and gives the curd incredible lemon flavor.

Add the egg yolks and salt, whisk until combined, then slowly whisk in the lemon juice until everything is smooth. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-6 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the chilled butter until smooth. Pour the curd into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the curd (this prevents a skin from forming). Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble. This makes about 1 ½ cups of curd.

Step Seven: Make the Whipped Cream

Add the softened mascarpone and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until thoroughly incorporated, about 20-30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl.

Add about one-third of the heavy cream and mix on medium speed until smooth, 20-30 seconds. Scrape the bowl again. Then with the mixer on medium-low, slowly pour in the remaining cream. Increase to medium-high and beat until the cream has increased in volume and stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla and mix on medium-high until just incorporated, about 20-30 seconds.

Make sure your cream is cold before whipping. The mascarpone gives this whipped cream stability so it holds up.

Step Eight: Assemble the Cake

Spread a thin, even layer of lemon curd over the cooled cake. Top with the mascarpone whipped cream and spread it into an even layer. Finish with the sliced sugared strawberries and all the juices that have accumulated in the bowl.

Cover and chill until ready to serve. This cake is beautiful and a little messy in the best way.

Storage Instructions

This is best served the day it’s made but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days. The cake will soften a bit more as it sits.

More Strawberry and Lemon Favorites

• If you love strawberry desserts, try this Strawberry Texas Sheet Cake — it’s another sheet cake that feeds a crowd but goes in a totally different direction..
• Lemon Sheet Cake is a personal favorite and pairs perfectly with spring and summer gatherings.
• This Lemon Curd Pound Cake uses lemon curd in a completely different (and equally delicious) way.
• And if you want to put up some of those strawberries for later, here’s how to make Small Batch Strawberry Jam.

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