Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The combination of sweet and light vanilla with the smoky strawberries is incredible!
Texture: The cake is intensely moist and slightly spongy while the whipped cream on top is light-as-air. The strawberries become softened on the grill so each bite is wonderfully light.
Ease: You can make the cake layer a day ahead of time!
Pros: Serves a large crowd, perfect summer recipe.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Definitely.
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The Summer Barbecue Video Series is here! I’m SO excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with Alex & Sonja from A Couple Cooks to bring you six summer entertaining recipes + videos in partnership with Kroger.
We’re thrilled to be so lucky to collaborate together and with Kroger… it’s been a total dream! I actually flew to Indianapolis to shoot these six recipe videos in their Pinterest-worthy kitchen.
Ready? Watch the video: how to make sheet cake!
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So in Phoenix, my local Kroger family store is Fry’s. I could seriously wander those aisles for hours I love that store so much. It’s my go-to for stocking up on summer essentials with their #RedWhiteandBBQ specials.
Alex & Sonja have created three savory real food recipes for the series while I’m handling the desserts and bread. I have to tell you, I’m super proud of everything we created. I would gladly serve every dish from this series to everyone I know, and I plan to all summer long!
The first recipe I’m sharing is for this delightful summery sheet cake.
Admittedly, Texas-style sheet cake is a strange baking concept. Every step of making the batter seems so wrong, but I promise the results are oh so right! This unique technique produces a ridiculously soft and moist cake that pairs perfectly with fluffy whipped cream.
Plus, you don’t even need a mixer for the cake batter it’s so easy to make from scratch. Who needs box mix with a recipe like this?
This recipe features a generous amount of Simple Truth Madagascar Vanilla Extract and Kingsford Charcoal to grill the strawberries. We all adored the sweetness with a hint of smokiness. It just screams summertime!
All the ingredients in this recipe are available at your nearby Kroger, including Fry’s.
Sheet Cake Recipe Tips
Baking Pans
This recipe works best in a jellyroll baking pan, which is 10 by 15-inches in size. Avoid using a dark colored pan, which can overly brown the bottom and edges of the cake.
You can also use a 16-3/4 by 12-inch sheet pan but the cake will be slightly thinner. Shave a few minutes off the baking time if using a larger pan. Whichever pan you use, don’t forget to grease it first!
Buttermilk
The buttermilk in this cake batter creates a wonderfully tender and slightly tangy cake that regular milk just can’t compete with. You can learn more about the wonders of buttermilk here, including some side-by-side experiments I tested with regular milk and DIY buttermilk substitutions. If you can’t use buttermilk, then just use whole milk instead. It won’t be quite as good but will work in a pinch!
Grilling Strawberries
Charcoal grilling really imparts a beautiful smoky flavor to the strawberries. They also soften slightly which works perfectly with this tender cake. I use skewers to make easy work of grilling the strawberries. If you’re using wooden skewers, don’t forget to soak them in water for an hour before grilling!
Making Ahead
The vanilla flavor of this cake actually intensifies as it sits. It also stays super moist. So you can totally make it a day ahead of time. Just cover and store at room temperature.
You’ll want to top the cake with the whipped cream no more than a few hours before you plan on serving. If eating outside, spread the whipped cream on just before serving so it doesn’t get all melted.
Avoid placing the grilled strawberries on the cake any more than an hour ahead of serving. The moisture from the strawberries will seep into the whipped cream and get watery.
More Summer Barbecue Series Recipes:
Here are the other summer barbecue recipes from our series!
Vanilla Sheet Cake with Grilled Strawberries
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups (350 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (or whole milk)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Simple Truth Madagascar Vanilla Extract
For the whipped cream:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/2 cup (63 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons Simple Truth Madagascar Vanilla Extract
For the fruit:
- 2 pounds fresh hulled strawberries
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 10-by-15-inch jellyroll pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the butter and water and heat until the butter melts. Bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, remove from heat and add in the flour mixture. Let cool slightly before adding in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for about 23 minutes if using a jelly roll pan, and about 20 minutes if using a half sheet pan, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the edges are just golden. Place pan on a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Make ahead: The cake can be made a day ahead of time. Store covered at room temperature.
Make the whipped cream:
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream evenly over the cooled cake.
Grill the fruit:
- Meanwhile, preheat the grill using Kingsford Charcoal for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Thread the strawberries through skewers and place on a rimmed tray. If using wood skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 1 hour before using.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and honey. Brush over both sides of the strawberries. Grill for about 2 minutes per side, or until grill marks form and the fruit is softened. Remove from the skewers once cool enough to handle. Cut the strawberries in half.
- Top the cake with the grilled strawberries no more than an hour ahead of serving.
LOVED. I’ve been searching for a vanilla cake recipe for a long time. I absolutely loved this one. The crumb was so nice!
This would be a great recipe for my daughters 1st birthday cake. I am wondering if i can use raw cane sugar in place of the granulated sugar. I know you hateee substitutions. But i feed my baby only organic food and i cannot find any organic granulated sugar online
Hi, Elli! We haven’t experimented with raw cane sugar in this recipe, so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. Please let us know if you give it a try!