Nothing beats my nana's strawberry sheet cake. It hits the spot every time I pull it out of the oven

Cooktop Cove: Nothing beats my nana's strawberry sheet cake. It hits the spot every time I pull it out of the oven

By Audrey Michels

There’s nothing more perfect on a lazy summer afternoon than the taste of fresh strawberries and cream. This recipe pairs beautifully with a tall glass of lemonade or a dollop of fresh whipped cream, for those rare summer seasons when there seem to be too many strawberries. (As if there could be such a thing!) Put a few of your ripest (or a little overripe) strawberries in this sheet cake, and you won’t be disappointed.

If you’re looking for a more impressive plating option, bake this in muffin tins or use a glass or cookie cutter to cut out circles of sheet cake. Stack them with fresh whipped cream between the layers and a fresh strawberry on top, for a fresh take on strawberry shortcake.

Southern strawberry sheet cake

15 minutes

45 minutes

1 hour

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

3 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Grease a 9-by-13 cake pan with nonstick spray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electrix mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and beat until well-combined, and repeat with the egg yolk and vanilla.

Add the milk, and mix until everything is homogenous.

In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients half at a time, mixing after each addition, until the batter is smooth.

Add the strawberries, and fold them into the batter.

Transfer the batter to the baking pan.

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (about 45 minutes).

Allow the cake to cool slightly before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust with confectioners sugar before slicing and serving.