Recipe: Strawberry Biscuit Sheet Cake

STRAWBERRY BISCUIT SHEEET CAKE

"The base of this dessert is as clever as it is divine: Individual biscuits are baked together into one rectangular sheet for a pretty presentation that easily breaks apart for serving. Top with the fruit of your choice; we went old-school with sweet strawberries but can't wait to try peaches and nectarines."



Serves 12

FOR THE BISCUIT SHEET CAKE:
4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for dusting
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
11/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Heavy cream for brushing
FOR THE BERRIES AND CREAM:
4 cups sliced strawberries (from 2 quart containers)
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, sifted
Freeze-dried strawberries, finely ground, for serving (optional)

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a medium 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 and stir until just combined.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, kneading once or twice to help it come together. Pat into a 10-by-7-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Cut lengthwise 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.

Brush tops with cream and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar, if using. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 28 minutes (gaps should be gone, so you have a single but easily separable biscuit). Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Using two large spatulas, carefully lift whole biscuit onto rack to cool almost but not quite completely, about 1 hour.

TO MAKE THE BERRIES AND CREAM:
In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, granulated sugar, salt, and lemon juice; let stand, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 30 minutes. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream with vanilla seeds and confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form.

TO SERVE:
Carefully slide whole 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, if using; serve immediately, with remaining whipped cream and berries on the side.

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Adapted from source: Martha Stewart's Cake Perfection: 100+ recipes for the sweet classic, from simple to stunning: a baking book by the Editors of Martha Stewart Living