The other day I was SO INSPIRED by a recipe I saw on @acozykitchen that I had to go make the exact same mini strawberry sheet cake. It was so fun & therapeutic to get in the kitchen & just bake. Plus, the cake turned out SO cute, I had to share.
You may have seen me post about it on Instagram, & if you did, you would’ve seen that this cake recipe is cute, nostalgic, & PINK.
First, you should know that Adrianna of @acozykitchen has some amazing recipes. Think: pumpkin churros, veggie pizza, & tips for building a meat & cheese board. If you’re into cooking & baking OR just want to get started, I highly recommend her recipes.
Secondly, if you need a cake for any occasion- a birthday party, a dinner party, an anniversary – this cake has your name written all over it. You’ll be able to make this yourself, at home, without feeling overwhelmed, but you’ll seem like a total cake boss.
Might I also add, that this cake is absolutely delicious. It was such a hit that I saw Michael stuffing his face with 10 pieces. Even my parents came over & loved it.
This is such a cute idea for a kid’s birthday party too. Not too long ago my friend Gillian threw her daughter ( my goddaughter ) a strawberry themed birthday party. The goodie bags were little strawberry baskets & her daughter, Coco, was wearing a strawberry dress. This cake would’ve fit perfectly, so if you’re looking for a party theme… ‘strawberry’ can be very fun.
Cute, Pink Strawberry Sheet Cake:
Roasted Strawberry Puree
♡ ¾ cup sliced strawberries ( about 4 strawberries )
♡ 2 tsp granulated sugar
♡ pinch of salt
♡ 2 drops red food coloring gel ( optional )
DIRECTIONS:
+ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small baking dish, combine the strawberries, sugar & salt. Transfer to the oven to roast for 10 minutes.
+ Remove it from the oven & transfer it to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Measure out 1/4 cup & set aside. ( Adrianna suggests keeping any extra puree to make cocktails – yum ).
Strawberry Cake:
♡ 1 ¼ cup & 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
♡ 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
♡ ½ tsp kosher salt
♡ ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
♡ 1 ¼ of granulated sugar
♡ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
♡ ⅓ cup milk
♡ 3 large egg whites
♡ ¼ roasted strawberry puree
DIRECTIONS:
+ Keep the oven at 350 degrees F & grease & line a 8×8-inch baking pan ( you can also use a 9 inch round pan, a 9×5 loaf pan– check both these options at 25 mins, or make cupcakes– check after 15 mins ).
+ In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder & salt. Set aside.
+ In the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment ( or in a large bowl with an electric mixer ), add the butter, sugar & vanilla. Beat until light & fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
+ In a measuring cup, pour in the milk, egg whites, & reserved 1/4 cup strawberry puree & whisk until combined.
+ Turn the mixer to low speed &, alternating between the dry ingredients & the liquid ingredients ( the strawberry/egg white mixture ), add the butter/sugar mixture until the batter is relatively smooth.
+ Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan & smooth it out until it reaches the sides. Transfer to the oven to bake for 25 to 32 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
+ Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes & then invert onto a cooling rack & cool to room temperature. This takes about an hour.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
♡ 5 oz of cream cheese, at room temperature
♡ 5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
♡ 2 cups powdered sugar
♡ ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
♡ pinch of salt
♡ 1 tbsp heavy cream ( optional )
♡ ¼ cup freeze-dried strawberries
DIRECTIONS:
+ Using a food processor or a spice grinder, add the 1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberries. Pulse for about 1 minute until it resembles a powder. Measure out 1 tablespoon.
+ In the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment ( or a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer ), add the cream cheese & beat it until smooth. I like to do this or else the cream cheese frosting will have little clumps of cream cheese. Next, add the butter & beat it until smooth, about 15 seconds.
+ Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract & heavy cream. Beat for a full 2 minutes to ensure fluffy, delicious frosting.
+ If you want to make little strawberries on top, here’s what you need to do: add about 1/4 cup of frosting to one bowl. And then add a few tablespoons to a second bowl. We’re going to add food coloring to both of those frostings. If you don’t want to make the strawberries, you can obviously skip removing some of the frosting and just proceed with adding the powder, etc.
+ Then, add the reserved strawberry powder to the frosting and beat it one last time until combined. Add red food coloring if you want it to be more pink.
Little Strawberry Decorations:
+ Add a drop or two of red food coloring to the 1/4 cup of frosting you put in a bowl. This is going to be for our strawberries. Mix it together until smooth. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a #3 round piping tip.
+ Add a drop of green food coloring to the 2 tablespoons of frosting you put in a bowl. This is going to be our strawberry tops. Mix it together until smooth. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a #1 round piping tip.
To Decorate The Cake:
+ Add the frosting to the top of the cake & smooth it out into an even layer. Make it cute with some swoops.
+ If you didn’t do the strawberries above, no biggie. Top it with some sprinkles OR leave it as is. It’s cute.
+ To add the strawberries, pipe on hearts; they’ll end up looking like strawberries once we add the tops. Add as many as you like. Make them any size you want.
+ Pipe on two little dots at the top of the hearts to transform them from hearts to strawberries.
To Store The Cake:
+ Adrianna says: I keep this cake at room temperature on my counter. I don’t own a glass cake cover so I use a colander. This cake is delicious for about 2 to 3 days. If my way leaves you unsettled, you can always place the cake back into the 8×8-inch baking dish and cover it with plastic wrap.
Ta-da. A cute, fun, pink strawberry cake. This is a new go-to for me. The best part about this cake from @acozykitchen is that you can decorate it however you want. You could even do little ghosts or pumpkins for Halloween- sheet cakes are so fun.
Enjoy this with a glass of chilled rosé & you’re good to go.
So be sure to checkout other recipes from A Cozy Kitchen. Like I said, if you’re into cooking or baking, you have to checkout Adrianna’s recipes.
x, lauryn
+ if you’re a lazy bitch, check out my fake cake hack.
++ the best all-natural candies for Halloween.
BAKE THE STRAWBERRY CAKE:
