CIn contemplating our collective affection for strawberries, it is quite perplexing to come up with more than three delectable desserts that incorporate them. However, I present to you my endeavor to expand the repertoire: a strawberry “sheet cake” inspired by the brilliant food writer, Deb Perelman, and her renowned blog, Smitten Kitchen. For my daughter Yogi’s birthday, I decided to create a vegan version of this cake and added a sprinkle of fennel sugar on top. She declared it the best cake ever, although it must be noted that she is three years old and has previously bestowed the “best cake ever” title upon five other cakes as well.
Summer Strawberry Cake with Luxurious Bird’s Custard
The Bird’s custard component has been elevated with the addition of whipped cream and creme fraiche, greatly enhancing its indulgence. However, if you prefer not to make the custard, you can serve the cake with a generous serving of high-quality vegan vanilla ice cream, such as Jude’s.
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes
Serves: 8
For the cake:
175ml of whole oat milk
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon of ground fennel seeds
200g of caster sugar, plus an additional 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
250g of self-raising flour
½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon of fine sea salt
½ teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
125ml of rapeseed oil
600-700g of ripe strawberries, halved
For the custard:
1½ tablespoons (17g) of custard powder (I recommend Bird’s)
1 tablespoon (17g) of caster sugar
250g of vegan whipping cream (I recommend using Oatly)
75g of vegan creme fraiche (I recommend using Oatly)
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Grease and line a 22cm x 32cm baking tray (equivalent to a standard American nine-inch x 13-inch baking sheet) with greaseproof paper.
Pour the oat milk and cider vinegar into a medium bowl and set aside.
Create a spiced sugar to sprinkle on top of the cake by combining the ground fennel seeds and two tablespoons of caster sugar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, 200g caster sugar, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
Stir the vanilla paste and rapeseed oil into the oat milk and vinegar mixture. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Spoon the batter into the lined tray, gently shaking the tray to settle the batter and release any trapped air bubbles.
Place the strawberry halves on top of the batter, arranging them close together. Try to fit on as many strawberries as possible. Sprinkle the spiced sugar over the strawberries. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sponge turns golden and a sharp knife inserted into the middle comes out clean (if there is some strawberry juice on the knife, it’s perfectly fine).
While the cake is baking, prepare the custard. In a small saucepan, whisk together the custard powder, sugar, and two tablespoons of the cream to remove any lumps. Gradually mix in the remaining cream. Bring the custard mixture to a gentle boil, then remove from heat. Let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate. To prevent a skin from forming on the custard, cover the surface with a circle of greaseproof paper, making sure it touches the top.
When you’re ready to serve, add the creme fraiche to the chilled custard mixture. Serve slices of the cake alongside the luxurious custard.
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