High Altitude Strawberry Chiffon Sheet Cake
This strawberry shortcake sheet cake starts with soft and fluffy vanilla chiffon cake soaked with milk, topped with homemade strawberry compote and cream cheese whipped cream.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 9x13 Baking Dish
- Stand Mixer with Paddle and Whisk Attachments
Ingredients
Strawberry Compote
- 2 lbs strawberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Cake
- 1 recipe High Altitude Chiffon Cake
- ½ cup whole milk or cream, for brushing over the baked cake
Whipped Cream
- 8 oz block cream cheese, cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Strawberry Compote
- Wash, hull and dice the strawberries, then combine with the sugar in a saucepan.
- Bring the strawberries to a boil over medium heat, then continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the water is evaporated, and the strawberries are thick and jammy. If the fruit starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat to medium low and continue simmering, stirring frequently, until the filling is reduced to about 2 - 2 1/4 cups.
- Refrigerate the strawberry compote until well chilled. You can make the compote one day in advance.
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Lightly spray the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray, if you plan on serving the cake directly from the pan. However, if you plan on turning the cake out onto a large serving plate or baking sheet, you'll also need to line the pan with parchment paper, to ensure you can release the cake from the pan.
- Make the Chiffon Cake batter as instructed, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for about 35-40 minutes, until the top springs back when gently touched, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes. It's normal for the cake to shrink a bit as it cools.
- Use a chopstick or wooden skewer to poke holes in the cake, then pour the 1/2 cup milk over the cake. Set the pan in the refrigerator and cool completely, about 1-2 hours.
- You can make the cake up to 1 day in advance, covering it with plastic wrap and keeping it refrigerated until ready to assemble.
Whipped Cream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold cream cheese and powdered sugar for 1-2 minutes until smooth, then beat in the vanilla.
- Gradually stream in the cold heavy whipping cream, scrape the bowl down again, then whip on medium speed (#6 on a Kitchen Aid stand mixer) until the frosting is soft and fluffy, but thick enough to hold its shape.
Assembly
- You can assemble and serve the cake directly from the pan, or, if you lined the pan with parchment paper, turn the cake out onto a baking sheet or serving plate and peel off the paper.
- Spread the chilled strawberry compote on top of the cake, reserving 1/2 cup of compote.
- Dollop the whipped cream on top of the compote, and spread it out to the edges.
- Dollop the remaining 1/2 cup strawberry compote onto the whipped cream, then gently swirl it in.
- Serve immediately, or keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
As an alternative to my Chiffon Cake recipe, this Vanilla Sheet Cake recipe works equally well for today's strawberry shortcake sheet cake.
Leftover cake can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.
Note that the leftover cake stays moist for days after baking, and still tastes great, but will not look as pretty as it does when freshly assembled. As the cake sits, the strawberry compote will bleed a little into the whipped cream, and its vibrant color will fade. For the prettiest presentation, plan on assembling the cake no more than several hours before serving.
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