Sheet Cake with Frozen Cherries

If you don’t know what to make with the frozen fruit you have lying around in the freezer, make this Sheet Cake with Frozen Cherries.

The first time I made this cake, I was really nervous because I didn’t know if it would work with frozen cherries. But it did work! The cake did rise beautifully and the cherries didn’t make it soggy or super moist. It’s just perfect.

And it’s really easy to make it too. It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up the batter and stick it in the oven.

If you were afraid in using frozen fruit in a cake, I encourage you to give it a try. You’ll be surprised.

But there are a few things to keep in mind though. And I will point them out as we go through every step of making this cake.

Ingredients:

• 7 eggs
• 7 tablespoons of flour
• 1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder
• 7 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 full teaspoon of cinnamon
• 7 tablespoons of neutral oil
• 2 tablespoons of coconut flakes
• 1 teaspoon of cacao powder (optional)
• approx. 300 g of frozen cherries

The eggs should be at room temperature. Separate the yolks from the whites and beat the whites really good until stiff.

If you turn the bowl upside down, it should not fall. If the whites are stiff and glossy, it’s a sign that the cake will rise in the oven even if you used frozen fruit.

I cannot stress enough about how important is to beat the whites really well. If they’re not beaten enough, the cake will not rise to its maximum potential.

Add the brown sugar all at once and whisk again until the sugar is melted and the whites are glossy.

Pour in the yolks and the oil and whisk for a few more seconds.

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Change the whisk or electric mixer for a wooden spoon and add the flour (mixed with the cinnamon and baking powder) one tablespoon at a time and fold it gently. Add the coconut flakes and fold until combined into the batter.

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It’s important to fold the flour one tablespoon at a time to make sure the batter remains fluffy. If you whisk it or use the electric mixer, it will sink in and we don’t want that.

Preheat the oven to 170*C and line the baking sheet with parchment paper. I lined it only on the bottom and I spread a teaspoon of oil on the walls of the baking sheet to make sure the cake will not stick and I can easily take it out. The measurements for the baking sheet I used are: 20x30x5.

Pour the batter into the baking sheet but leave 1/4 of it in the bowl. Add the cacao powder and mix until combined. Pour the cacao batter onto the first one and use a toothpick to spread it all over.

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Lastly, only in the last minute, take the cherries out from the freezer, pour them into a big strainer, add 1 teaspoon of flour and shake to lose the excess flour.

Quickly arrange the cherries in a single layer in the baking sheet. Don’t push them into the batter, because as the cake rises, the cherries will sink a bit.

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Very important is to take the cherries out only in the last minute, before you bake the cake.

Some people say that is not necessary to dust the frozen fruit with flour, but I’ve only tried it this way and it works for me. Or to defrost them first, but I’ve seen that that’s not necessary. You can bake with frozen fruit as well.

Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool for a few minutes, but then, take it out from the baking sheet and leave it to cool on a wire rack.

I really hope that this recipe encourages you to try to make a cake with frozen fruit.

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Have you made any of my recipes? Please tag me on Instagram with the tag #booksandlavender because I would love to see your creations.

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