Lemon Sheet Cake

A classic 1:1:1 German Rührteig — equal weights of margarine, flour, and sugar, six eggs for structure, and a sheet pan. The fork-pricking and warm-glaze step at the end is what keeps it juicy instead of dry. Don’t skip it.

The original lists 6963 kcal per serving, with the same “1 portion = the whole cake” quirk you see on a lot of chefkoch entries. Cut into squares like a normal person.

From StrawberryShortCake on chefkoch.de. Translated; quantities unchanged.

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Ingredients

For one standard baking sheet.

Cake

• 350 g margarine
• 350 g flour
• 350 g sugar
• 1 packet vanilla sugar
• 2 heaped tsp baking powder
• 6 eggs
• 3 unwaxed lemons (zest of all three; juice of two)

Glaze

• Juice of 2 lemons (from above)
• 300 g powdered sugar

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Method

1. Preheat oven to 175–195 °C (top and bottom heat).
2. Zest all 3 lemons. Juice 2 of them and set aside for the glaze.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and foamy.
4. Sift the flour. Add it gradually along with the vanilla sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and margarine. Mix until smooth.
5. Spread the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake middle rack, about 20 minutes.
6. While it bakes, whisk the powdered sugar into the lemon juice a little at a time. Be sparing with the juice — the glaze should be thick, not runny.
7. As soon as the cake is out of the oven, prick it all over with a fork. Spread the glaze across the warm surface and let it cool. The holes are how the lemon gets in.

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Notes

Vanilla sugar. Standard German 8 g sachets. Substitute 1 tsp vanilla extract if you don’t have any.

Unwaxed lemons (unbehandelt). Matters when you’re zesting — coated lemons leave a waxy aftertaste. Otherwise scrub the peel hard with warm water.

Oven range. The original gives 175–195 °C as a window. 180 °C is a safe middle ground; lean lower if your oven runs hot.

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Original: StrawberryShortCake on chefkoch.de.