Sarah Carey's Favorite Summer Desserts for Potlucks and Parties

Strawberry Biscuit Sheet Cake

There is no dessert more quintessentially summer than strawberry shortcake, but making individual shortcakes for a group just isn't practical. For this crowd-pleasing version, we bake biscuits side by side in a quarter sheet pan. As the biscuits bake, they rise and expand, forming a cake-like layer of fluffy biscuit. Topped with piles of whipped cream and lightly macerated berries, you can expect layers of juicy, creamy, and crunchy in every bite. 

Tips:

• Transporting a biscuit sheet cake: If you are traveling with this cake, make the biscuits and keep them in their pan. Bring a container of macerating berries and cold cream with you. Whip the cream and top the cake at the last minute to maintain the integrity of the textures. 
• Pack the cream in a jar: Even better, pack the cream in a quart jar and use the jar to shake the cream until it’s whipped (or get someone to do this for you).
  

Texas Sheet Cake

If you and your friends fall into the "fruit desserts aren't dessert—give me chocolate!" camp, this take on the Texas sheet cake is for you. The rich, fudgy cooked frosting will satisfy family and friends who think no dessert is too rich. 

Tips:

• For a more elegant presentation: Use the parchment paper sling that lines the cake pan to lift the cooled cake onto a platter before pouring over the glaze. Then replace the chopped pecans with whole toasted pecans arranged on top in your desired pattern. 
• If serving from the pan, use a cake pan, not a sheet pan: Follow the recipe and make this cake in a 9-by-13-inch cake pan (as opposed to a sheet pan) as the recipe calls for. The cake pan has higher sides and allows more room for pouring a generous serving of glaze over top without it spilling over the pan if you’re serving it directly from the pan.
  

Peach Pie Crumble Bars

This fruit pie crumble bar is super adaptable. It's like a pie in that it has a tangy sweet fruit filling that can be changed with the seasons, but it's baked in a cake pan and cut into squares for hand-held eating. We mix up a simple double-duty crust. Some of it is pressed into a cake pan to create the bottom crust and topped with a simple fruit mixture. Finish it off by crumbling the remaining crust mixture on top, then bake until bubbly. Be sure to let it cool completely before cutting and serving. One of the reasons I recommend these bars for summer entertaining—besides that they taste so good—is that they are easy to transport.

Tips:

• For the best textured top that looks and tastes good: Take the time to squeeze some of the topping into clumps before dropping over the filling.
• Be sure to fully bake the bars to ensure a dry, never-soggy crust: How can you tell the crust is fully baked? The filling should be aggressively bubbling in the center.
• They're not just for summer: These bar cookies are seasonally adaptable. Change the fruit to suit the seasons and your taste, from peaches or plums in the summer to apples or pears in the fall. Try using frozen berries or cherries in the winter. If the fruit is a bit tangy, add a bit more sugar. If it's very juicy (as berries can be) add a bit more flour to the filling. 
  

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

It's not that this cookie actually serves more people, it's the ridiculous ease with which it comes together that justifies its inclusion in this roundup. No chilling or scooping of the dough required, just a single bowl and a wooden spoon are all it takes to mix up the dough. Consider this a template for creativity. Our recipe has chocolate chips, but feel free to add 1/2 cup or so of chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, a handful of toffee chips, or even 1/2 cup of oats or dried fruit. 

Tips:

• To serve warm: Place the cookie in the oven when you sit down to eat (it takes about 20 minutes to bake and 5 minutes to cool) then serve warm with vanilla ice cream. If you are grilling, you can bake this in your grill over indirect heat. 
• To serve: Bring the cookie in the skillet right to the table and serve slices straight from the pan. 
  

No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake for a Crowd

As a baker, I’m not big on no-bake desserts, but I do love a good cheesecake. This unique cake uses a combination of cream cheese and ricotta, blended until silky smooth, with tangy fresh lemon juice and loads of whipped cream folded in for an ethereally light result. Spread over a graham cracker crust in layers with fresh blueberries, and chill until set. The whole thing is topped with a blueberry sauce and even more fresh blueberries for serving. A shower of fresh mint leaves wouldn’t be out of place. One bite and you will be hooked—and so will your guests. 

Tips:

• I’d recommend making this beauty when you're hosting rather than transporting to another location.
• Swap blueberries for strawberries or peaches, both are just as good as the original.
  

Orange Cardamom Bundt Cake

Bundt cakes are the ultimate easy-to-transport dessert. They hold up well to a car journey, get better with age (no need to make them day of), and are equally appropriate served at breakfast, brunch, tea, or for dessert (with a big spoon of lightly sweetened whipped cream, of course). 

I like to give this Bundt a double soak with a buttery orange-scented glaze. For the first, I poke deep holes into the still-warm cake and brush it with glaze, allowing the glaze to seep deep into the cake. Then I brush the outside with that same glaze for a crackly shiny crust. This crust also works as a sealant of sorts, extending the life of the cake so you can enjoy it for many days. 

This citrus glaze method works well with two of my other favorites, Triple Citrus Bundt and Key Lime Bundt.

Tips:

• To ensure the cake slips right out of the ornate bundt pan: Liberally brush every crevice of the Bundt pan with softened butter, then dust with flour. Wash well after use making sure no bits of cake are stuck to the pan, then dry well before using again. 
• Don’t use a vintage bundt pan: A good heavy nonstick pan will work wonders at releasing the cake. Old, thin, or scratched pans are a recipe (pun intended) for failure. 
• Let it cool for 10 minutes: Don't try to flip the cake out of the pan too soon, give it a good 10 minutes (but not much longer). This will allow for it to set up, but not give it so much time that it sticks to the pan.