The Ultimate Strawberry Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting: Your Perfect Summer Indulgence
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Indulge in the vibrant flavors of summer with this truly delightful Strawberry Sheet Cake. Bursting with the natural sweetness and aroma of fresh strawberries, this cake is a celebration of the season. It features a wonderfully moist and tender strawberry cake base, generously topped with a luscious, smooth strawberry cream cheese frosting. What makes this recipe truly special is the inclusion of baked strawberries directly into the batter. This simple step intensifies their flavor, yielding a cake with an incredibly rich, natural strawberry taste and a beautiful rosy hue that no artificial coloring can replicate. Designed for ease and maximum enjoyment, this sheet cake is perfect for any occasion, promising a taste of sunshine in every bite.
This Strawberry Sheet Cake isn’t just delicious; its texture is remarkably soft, light, and fluffy, making it an absolute pleasure to eat. Strawberry season is truly one of the most anticipated times of the year for bakers, and this recipe perfectly captures its essence. Every forkful offers an explosion of authentic strawberry flavor, perfectly complemented by the tangy, sweet, and incredibly smooth strawberry cream cheese frosting. The balance of flavors and the delightful melt-in-your-mouth texture are so captivating that you’ll find yourself reaching for another generous slice, eager to savor every moment. It’s an effortless yet impressive dessert that’s guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
The beautiful pink color and fresh taste make this strawberry sheet cake an ideal dessert for a variety of occasions. It’s the perfect cake for welcoming spring and summer days, brightening up a Valentine’s Day celebration, adding a charming touch to baby showers, or serving as the centerpiece for any festive gathering. Its simple sheet cake format also makes it incredibly convenient for serving larger groups, ensuring everyone gets to enjoy a piece of this fruity heaven.
If you’re looking for more delectable cake recipes to try, be sure to explore our Strawberry Crumble Cake, a comforting treat with a delightful streusel topping; our rich and decadent Chocolate Ganache Cake, perfect for chocolate lovers; and our refreshing Lemon Pistachio Cake, offering a unique blend of zesty and nutty flavors. Each recipe promises a rewarding baking experience and a delicious outcome!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Intensely Flavorful Strawberry Cake: This strawberry cake is meticulously crafted using blended baked strawberries. The baking process caramelizes the natural sugars in the strawberries, concentrating their flavor and creating a deeper, more robust fruit essence that permeates every crumb. Blending them into a smooth puree ensures an incredibly soft, moist, and tender cake with an even distribution of strawberry goodness and a beautiful, natural pink hue.
- Smooth & Rich Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting: The cake is crowned with a luxurious strawberry cream cheese frosting that sets it apart. To achieve the most intense strawberry flavor without adding excess moisture, this frosting incorporates freeze-dried strawberry powder. This results in a vibrant, naturally colored frosting that is exceptionally smooth, creamy, and bursting with concentrated strawberry tang. It perfectly complements the sweet cake, creating a harmonious and irresistible dessert.
- The Perfect Summer Cake: With its bright, fruity notes and refreshing cream cheese frosting, this cake truly embodies the spirit of summer. It’s light enough to enjoy on a warm day yet decadent enough for a special occasion. Perfect for strawberry season when fresh berries are at their peak, this cake brings a taste of sunshine to any picnic, barbecue, or family gathering, making it an instant favorite for all your warm-weather celebrations.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients that ensure the perfect outcome for this delightful Strawberry Sheet Cake. Understanding the role of each component will help you achieve the best flavor and texture. For a full, detailed list of ingredients with precise measurements, please refer to the recipe card provided below.
- Fresh Strawberries: The star of our show! It’s crucial to use ripe, fresh strawberries for the best flavor. They undergo a baking process that significantly enhances and concentrates their natural sweetness and fruity essence, which is then pureed to create a vibrant, flavorful base for the cake batter. This ensures a deep, authentic strawberry taste throughout the cake.
- All-Purpose Flour: This forms the structural backbone of our cake. Using all-purpose flour helps create a tender, light, and airy crumb. I recommend selecting a brand with a protein content between 10-11% for optimal results, providing enough structure without making the cake tough.
- Cornstarch: A secret ingredient for achieving an exceptionally light and soft cake texture. Cornstarch works by interfering with gluten development, making the cake more delicate and tender, almost like a cake flour substitute.
- Granulated Sugar: Beyond simply adding sweetness, granulated sugar plays a vital role in keeping the cake moist and tender. It attracts and retains moisture, contributing to the cake’s soft crumb and preventing it from drying out.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These are our essential leavening agents. They work in conjunction to create gas bubbles within the batter, causing the cake to rise beautifully and achieve that desired light, fluffy, and airy texture. Ensure they are fresh for maximum efficacy.
- Salt: A pinch of salt is crucial for balancing and enhancing all the other flavors in the cake. It brightens the sweetness and brings out the fruity notes of the strawberries, ensuring a well-rounded and delicious taste.
- Unsalted Butter: Essential for both the cake and the frosting. For the cake, ensure your butter is at room temperature to cream properly with sugar, creating an emulsified, airy base. For the frosting, room temperature butter whips up light and fluffy, contributing to a smooth consistency.
- Large Eggs: Like butter, eggs should be at room temperature. This allows them to incorporate more evenly into the batter, preventing curdling and contributing to a cohesive, well-risen cake with a fine crumb.
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese: The foundation of our luxurious frosting. Using full-fat cream cheese is key for achieving a rich, tangy, and incredibly smooth frosting that holds its shape beautifully and provides a perfect counterpoint to the cake’s sweetness.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: These are a powerhouse for intense strawberry flavor in the frosting. Unlike fresh strawberries, they add concentrated fruit flavor without introducing extra moisture, which can make frosting runny. Blended into a fine powder, they also impart a gorgeous, natural red color. Any non-blended pieces can be saved for a beautiful garnish!
- Vegetable Oil (e.g., Canola Oil): Adding a touch of neutral-flavored vegetable oil, such as canola oil, helps to ensure an incredibly moist and tender cake, even days after baking. It contributes to the richness and soft texture without imparting any strong flavor.
- Vanilla Extract/Vanilla Bean Paste: A classic flavor enhancer, vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste deepens and rounds out the overall flavor profile of both the cake and the frosting. Vanilla bean paste, with its visible flecks, adds a gourmet touch and intense vanilla aroma.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS – CAKE
Crafting this Strawberry Sheet Cake is a straightforward process, resulting in a show-stopping dessert. This recipe utilizes a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, or a reliable hand mixer, to ensure a perfectly smooth and aerated batter. You will also need a 22×33 cm (9 x 13 inch) sheet pan, lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy removal, as well as a blender for preparing the strawberry puree.
Find the complete, detailed recipe with all ingredient quantities and precise instructions within the recipe card located further down this page.
Before you begin the baking process, ensure your oven is preheated to 170ºC (340ºF) for a conventional oven. Take a 22×33 cm (9 x 13 inch) sheet pan and line it completely with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy lifting of the baked cake. This preparation step is crucial for a smooth baking experience.
STEP 1: Prepare the Baked Strawberry Puree. Begin by washing and hulling your fresh strawberries. Cut them into quarters to ensure even baking. Spread the quartered strawberries onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Toss them gently with the granulated sugar and a splash of lemon juice. This combination helps to draw out moisture and intensify their flavor during baking. Bake the strawberries in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes. Once baked and slightly softened, carefully transfer the warm strawberries, along with all their delicious juices, into a blender. Blend until you achieve a perfectly smooth and vibrant puree. Measure out 250g of this puree and set it aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the cake batter.
STEP 2: Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sifting is important to remove any lumps and ensure that the leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the dry mixture, contributing to a consistently light cake. Set this mixture aside. In a large mixing bowl, preferably of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), add the softened butter and granulated sugar. Cream them together on high speed for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light in color and fluffy. This step incorporates air, crucial for a tender cake.
STEP 3: Incorporate Wet Ingredients. Add the room-temperature eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, one at a time. Mix well after each addition until fully combined and the mixture is smooth and emulsified. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is incorporated. Next, reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the sifted dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix, which can lead to a tough cake.
STEP 4: Final Mix and Bake. With the mixer still on low speed, pour in the cooled strawberry puree, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix until these wet ingredients are just combined into the batter. Then, add the remaining half of the dry ingredients and mix again only until no streaks of flour remain. Be diligent about not overmixing. Once the batter is uniform, use a rubber spatula to give the entire batter one final gentle fold by hand. This ensures all ingredients from the bottom and sides of the bowl are fully incorporated without overdeveloping the gluten. Pour the finished cake batter evenly into your prepared sheet pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating it’s fully cooked. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for at least 10-15 minutes before gently removing it from the pan (using the parchment paper overhang) and transferring it directly to the cooling rack to cool completely. It’s crucial for the cake to be entirely cool before frosting.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS – FROSTING
Achieving a perfectly smooth and flavorful strawberry cream cheese frosting is key to this cake’s success. Follow these steps carefully for the best results.
STEP 1: Prepare Ingredients and Cream Butter. Ensure your butter and full-fat cream cheese have been at room temperature for at least 10 minutes prior to starting. This makes them easier to cream smoothly. If your freeze-dried strawberries are not already in powder form, blend them in a small food processor or spice grinder until finely powdered. Sift the powdered sugar and the freeze-dried strawberry powder together into a bowl to remove any lumps, and set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter on high speed for a full 5 minutes until it becomes very light, fluffy, and pale in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue mixing for another 2 minutes to ensure maximum aeration and smoothness.
STEP 2: Add Cream Cheese and Vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the room-temperature full-fat cream cheese and vanilla bean paste to the creamed butter. Increase the speed to medium and cream this mixture together for just 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix the cream cheese, as it can become runny. The goal is just to combine it until smooth and uniform.
STEP 3: Incorporate Powdered Sugar and Finish. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more. With the mixer on its lowest speed, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and freeze-dried strawberry powder mixture in two separate additions. Allow each addition to fully incorporate into the butter and cream cheese mixture before adding the next. This prevents a sugar cloud and ensures a smooth consistency. After all the powdered sugar is added, scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time and give the frosting a final mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes. This makes it extra fluffy and smooth. Once your cake is completely cooled, carefully place it on your desired serving dish. Generously dollop the strawberry cream cheese frosting on top, then use an offset spatula to spread it evenly across the entire surface of the cake. For an optional decorative touch and an extra burst of flavor, scatter some fresh or additional freeze-dried strawberries over the frosting before serving.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a Kitchen Scale for Precision: Baking is a science, and accuracy is paramount for consistent results. While recipes sometimes list cup measurements, my preferred method and default setting for all my recipes is grams. A kitchen scale provides the most precise way to measure your ingredients, especially flour and sugar, ensuring the perfect balance and texture every time. Investing in a good digital kitchen scale will significantly improve your baking success.
- Avoid Overmixing Your Batter: Once you’ve added the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to a dense, tough, and chewy cake instead of a light and fluffy one. To ensure everything is perfectly incorporated without overdoing it, I always finish with a gentle fold using a rubber spatula. This technique helps catch any hidden pockets of flour at the bottom or sides of the bowl.
- The Right Baking Pan Matters: The type of baking pan you use can significantly impact your cake’s texture and crust. For the best outcome with this sheet cake, I highly recommend using an aluminum baking pan. Aluminum pans are light in color, which means they reflect heat and bake more gently and evenly. This gentle baking results in a softer, more tender cake with a less aggressive crust. If you opt for a darker baking pan, it will absorb more heat, potentially leading to a darker, tougher crust and a drier cake. Always grease your chosen pan and line it with parchment paper for easy release.
- Room Temperature Ingredients are Key: This is a golden rule in baking! Ensure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. Room temperature butter creams beautifully with sugar, incorporating air for a light cake. Cold butter won’t emulsify correctly, leading to a dense batter. Similarly, room temperature eggs mix more evenly into the batter, creating a smoother, more stable emulsion and a finer cake crumb.
- Don’t Rush the Cooling Process: Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to cooling cakes. It’s crucial to let your cake cool completely on a wire rack before attempting to frost it. If you frost a warm cake, the frosting will melt and slide right off, creating a mess. A fully cooled cake ensures the frosting adheres properly and sets beautifully.
FAQ
Freeze-dried strawberries have become quite popular and are generally easy to find. You can typically purchase them in the dried fruit or snack aisle of most major supermarkets. Many health food stores also stock them. Additionally, a wide variety of brands are available online through retailers like Amazon or specialty baking supply websites. Look for brands that offer whole pieces or already powdered options.
Absolutely! This cake is perfect for making ahead, which can help streamline your baking process, especially when preparing for an event. You can prepare each component—the baked strawberry puree, the cake layers, and the frosting—the day before you plan to assemble and serve. Store the cooled cake layers well-wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature on the kitchen counter to maintain their moisture. The strawberry cream cheese frosting should be stored in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Before frosting the cake, allow the frosting to come back to room temperature, then give it a good whisk or beat it briefly with your mixer to restore its smooth, creamy consistency before spreading it over the cake.
The most reliable method to determine if your cake is done is by using a simple cake tester or a clean toothpick. Once the recipe’s recommended baking time has elapsed, gently insert the cake tester or toothpick into the very center of the sheet cake. If it comes out clean, with no wet batter or moist crumbs clinging to it, then your cake is fully baked and ready to be removed from the oven. If you see wet batter, continue baking for a few more minutes and retest.
While fresh strawberries are recommended for their vibrant flavor and natural sweetness, you can use frozen strawberries in a pinch. If using frozen, thaw them completely first, then drain any excess liquid to prevent the cake batter from becoming too watery. Proceed with the baking step as described in the recipe to concentrate their flavor, noting that they might release more liquid during baking. Adjust baking time if needed for the puree to thicken slightly.
A grainy or lumpy frosting is often due to cold cream cheese or butter, or insufficient creaming. Ensure both ingredients are at proper room temperature before starting. Also, make sure to sift your powdered sugar, as lumps in the sugar will carry over into the frosting. If your frosting is still not perfectly smooth, try beating it on medium-high speed for an extra minute or two, scraping down the bowl frequently, until it achieves a silky consistency.
STORAGE
To maintain its freshness and deliciousness, store the frosted Strawberry Sheet Cake in the refrigerator. It’s best kept in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out and absorbing any refrigerator odors. When you’re ready to enjoy a slice, take the cake out of the fridge approximately 30-60 minutes before serving and let it come to room temperature. This allows the cake to soften and the frosting to become wonderfully creamy, enhancing its flavors and texture. For optimal taste and quality, this delightful cake is best enjoyed within 2-3 days of baking.
Other Delicious Cake & Dessert Recipes To Try
- Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake
- Gooey Pecan Pie Brownies with Brown Butter
- Giant Cinnamon Rolls (Soft, Gooey Tangzhong Milk Bread Rolls)
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Strawberry Sheet Cake
Pin Recipe
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inch) sheet pan
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Blender
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
BAKED STRAWBERRIES
- 450 g fresh strawberries hulled and quartered
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
STRAWBERRY CAKE
- 180 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 315 g all-purpose flour sifted
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 250 g baked strawberry purée from above, cooled
- 60 g vegetable oil e.g. canola oil, neutral flavored
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 150 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 75 g full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 260 g powdered sugar sifted
- 1 ½ tablespoon freeze dried strawberry powder blended from whole, if needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it’s recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
BAKED STRAWBERRIES
- Before starting any preparation, preheat your oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF using a conventional oven setting. This ensures the oven is at the correct temperature for even baking.
- Begin by preparing the fresh strawberries: wash them thoroughly, remove the green tops (hull), and cut each strawberry into quarters. Spread these quartered strawberries onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Gently toss them with the granulated sugar and lemon juice to coat evenly. Bake them in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes. The strawberries will soften and their flavors will intensify.450 g fresh strawberries, 2 teaspoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- Once the strawberries are baked, carefully pour them, along with all the delicious juices collected on the baking sheet, into a blender. Blend until you achieve a completely smooth and uniform puree. Measure out precisely 250 g of this vibrant strawberry puree and set it aside to cool completely before incorporating it into the cake batter. This cooling step is essential to prevent it from prematurely cooking the eggs or melting the butter in the batter.
STRAWBERRY CAKE
- Ensure your oven remains at 170ºC/ 340ºF (conventional oven setting). Prepare your 22×33 cm (9 x 13 inch) sheet pan by greasing it lightly and lining it with parchment paper, allowing some overhang on the longer sides. This overhang will act as handles, making it easy to lift the cake out of the pan once baked and cooled.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sifting is crucial to remove any lumps and ensures these dry ingredients are thoroughly combined and evenly distributed throughout the batter. Set this bowl aside for later use.315 g all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), add the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Beat them together on high speed for about 3 minutes until the mixture is visibly light, fluffy, and pale in color. This creaming process incorporates air, which is vital for a tender cake crumb.180 g unsalted butter, 300 g granulated sugar
- Add the large eggs to the butter-sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently with a rubber spatula to ensure all ingredients are incorporated and prevent curdling.3 large eggs
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add approximately half of the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix only until just combined. Overmixing at this stage can lead to a dense, tough cake.
- Next, add the cooled baked strawberry puree, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the batter. Mix on low speed until these liquid ingredients are just incorporated. Then, add the remaining half of the dry ingredients and mix again only until no visible streaks of flour remain. Avoid the temptation to overmix.250 g baked strawberry purée, 60 g vegetable oil, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Using a rubber spatula, give the entire batter one final gentle fold by hand. This ensures that any ingredients clinging to the bottom or sides of the mixing bowl are fully incorporated without developing too much gluten, guaranteeing an even texture.
- Pour the prepared cake batter evenly into your lined sheet pan. Gently spread it to the corners with your spatula to ensure an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out completely clean. This indicates the cake is fully cooked through.
- Allow the freshly baked cake to cool in its pan on a wire cooling rack for approximately 10-15 minutes. After this initial cooling, gently lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang and transfer it directly to the wire cooling rack. It is crucial to let the cake cool down completely to room temperature before applying any frosting.
STRAWBERRY FROSTING
- To prepare for the frosting, take the unsalted butter and full-fat cream cheese out of the refrigerator approximately 10-15 minutes before you begin, allowing them to soften slightly but still be cool to the touch. Cut the butter into small cubes for quicker softening. If your freeze-dried strawberries are not already powdered, blend them into a fine powder using a small food processor or spice grinder. In a separate bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and the freeze-dried strawberry powder to remove any lumps and ensure a silky-smooth frosting. Set this mixture aside.150 g unsalted butter, 75 g full-fat cream cheese, 260 g powdered sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon freeze dried strawberry powder
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, begin by creaming the softened butter on high speed for 5 minutes. This long creaming time is essential for incorporating enough air, making the frosting light and fluffy. After 5 minutes, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl thoroughly with a rubber spatula, then continue creaming for another 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla bean paste and the slightly chilled, full-fat cream cheese to the creamed butter. Beat this mixture together on medium speed for just 1 minute. It’s important not to overmix the cream cheese, as it can quickly become too soft and runny, making the frosting difficult to work with. The goal is simply to combine it until smooth.½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated. With the mixer set to its lowest speed, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and freeze-dried strawberry powder mixture in two separate additions. Allow each portion to fully mix into the butter and cream cheese before adding the next. This prevents the frosting from becoming too dense and ensures a smooth texture. Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl again and give the frosting a final beat on medium speed for 2 minutes to make it extra light and fluffy.
- Once your sheet cake has cooled completely to room temperature, carefully transfer it to your desired serving platter or cake stand. Evenly spread the luscious strawberry cream cheese frosting over the entire top surface of the cake using an offset spatula. For an optional, beautiful finish, you can decorate the frosted cake with fresh strawberry slices or sprinkle additional freeze-dried strawberry pieces over the top. Serve and enjoy!