This strawberry sheet cake uses both fresh strawberries and freeze-dried strawberries to get the flavor. It is a moist sheet cake baked in a 9X13 inch cake pan with strawberry cream cheese frosting on top. The frosting uses fresh strawberries.
This strawberry sheet cake is the perfect easy cake to make for the spring or summer. The cake is full of all natural fresh strawberry flavor.
The best part about this fresh strawberry cake is the strawberry cream cheese frosting. It uses fresh strawberries to gives it the best flavor.
For more strawberry recipes, try Strawberry Vanilla Cake, Sweet Strawberry Rolls, and Strawberry Filled Cupcakes.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Moist Strawberry cake- This cake is incredibly fluffy and soft. It uses both freeze-dried strawberries and a strawberry salsa. The strawberry salsa is made from fresh strawberries that has been pulsed in the food processor.
- Strawberry frosting- The frosting is a cream cheese frosting that also uses the strawberry salsa.
- Easy to make- Since this isn't a layered cake, it is really easy to pull together.
- Large gatherings- This cake is perfect to make for large gatherings!
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Freeze-dried strawberries- I found these in the dried fruits section at the grocery store. If you don't have any in your area, you can get them on amazon. Or increase the flour by ¼ cup. It will just have a lighter strawberry flavor.
- Unsalted butter- Pull the butter for the cake batter out 2 hours before baking. For the frosting, pull the butter out 30 minutes before using.
- Oil- Use canola oil or vegetable oil.
- Sour cream- Use full fat sour cream. Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
- Eggs- Pull the large eggs out 2 hours before baking.
- Strawberry salsa- This is just fresh strawberries that have been pulsed in the food processor to create small and medium pieces of strawberries. It looks like a salsa. Use 1lb of strawberries.
- Buttermilk- Use full fat or reduced fat buttermilk. Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
- Cream cheese- Use full fat cream cheese. Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
- Powdered sugar- Make sure to sift the powdered sugar to avoid a gritty frosting.
Substitutions
- Sour cream- You can use plain greek yogurt.
- Buttermilk- You can use whole milk and a ½ Tablespoon of lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Then, you can use it.
- Cream cheese- You have a regular buttercream instead. Increase the butter to 1 cup and decrease the powdered sugar to 3 ½ cups.
Step By Step Instructions- Cake
Here is how to make and bake this sheet cake. This recipe uses either a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer (electric mixer).
STEP 1: Make the strawberry salsa. First, cut and quarter the strawberries. Then, place in a food processor and pulse it three times. See the picture below to see what it looks like
STEP 2: Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Use a food processor to blend the freeze dried strawberries into a fine crumb and add it to the dry ingredients.
STEP 3: Beat the butter, oil, and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil, and white sugar on high speed for 3 minutes. It will be super light and fluffy.
STEP 4: Add the wet ingredients. Next, add in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and strawberry salsa ( 1 ⅓ cups). Mix these in on medium speed until combined.
Next, add the eggs in one a time. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
STEP 5: Alternate between the flour mixture and buttermilk. Mix these in low speed.
Next, pour the cake batter into a 9X13 inch baking pan.
STEP 6: Bake the cake. Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes. Then, cool on a cooling rack.
Step By Step Instructions- Frosting
STEP 1: Beat the cream cheese and butter. Beat these on high speed for 3 minutes. Then, add in the powdered sugar. It will be very thick so you can add extra strawberries to it.
STEP 2: Add wet ingredients. Next, add in the strawberry salsa, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream. Beat until a creamy frosting forms.
STEP 3: Spread the frosting. Pour the frosting on top of the cooled cake. I used a spoon to swirl the frosting.
Expert Baking Tips
- Flour- Make sure to spoon and level the flour into a measuring cup. If you stick the measuring cup into the flour, it will compact it. Compacted flour will cause your cake to be dry.
- To easily remove the cake from the pan, spray it with a baking nonstick spray and place parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. After the cake is done baking, let it sit for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. It should come right out.
FAQ
Yes you can! It will make three 8-inch cake layers. Make sure to double the frosting recipe.
Yes you can! Half the cake recipe to make 12 cupcakes. Keep the frosting the same.
Yes you can! Once the cake is completely cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then, freeze up to 30 days. Let it thaw for 1 hour before decorating.
Storing and Freezing
Store this strawberry sheet cake in the fridge in an airtight container up to 5 days.
The cake tastes best if you let it come to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Freezing
You can freeze the cake in individual cake slices. Freeze in an airtight container up to 30 days. Thaw for 1-2 hours before eating.
Other Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 3 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 oz Freeze-dried strawberries grounded to a fine crumb
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup Oil canola or vegetable
- 1 ¾ cups White granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 4 Large eggs room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups Strawberry salsa about 1 ½ lbs of strawberries total
- ½ cup Buttermilk room temperature
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter slightly cold
- 4 ½ cups Powdered sugar sifted
- ¼ cup Strawberry salsa
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Heavy cream
Instructions
Strawberry Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9X13 inch baking pan with baking nonstick spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray again.
- In a mixing bowl, sift the flour. Add in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a food processor, blend the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine crumb and add to the dry ingredients. Set aside.3 ¼ cups All-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Salt, 2 oz Freeze-dried strawberries
- Using a food processor, wash and quarter a 1 ½ lbs of strawberries. Pulse 3 times until it looks like a salsa. It has small and medium pieces of strawberries. Separate out 1 ⅓ cups and ¼ cups of the salsa.1 ⅓ cups Strawberry salsa
- Using a mixer, beat the butter, oil, and sugar. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and 1 ⅓ cups strawberry salsa. Mix on medium until combined.¾ cup Unsalted butter, ¼ cup Oil, 1 ¾ cups White granulated sugar, ¼ cup Sour cream, 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 1 ⅓ cups Strawberry salsa
- Add the eggs in and mix on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl.4 Large eggs
- Add in ⅓rd of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk and mix on low. Add the rest of the buttermilk and another ⅓rd of the dry ingredients. Finish with the rest of the dry ingredients.½ cup Buttermilk
- Take off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let it sit in the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool the cake completely before decorating.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pull the butter out and set it on the counter for 30 minutes. This will get it slightly cold. In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar.¾ cup Unsalted butter, 4 ½ cups Powdered sugar
- Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on high for 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low.4 oz Cream cheese
- Add the strawberry salsa (¼ cup), vanilla, salt, and heavy cream. Beat on high for 1-2 minutes until creamy. If it is too thick, add another 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream.¼ cup Strawberry salsa, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon Heavy cream, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Spread the frosting on top of the cake.
Melinda says
Can frozen strawberries be used?
Linda schmoll says
I made this cake today for my Sons 56 th birthday. I made it exactly as per directions and it is perfect. Soft velvety crum light strawberry flavor…
However I made two changes. First I doubled the recipe. Then I poured the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and folded it in so as to hold on to the whipped creamy texture. It made a two layer 6” Cake for the birthday boy and two and 1/2 dozen jumbo cupcakes for the guests. Everyone loved the cake. Many asked for the recipe. I’ll definitely make this cake again. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Stephanie Rutherford says
That is soooo amazing! I am so happy you loved it!!
Linda says
I want to thank you for your reply to these comments on your cake. Most times, followers comments go unnoticed so thank you again!
Bee well. Linda
Cindy Richter says
Love this Strawberry cake...I've made it several times and the flavor is out of this world!
Maria Fallacaro says
Hi, I made your strawberry sheet cake for my pool party. The ladies loved the cake was so delicious 😋 I will definitely make this again. Thank you so much for the recipe enjoyed making it .
Cynthia Richter says
I made this weekend and it was delicious. Your photos along with the recipe inspired me to make it. Love the addition of freeze dried strawberries. Such a winner!!!