This gorgeous strawberry sheet cake with cream cheese frosting uses fresh strawberries in three ways: puree in the batter, diced fruit in the cake, and a reduced strawberry paste in the frosting. It strikes a lovely balance of flavor, color, and texture—think strawberry cheesecake, but in sheet cake form.
All the spring and summer vibes in a single sheet cake. The recipe yields a soft, moist cake with natural pink color and bright strawberry flavor.
Strawberries are used three ways here: strawberry puree and diced strawberries in the batter, plus a concentrated strawberry paste folded into the cream cheese frosting.
This cake is best served chilled, which keeps the texture light and refreshing—perfect for warm days.
What makes this sheet cake so good?
Fresh strawberry puree and chopped strawberries in the batter, plus real strawberries in the frosting—so the cake tastes intensely of fresh fruit. The oil and sour cream keep the crumb tender and moist, and the cream cheese frosting adds a tangy, creamy contrast that evokes strawberry cheesecake.
The cake develops a pretty natural pink hue from the berries; no food coloring is necessary, though a little gel color can be added if you want a deeper shade.
Strawberry sheet cake ingredients
To make this strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting you will need the following:
• flour
• baking powder + baking soda
• salt
• vegetable oil
• sour cream
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• fresh strawberries (for puree, dice, and frosting)
• cream cheese
• unsalted butter
• powdered sugar
How to make strawberry sheet cake
Make the cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. Whisk dry ingredients. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Whisk wet ingredients. In a large bowl whisk together oil, sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the strawberry puree and the diced strawberries.
4. Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold until just combined—don’t overmix.
5. Bake and cool. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan before removing—the cake is soft, so cooling in the pan prevents it from breaking. You can also serve it directly from the pan for a more rustic presentation.
Make the frosting:
1. Reduce the strawberries. Cook diced strawberries in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until they break down into a thick paste and most moisture has evaporated. You should be left with about 1/4 cup of concentrated strawberry paste. Cool completely before using.
2. Blend cream cheese and butter. In a bowl beat room-temperature cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the cooled strawberry paste, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla, then mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy. If the frosting is too soft, chill it 30–60 minutes to firm up.
Frost and chill. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and top with fresh berries if desired. Chill the cake 30–60 minutes before slicing—this cake is best served cold.
FAQs
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes. Do not thaw frozen strawberries before adding them to the batter, as excess liquid can make the cake soggy. For diced strawberries in the cake, use fruit that was diced before freezing. For the frosting, frozen whole strawberries can be cooked down and mashed—about 8–10 large frozen berries should work.
Can I add strawberry extract?
You can add extract if you want to boost the flavor, but the fresh strawberries typically provide plenty of natural strawberry taste.
Can I color the cake and frosting?
Yes. If you want a deeper pink, use gel or liquid-gel food coloring to avoid thinning the batter or frosting. Avoid liquid food coloring.
Can strawberry cake be left out?
The plain cake can be left out briefly, but because the frosting contains cream cheese it should be refrigerated. The cake is quite soft at room temperature, so storing it in the fridge is recommended.
Can you freeze strawberry cake?
This cake doesn’t freeze and thaw well due to its high moisture and delicate crumb. Freezing can create excess moisture when thawed, which affects texture.
How do you serve this strawberry cake?
Chill before serving. This cake is especially refreshing and flavorful when served cold.
How to store strawberry cake?
Keep the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
Other recipes to try
• Strawberry Cupcakes
• Strawberry Ermine Frosting
• Blueberry Muffins
• Brown Butter Zucchini Muffins
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and review. I love seeing your results—tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you made.
Strawberry Sheet Cake Recipe
- Author: Mimi
- Total Time: 1 hour 58 minutes
- Yield: 1 (9×13 inch) cake
Description
This strawberry sheet cake with cream cheese frosting uses fresh fruit in the batter and the frosting for bold, fresh flavor and a light, tender crumb. It’s an excellent choice for warm-weather gatherings when chilled dessert is especially welcome.
Ingredients
For the strawberry cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup strawberry puree
- 1 ½ cups diced strawberries
For the strawberry cream cheese frosting:
- 1 cup diced strawberries (to cook down)
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk oil, sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in strawberry puree and diced strawberries.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 28–32 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
- To make the frosting, cook diced strawberries in a skillet over medium heat until reduced to a thick paste; cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add cooled strawberry paste, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla; mix until creamy. Chill if the frosting is too soft.
- Frost the cooled cake. Decorate with fresh berries if desired.
- Chill the frosted cake 30–60 minutes before slicing—best served cold.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Bake Time: 28 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Cakes
Enjoy!