Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

Published: Jun 16, 2022 by Allison · 28 Comments

This homemade dessert is inspired by a classic strawberry shortcake. It features a fluffy vanilla cake topped with whipped cream frosting and lots of syrupy strawberries.

This easy sheet cake is a variation of our popular layered Strawberry Shortcake Cake. Many of you have asked if you can make that recipe into a sheet cake. The answer is yes, with just a few tweaks to the original recipe.

Strawberry sheet cake in a metal baking pan.

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This cake is

Beautiful
Easy to prepare
Perfect for spring and summer
Inspired by a traditional strawberry shortcake
Flavored with vanilla, a touch of almond extract, and lots of sweet strawberries

Recipe overview

Cake:

The base of this recipe is our favorite vanilla cake recipe. It bakes up moist and fluffy and it is flavored with vanilla and a touch of almond extract.

Frosting:

Strawberry shortcake has to have whipped cream (and not the kind in a can or “whipped topping” in a tub). This is the real deal – freshly whipped cream, lightly sweetened with powdered sugar, and flavored with a touch of vanilla. In order to keep the whipped cream firm this recipe uses cream cheese as well. This stabilizes the cream and helps it hold its shape.

Strawberries:

Combine fresh strawberries with strawberry jam. This makes the strawberries extra sweet and juicy. Right before serving scoop the syrupy strawberries on top of the frosting.

Closeup of strawberry shortcake sheet cake.

Recipe tips

You will need room temperature eggs and milk for the cake. To quickly bring eggs and milk to room temperature place the four eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for about 5 minutes. Microwave the milk to take the chill off, about 15 seconds.

Cool the cake completely before adding the frosting.

In order to get the whipped cream frosting to thicken your heavy cream needs to be really cold, straight from the refrigerator.

Wait to add the strawberries until right before serving.

FAQs

Can this be made ahead?

You can make the cake up to one day ahead. The frosting can be made several hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Wait to add the strawberries until just before serving.

Can I use frozen strawberries?

I don’t recommend it. If you absolutely have to, thaw them and drain them before proceeding.

What is a substitute for sour cream (in the cake)?

Greek yogurt is a good substitute. You can also try some of these: Sour Cream Substitutes.

Serving and storage

This cake is best served the day it is made. You can make the cake and frosting several hours ahead of time. Once frosted the cake should be stored in the refrigerator. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Add the strawberries just before serving.

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Recipe

Slice of strawberry shortcake cake on a white plate.

This homemade dessert is inspired by a classic strawberry shortcake. It features a fluffy vanilla cake topped with whipped cream frosting and lots of syrupy strawberries.

4.87 from 36 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Dessert

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 16

Calories: 585kcal

Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Strawberry topping:

Instructions

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (preferred) or a hand mixer, beat sugar, oil, eggs, egg whites, and extracts until combined. Add the sour cream and beat until combined. Add half of the flour mixture, beating until just combined. While still beating, slowly add milk, then the remaining flour mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Be careful not to overmix it.
Grease a 9×13 baking pan. Pour the batter into the pan and spread into an even lay. Tap/gently drop the pan on the countertop a couple times to remove any air bubbles.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If necessary, rotate the pan once during bake time to ensure even browning. Place the pan on a rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

Place the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on medium speed until smooth. While the mixer is still running, slowly pour the heavy cream down the side of the bowl. Stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl periodically. Increase the speed to high and continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.

Assembly:

Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake. If you are serving right away, stir the strawberries with jam and spoon over the top of the cake. If you are not serving right away, place the frosted cake in the refrigerator and wait to add the strawberries until right before serving.

Notes

*TO PROPERLY MEASURE FLOUR: Fluff the flour with your measuring cup, scoop a heaping portion and level it off with the back of a knife.STRAWBERRIES: Combining strawberries with jam will make the strawberries soft and syrupy over time. If you have really ripe, juicy, sweet strawberries wait until 30 minutes or less before serving to combine the strawberries and jam (you don’t want them to break down too much). If you have mediocre strawberries they would likely benefit from sitting in the jam for one to two hours before serving.EGGS AND MILK: To quickly bring eggs and milk to room temperature place the four eggs in a bowl of really warm tap water for about 5 minutes. Microwave the milk to take the chill off, about 15 seconds. FROSTING: This frosting is stabilized with cream cheese, so it tastes like cheesecake whipped cream. If you don’t want the flavor of cream cheese you can use 8-oz of mascarpone cheese instead. Just be aware that the frosting will be softer than if you use cream cheese. Alternatively, you can use vanilla buttercream frosting or freshly whipped cream. Note: the homemade whipped cream will not be as stable, so you’ll want to add the frosting right before serving.STORING: This cake is best served the day it is made. You can make the cake and frosting several hours ahead of time. Once frosted the cake should be stored in the refrigerator. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Add the strawberries just before serving.