Strawberry Sheet Cake Recipe
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This homemade Strawberry Sheet Cake is soft, moist, and bursting with real strawberry flavor thanks to crushed freeze-dried strawberries in both the cake and cream cheese frosting. Perfect for potlucks, birthdays, summer gatherings, and family celebrations, it's easy to make and, like my Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake, topped with fresh strawberries for the perfect finishing touch.
This easy sheet cake recipe is ideal when you want to serve a crowd at any kind of occasion! Everybody will rave about the tender and moist strawberry cake and the homemade creamy strawberry frosting. Along with my Strawberry Swiss Roll Cake and this no-bake Strawberry Delight, this homemade strawberry cake is a perfect summer dessert recipe.
Quick Look: Homemade Strawberry Cake
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 28 minutes
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 12
- 📊 Calories: ~450 kcal per serving
- 🥣 Ingredients: strawberry cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, freeze-dried strawberries, butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, fresh strawberries
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy, great for parties, potlucks, and more!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Super Easy Prep: Cake mix helps cut down on prep, but this recipe still doctors it up and turns it into a fantastic dessert experience.
A Crowd Favorite: This sheet cake is great for potlucks and parties thanks to its crowd-friendly serving size!
Nostalgic Flavors: Thanks to both fresh and freeze-dried strawberries, this cake is packed with fruity and summery flavor that will take you back to childhood.
For even more potluck dessert options, try my tropical and fruity Sunshine Cake or this Strawberry Icebox Cake!
Ingredients Needed
- Strawberry Cake Mix: Use your favorite brand or even make your own cake mix if you prefer!
- Freeze Dried Strawberries: This crucial ingredient infuses both the cake batter and homemade frosting with even more strawberry flavor.
- Cream Cheese: I use full fat.
- Fresh Strawberries: Create a striking presentation and add even more fresh fruit flavor.
How to Make this Strawberry Sheet Cake Recipe
- Step 1: In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and 1 cup of freeze-dried strawberries. Mix well.
- Step 2: Pour into a greased 9x13 rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Step 3: Meanwhile, in another mixing bowl, cream together softened butter and cream cheese using a hand mixer.
- Step 4: Mix in 3/4 cup of the freeze-dried strawberries and vanilla extract and mix.
- Step 5: Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, mixing well until the frosting is your desired consistency.
- Step 6: Spoon the frosting on top of the cooled cake.
- Step 7: Use a knife or offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top.
- Step 8: Sprinkle the final 14 cup of freeze-dried strawberries on top, then add fresh strawberry slices to garnish.
Recipe Tips
- Allow chilled ingredients like the butter and cream cheese to come up to room temperature to make them easier to mix together.
- Use a food processor or blender to properly pulverize the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder.
- Because this cake is fairly shallow, start checking at around 13 minutes to ensure you don't accidentally overbake it.
- Be sure to let the cake fully cool before frosting to prevent the frosting from sliding off or melting.
- Freeze-dried strawberries should be available in the produce aisle at your local grocery store.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can bake it in a 9x13-inch baking pan, but the baking time may need to be adjusted slightly.
Freeze-dried strawberries are usually found near the dried fruit, snack aisle, or baking section at most grocery stores.
If you have leftovers, cover tightly with some plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also transfer slices to an airtight container instead.
If the cake is unfrosted, it can be frozen for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in plastic. If the cake has already been frosted, I don't recommend freezing it as the frosting might not hold up after thawing.
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Strawberry Sheet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 strawberry cake mix 15.25oz box
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 (1 ounce pkg) freeze dried strawberries crushed & divided (see notes)
- ¼ cup butter unsalted room temperature
- 1 (8 ounce) cream cheese room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 pint Fresh strawberries sliced or cut in half, for garnish
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9”x13” low profile/ rimmed baking sheet (cookie sheet) with pan release or nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix the cake mix with the eggs, vegetable oil, water and 1 cups freeze dried strawberries crushed into a powder and mix well to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, until the center is set or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely, about 25-30 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl add the cream cheese and butter. Use a hand mixer fitted with beater attachments on medium speed to blend until creamy and light, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and ¾ cup remaining freeze dried strawberries powder then mix again on low speed.
- Start adding the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time on low speed. Once all the sugar is added, increase to high speed for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
- Spread the icing over the completely cooled cake. Garnish with remaining ¼ cup crushed dried strawberries & fresh strawberries as desired.
Notes
- Crush dried strawberries in a food processor or place in a ziplock freezer bag and using a rolling pin smash until crushed.
- Freeze-dried strawberries can be found in your local grocery store in the produce dept.
- Baking time: Because the cake is baked in a shallow sheet pan, it cooks much faster than a traditional cake. Begin checking for doneness around the 13-minute mark to avoid overbaking.
Love that Emily so happy it was a hit!
Made this for my daughter's birthday and it was a huge hit. The strawberry flavor was perfect!💖
They are measured before crushing them. Too large of chunks may create a grainy texture.
are the strawberries measured before or after pulverizing them? is it okay to leave some larger pieces, or would they not reconstituted well enough?