For the strawberry shortcake lovers, this sheet cake version is deliciously light, so easy to put together, and ideal for feeding a crowd! The recipe starts with baking my extra soft and moist bakery-style white cake in a 9×13 pan, then topping it with billowy whipped cream frosting and thick homemade strawberry sauce. Every element of this cake is made with simple ingredients and comes together so quickly – I particularly love that the whipped cream cheese frosting is made with COLD ingredients (no need to bring them to room temp!) and you can use fresh or frozen strawberries for the strawberry sauce. If you’re looking for the perfect Spring or Summer party cake, this is it!
Bakery-Style Vanilla Sheet Cake
This strawberry shortcake sheet cake recipe begins with my favorite bakery-style white cake, which is extra soft, packed with vanilla flavor, and stays moist for days. The batter is simple to make and it bakes beautifully in a 9×13 pan. Here are some of the key ingredients that make it the perfect texture (and some substitutes in case you need them):
- Cake Flour. To achieve the super soft bakery-style texture in this cake, you’ll need to use cake flour. It produces a much fluffier cake than all-purpose (or plain) flour because of its lower protein content (the more protein in your flour the stiffer the dough and less ability to maintain moisture). You can find cake flour at most grocery stores, but if all you’ve got is all-purpose flour in your pantry, here are instructions for how to make your own cake flour. Keep in mind that if you do use the homemade version, the gram measurement will weigh more (295g instead of 265g) since all-purpose flour is heavier than cake flour.
- Butter + Oil. A combination of butter and oil are used as the base fats here. The butter adds richness and structure while the oil keeps the crumb super moist and flexible. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use that and omit the salt in the recipe. And while I like to use plain vegetable oil, you can substitute an equal amount of any neutral oil you’re used to baking with (canola, refined avocado, etc).
- Egg Whites. To keep the cake extra light (and nearly white in color), I use four large egg whites in this recipe. You can either use fresh egg whites and save the yolks for another recipe, or use ½ Cup of carton egg whites in place of the fresh ones if that is more convenient.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. To create that perfect vanilla flavor, use a good quality vanilla extract or substitute with an equal amount of vanilla bean paste.
- Buttermilk. The fattiest of all the milks, buttermilk creates a rich texture and locks in lots of moisture. If you can’t find buttermilk locally, you can easily make a DIY version using whole milk and vinegar or lemon juice. The instructions are in the notes of the recipe card below.
Thick Homemade Strawberry Sauce
This strawberry sauce is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, and beautifully thick without being too jammy. It’s everything you want in a strawberry topping for shortcake (or in this case, sheet cake)! If you’re planning on making the whole recipe in one baking session, it’s ideal to make the strawberry sauce while the sheet cake bakes. This way, the sauce will be cooled enough to top the cake by the time the cake is cooled. You can alternatively make it up to 5 days ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the strawberry shortcake sheet cake.
You’ll need a handful of ingredients for the strawberry sauce: fresh or frozen strawberries, lemon juice, a little sugar, and cornstarch dissolved in water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for thickening the sauce. To make it, you’ll hull and quarter the strawberries, then add most of them into a medium saucepan with the lemon juice and sugar (reserve about ⅓ of the strawberries for adding later).
The strawberries will release their juices while you bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes. Then, you’ll add the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens to the point where it coats the back of your spatula (1-2 minutes longer). Finally, fold in the reserved strawberries into the strawberry sauce. Since most of the cooked strawberries get mashed up in the simmering process, adding in some fresh ones guarantees bigger chunks.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
When the vanilla sheet cake and strawberry topping have cooled and you’re ready to assemble, it’s time to make the whipped cream cheese frosting. This is essentially a whipped cream frosting with cream cheese added, which helps stabilize the frosting and makes it thick enough for frosting the cake. I love that this whipped cream cheese frosting comes together with just four ingredients in about five minutes. The only thing you’ll need to do as prep work is place the bowl of your stand mixer (or the large metal or glass bowl you’re making the frosting in) in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes so it’s cold when you get started.
To make the whipped cream cheese frosting, you’ll essentially whip up some full-fat brick-style cream cheese until creamy, then mix in a little powdered sugar and vanilla until combined. All that’s left to do is slowly add heavy whipping cream and whip until soft peaks form. You’ll want to keep a close eye on your mixer so you don’t over-whip! The resulting frosting should be silky smooth, deliciously light, and so easy to work with.
Note: it’s super important to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese in this recipe. Other kinds of cream cheese (low-fat or the spreadable kind in tubs) contain too much water and will ruin the consistency of the frosting. If you can’t find full-fat brick-style cream cheese, mascarpone cheese makes the best substitute for the cream cheese in this recipe or you can make the stabilized whipped cream frosting from my Black Forest Cake recipe instead!
How to Assemble a Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
Once your vanilla sheet cake and strawberry sauce are cooled and you have your whipped cream cheese frosting ready to go, here’s how to assemble your strawberry shortcake sheet cake:
- Step 1: Transfer the sheet cake to a serving platter (optional). If you’re planning on presenting this sheet cake on a pretty platter, now is the time to carefully remove it from the 9×13 pan. Place the serving platter (or a large cutting board) over the top of the pan and flip the pan over to release the sheet cake. Then, remove the parchment paper backing. I say that this part is optional because you can absolutely leave the sheet cake in the pan and add the toppings if you’d rather! It will still be pretty and even easier to transport if needed.
- Step 2: Add the whipped cream cheese frosting. Add all of the whipped cream cheese frosting on top of the sheet cake and smooth it to the edges using an angled spatula. Don’t worry about getting it perfect – the whipped cream cheese frosting looks best when it’s a little rustic and swoopy.
- Step 3: Add the strawberry topping. Add all of the strawberry topping on top of the whipped cream frosting, leaving a little room for the frosting to peek out around the edges.
- Step 4: Garnish. I added a few fresh strawberry halves and slices on top of the strawberry sauce to add extra texture and intrigue. It turned out so pretty!
This strawberry shortcake sheet cake is so fun to make and absolutely delicious! The whipped cream cheese frosting and strawberry topping aren’t too sweet, which makes this cake so light and refreshing. The notes of strawberry and whipped cream really come through and taste AMAZING on top of the super soft vanilla cake. It’s the perfect Spring or Summer party cake!
More Strawberry Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
If you love strawberry desserts, here are some more of my recipes to try:
- No-Bake Marbled Strawberry Cheesecake
- Strawberry Sheet Cake
- Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake
- No-Churn Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
- Strawberry Layer Cake
- Strawberry Cupcakes
Did you make this strawberry shortcake sheet cake? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments (don’t forget to rate it!) and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Bakery-Style Vanilla Sheet Cake
- 2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature or 1/2 Cup carton egg whites
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 Cups (300ml) full-fat buttermilk**, room temperature DIY recipe in notes
Homemade Strawberry Sauce
- 1 1/2 Lbs (680g) fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled and quartered.
- 1/3 Cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (12g) cornstarch
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (22ml) water
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 Cup (8oz, 226g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese*, cold see notes for substitution options
- 1 Cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 Cups (600ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
Garnish
- fresh strawberry halves and slices
Instructions
Make the Bakery-Style Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) and prepare a 9×13 metal pan or baking dish* by spraying the sides with baking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cream it together with the butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle at the halfway point. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg whites one at a time, mixing until they are just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla, increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix the ingredients on low speed until just combined, then slowly pour in the buttermilk. Continue mixing at low speed for about 30 seconds, until the batter is uniform and combined. The batter will be slightly thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before topping. You can either let it cool in the pan before decorating or remove it from the pan to decorate if you wish.
Make the Homemade Strawberry Sauce
- Because of the cooling time needed, the strawberry sauce is best made while the cake is baking/cooling, or you can make it up to 5 days ahead of time. Start by hulling and halving the strawberries. Reserve about 1/3 of the strawberries (1/2 lb or 227g) and set them aside. Add the remaining strawberries into a medium saucepan along with the granulated sugar and lemon juice.
- Stir the strawberry mixture to combine and cook over medium heat until the strawberries release their juices and the mixture begins to simmer. Reduce the heat slightly and continue to simmer until for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl.
- Remove the strawberry mixture from the heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture, then continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the strawberry sauce is thick enough to coat the back of your spatula, 1-2 minutes. Remove the strawberry sauce from the heat and fold in the reserved strawberries, then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator to cool for about an hour, or up to 5 days ahead of assembling the cake.
Make the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the mixing bowl of your stand mixer (or the large bowl you'll be using with your hand mixer) into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to chill before you begin.
- Into the cold mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until mostly incorporated, then turn the mixer to medium-high speed and mix for about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and whisk attachment as needed.
- Add the vanilla extract, then turn the mixer to medium-high speed and slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream. Once all the heavy whipping cream has been added, continue mixing on medium-high for just about 30 seconds longer, keeping a close eye on the mixing bowl to watch it thicken. It should come together into a thick, silky whipped cream frosting consistency at this point. To check the consistency, turn the mixer off and dip your spatula into the frosting. It should hold a peak when you hold it upright.
- Use the whipped cream cheese frosting immediately to assemble the strawberry shortcake sheet cake, or store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days ahead of time.
Assembly
- Once you have all of your elements cooled and ready, transfer the vanilla sheet cake to a serving platter (or keep it in the baking pan if you wish!). Add all of the whipped cream cheese frosting on top and use an angled spatula to smooth it to the edges. No need to be too detailed here – this cake is meant to look rustic with swoopy, imperfect frosting. Finally, top with the strawberry sauce, leaving a little room around the edges so the whipped cream cheese frosting can peek though. Garnish with fresh strawberry halves and slices.
Notes
- The sheet cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature in the baking pan, the top covered with plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature.
- The strawberry sauce can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- The whipped cream cheese frosting is best served the day of assembly, but you can make it up to 3 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- The assembled strawberry shortcake sheet cake is best served the day of assembly. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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