Go Back
–+ servings
strawberry shortcake sheet cake baked in a 9x13 pan
Print

Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

Fluffy and moist vanilla cake baked in a 9x13 pan, topped with silky whipped cream cheese frosting and homemade strawberry sauce. It's strawberry shortcake in soft sheet cake form, deliciously light, and perfect for a crowd!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Cooling Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings 24 slices

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

*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: if you can't find cake flour locally, here's how to make a homemade version using all purpose flour and cornstarch. 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.  
*DIY Buttermilk Recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 1/4 Cups of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
*9×13 Baking Dish: I used a metal pan for this sheet cake, but a ceramic or glass baking dish will work just fine. You may need to add 10-15 minutes to the baking time since glass and ceramic materials take longer to heat. 
*Cream Cheese: if you can't find full-fat brick-style cream cheese for the frosting, do NOT substitute with low-fat or spreadable cream cheese. Instead, substitute with an equal amount of mascarpone cheese or make the stabilized whipped cream frosting from my Black Forest Cake recipe instead!
Make Ahead Tips: 
  1. 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. 
  2. The strawberry sauce can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 
  3. 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. 
  4. 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.