How to Make the Perfect Fresh Strawberry Sheet Cake
If you're heading to a spring party or potluck, bring this showstopping strawberry sheet cake. It's made with a fresh strawberry puree and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. This big-batch strawberry dessert recipe serves 24 and thanks to a boxed cake mix, it's a cinch to make. Here's our Test Kitchen's best strawberry sheet cake recipe.
Strawberry Sheet Cake Ingredients
This strawberry sheet cake recipe is our favorite way to use up leftover strawberries. Here's what you'll need to make it at home.
Cake
- Strawberries: You'll need a pound of fresh, cleaned strawberries for this sheet cake recipe. Most will be pureed into the cake batter and frosting but we'll reserve some for decorating the finished cake.
- Cake Mix: A box of white cake mix, plus eggs and oil, is what you'll need to make the batter.
- Gelatin: A package of strawberry gelatin helps amp up the strawberry flavor.
Frosting
- Butter: For the perfect balance of flavors, choose salted butter for the frosting.
- Cream Cheese: Be sure to let your cream cheese come to room temperature before you start blending the frosting.
- Vanilla: A bit of vanilla is our secret to making the flavors taste like a strawberry shortcake sheet cake.
- Powdered Sugar: For a smooth texture, use powdered sugar.
How to Make a Sheet Cake with Strawberries
Shortcuts, like a boxed cake mix, help cut down on the prep time of this homemade cake. Here's a quick look at how to make. The full strawberry sheet cake recipe is below.
- Blend the cleaned and hulled strawberries. You'll have a little extra puree. Reserve it to make the frosting.
- Mix the cake mix with the strawberry puree and gelatin.
- Bake the cake and cool completely.
- Mix up the cream cheese frosting and spread it on the cake.
- Top with sliced strawberries and enjoy!
How to Store Strawberry Sheet Cake
Store any leftover strawberry cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Do not leave the cake at room temperature.
Ingredients
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1 pound fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
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1 package (2-layer-size) white cake mix
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1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin mix
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3 large eggs
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3/4 cup vegetable oil
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1/4 cup salted butter, softened
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4 ounces cream cheese, softened
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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1/8 teaspoon salt
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5 cups powdered sugar
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside 3 small berries for a garnish, if desired. Place remaining berries in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Measure 1 1/4 cups puree; save remaining puree to make the frosting.
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In a large bowl whisk together cake mix and gelatin. Add 1 cup strawberry puree, eggs, and oil. Beat with a mixer on medium until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan.
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Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
Test Kitchen Tip: If using a baking dish rather than a baking pan, bake cake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
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Meanwhile, prepare frosting. In a medium bowl beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium until creamy, about 1 minute. Add remaining 1/4 cup strawberry puree, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating on low until smooth and creamy.
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Frost cake with strawberry frosting. If desired, just before serving slice reserved berries and use to decorate top of cake.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 315 | Calories |
| 11g | Fat |
| 52g | Carbs |
| 2g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 24 | |
| Calories 315.1 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 11.4g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat 3.1g | 15% |
| Cholesterol 17.6mg | 6% |
| Sodium 252.7mg | 11% |
| Total Carbohydrate 52.1g | 19% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.6g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 42.2g | |
| Protein 2.3g | 5% |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C 11.1mg | 12% |
| Calcium 56mg | 4% |
| Iron 0.6mg | 3% |
| Potassium 50.6mg | 1% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 0.3g | |
| Vitamin D 1.7IU | |
| Alanine 0.1g | |
| Arginine 0.1g | |
| Ash 1.1g | |
| Aspartic acid 0.2g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 0mcg | |
| Choline, total 10.4mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0mg | |
| Cystine 0g | |
| Energy 1318.1kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 0.9mcg | |
| Folate, total 21.2mcg | |
| Glutamic acid 0.5g | |
| Glycine 0.3g | |
| Histidine 0g | |
| Isoleucine 0.1g | |
| Leucine 0.2g | |
| Lysine 0.1g | |
| Methionine 0g | |
| Magnesium, Mg 5.6mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 0.1mg | |
| Niacin 0.6mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 97mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 0.2mg | |
| Phenylalanine 0.1g | |
| Phytosterols 19.3mg | |
| Proline 0.3g | |
| Retinol 33.5mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 2.6mcg | |
| Serine 0.1g | |
| Starch 0.3g | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Threonine 0.1g | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 1mg | |
| Tryptophan 0g | |
| Tyrosine 0.1g | |
| Valine 0.1g | |
| Vitamin A, IU 125.3IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 34.2mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0.1mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 14.8mcg | |
| Water 23.6g | |
| Zinc, Zn 0.1mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.