Strawberry Sheet Cake with Strawberry Frosting

Sweet, simple, and truly delicious Strawberry Sheet Cake with Strawberry Frosting. It’s kind of like the classic we all grew up with, now made even better! Light and fluffy strawberry cake, made with frozen sweetened strawberries, that provide a light natural color tint and just the right amount of flavor! Then, after baking, this sheet cake is generously frosted with the simplest strawberry buttercream that REALLY tastes of strawberries. With no artificial flavors or colors, this strawberry sheet cake is sure to become your new favorite! Every bite is tastes just like summer. Be sure to finish the cake with fresh strawberries and edible flowers for a dessert that will really impress (without any effort!). Perfect for kids and adults alike! Sweet, fruity, and SO. GOOD.

About The Recipe

We are definitely taking it back to childhood summertime this week with this delicious sheet cake! Though, I’ll be honest, my mom never made strawberry cakes when I was younger. Turns out, it’s because she never loved the jello inside the cakes that her mom used to make.

So, with summertime fast approaching, we knew we wanted to do a super simple strawberry sheet cake, but make it without jello!

Which, oddly enough, was surprisingly easy. We used the frozen and sweetened strawberries that you can find in the freezer section in the grocery stores, and blended them so it become more like a purée. Then, stirred it into the cake batter…and we had a delicious strawberry cake!

But, to be totally honest, the first two test bakes of this cake were a complete disaster. We misread the amount of strawberries in the container and wound up with too much liquid and sugar in our cake. It was a hard rubbery mess!

Once we sorted out what went wrong, the cake was a breeze to make. Just like your standard cake, but made with shortening rather than butter.

We also noticed that the pink hue from the strawberries mostly bakes out of the cake and leaves a flavor that is very natural and light. Though, I think that lends to a better summertime dessert. Especially after you add the strawberry buttercream!

We used freeze dried strawberries to achieve not only that bright POP of color, but to really deliver an intense strawberry flavor. Honestly, I could just eat the buttercream with a spoon and be happy!

There is no bake that’s better for celebrating summertime/spring.

Every bite is light, fluffy, moist, and perfectly sweet with just the right amount of strawberry. If you’ve been looking for a cake that’s delicious and made without artificial colors and flavors, you’ve found it!

Reasons You Will Love This Strawberry Sheet Cake

• Super simple to make.
• Effortlessly pretty.
• Truly a crowd pleaser.
• Perfectly strawberry-y.
• Has no artificial colors or flavors.
• A wonderful summertime treat!

Equipment Needed

• Stand Mixer
• 9×13 Inch Sheet Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Sieve/Sifter
• Cake Tester
• Wire Cooling Rack
• Offset Spatula

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Cake:

• Cake Flour
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Shortening
• Granulated Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Large Eggs
• Whole Milk
• Pureed Sweetened Strawberries

For The Frosting:

• Salted Butter
• Powdered Sugar
• Freeze Dried Strawberries
• Heavy Cream
• Vanilla Extract

How To Make Strawberry Sheet Cake

Step 1: Make the batter

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in the flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Stir in the strawberries.

Step 2: Bake

Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake tests done, about 35-40 minutes.

Let the cake cool in pan for about 15-20 minutes, before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Step 3: Make the buttercream

With an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy.

Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Stir in the strawberry powder.

Add the cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Step 4: Frost the cake

Spoon frosting on top of the cooled cake and, using an offset spatula, spread cake evenly across the top of the cake.

Decorate with fresh strawberries and enjoy!

Decorating Ideas

The wonderful thing about sheet cakes is that they are SO simple and so easy to decorate. You can make it as elaborate or simple as you wish. Here are a few of our favorites!

• Fresh Sliced Strawberries
• Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder
• Sugar Pearls
• Edible Flowers
• Piping patterns on top of the cake with the frosting
• Swirling Strawberry Jam into the frosting

Can This Sheet Cake Be Made Into a Layer Cake?

While we’ve not tested this before, it definitely can be done! Follow the directions below if you would like to make this sheet cake into a delicious layer cake.

1. Make the recipe below, but instead of greasing a sheet pan, grease and flour three 8 inch round cake pans.
2. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cakes test done. You may need to rotate the cakes half way through bake time.
3. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 or so minutes, then turn out on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Level, if needed.
4. If you are going to use the strawberry buttercream in the recipe card below, you will need to double or triple the buttercream recipe.

How To Store

Once this cake is cooled, you can can cover it and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. Additionally, you can freeze this cake for up to 1-2 months!

Expert Tips

• 2 cups frozen sweetened strawberries = one 16 oz container.
• Do not over-mix the cake batter.
• Use a tooth pick or cake tester to ensure the cake is baked before pulling it out of the oven.
• Do not substitute oil or butter for the shortening! If you do, the cake will not work.
• Be sure to sift the processed freeze dried strawberries to ensure no lumps are in your frosting.
• If you want to frost the entire cake, you will need to double the frosting recipe.

When you make this Strawberry Sheet Cake with Strawberry Frosting, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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