This strawberry sheet cake is easy to make with vanilla cake batter and fresh strawberry purée! Topped with a strawberry cream cheese frosting, it’s perfect for feeding a crowd.
This cake is a favorite strawberry dessert when berries are in season. My strawberry cake recipe, strawberry shortcake bars and strawberry bread are other must-makes!
Table of Contents
Easy Sheet Pan Cake Recipe
If you love strawberries as much as I do, you don’t want to miss this old-fashioned strawberry sheet cake! Like my strawberry jello poke cake, it’s boxed cake mix dessert, which makes it easy to whip up in 35 minutes.
Unlike my angel food cake recipe, it’s baked on a baking sheet like my white sheet cake recipe, making it flatter than your average cake but perfect to serve a crowd at a potluck! Top with a strawberry cream cheese frosting or strawberry buttercream for the best strawberry cake!
Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Fresh strawberries: Juicy, ripe berries will be pureed to infuse the cake with fresh strawberry flavor!
- Cake mix: Using a white cake mix or strawberry cake mix keeps it simple!
- Instant vanilla pudding: Helps thicken and soften the cake with pudding.
- Eggs: This will add structure to the cake as well as color and richness.
- Canola oil: Extra moisture will be added in with the oil.
- Water: Warm water is added to the batter to keep it moist and help with baking time.
- Sour cream: This will soften the cake and give it a moist, spongy texture.
- Red food coloring: This helps to brighten the cake a little more and give it that beautiful pink color once it is baked.
- Strawberry cream cheese frosting: Softened butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, strawberry puree and a pinch of salt.
How to Make this Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake
- Combine. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, water, and sour cream. Mix using an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add 1 cup of the strawberry purée and gently combined. Do not overmix.
- Bake. Pour into a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove and allow the cake to cool before adding any frosting.
- Mix. Make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar and strawberry purée and mix until combined. Add a pinch of salt or vanilla extract, if desired.
- Spread. Using a spatula evenly spread the strawberry frosting overtop the sheet pan dessert.
Cake Tips
Follow these helpful tips to make this the best strawberry sheet cake!
- Flavors. This can be made with vanilla cake mix or strawberry cake mix if preferred.
- Size. This cake is quite thin, so if you’re looking for a thicker cake, swap the baking sheet for a 9×13 cake pan. Add 5 minutes to the baking time.
- Butter. I use salted butter because I like what it adds to the taste, but you can use unsalted butter and then adjust using any added salt to taste.
- Strawberries. The riper, the sweeter your purée will be. It’s the juices that add all of that delicious strawberry flavor. Just keep in mind, you may want to avoid overly juicy strawberries to top off the cake, otherwise, they may start to bleed into your frosting.
- Serve this year-round: While this cake is amazing in the summer, I love to pair it with a cup of hot chocolate for a winter treat around Valentine’s Day!
5 star review
“This cake was a huge hit with my entire family! And it was SO easy to make. This one is going in the keeper recipe file for sure. :)”
-Samantha
Recipe FAQs
The biggest difference between the two pans is the size of the pans. Sheet cake is made with a flatter and more shallow pan but is larger. The regular cake is usually made in a 9×13 baking dish that has a thicker side to it and usually a clear glass pan.
Yes! This is a great way to add more of a special touch and decoration to the cake. I like to add fresh, cut slices of strawberries to each piece as it is served. If you add the strawberries ahead of time, they may bleed through the frosting or even create wet spots on the cake that is not as appealing.
Yes, but you will need to thaw and drain them well. You may want to add a pinch of sugar to the puree as frozen strawberries are often not as sweet as fresh strawberries.
Storing & Freezing
This strawberry cake is perfect for storing leftovers, freezing, or making ahead. Follow these ideas for the best ways to store your cake properly.
- To store: This cake makes about 24 slices. If you have any leftovers, keep them stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- To freeze: You can freeze this cake even with the frosting on! Place any remaining pieces on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes. This way, once the frosting has hardened you can transfer it to a freezer-friendly Ziploc or airtight container. Separate the layers with parchment paper that way they won’t clump together.
Do you love fresh strawberry desserts!? Try these delicious strawberry cookies, fresh strawberry pie, or these easy strawberry brownies for more strawberry recipes!
More Easy Fruit Desserts
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Strawberry Sheet Cake
Equipment
- Half-Size Sheet Pan (18×13")
Ingredients
Strawberry Puree
- 16 ounces strawberries , rinsed and tops cut (more for top if desired)
Strawberry Cake
- 15 ounces white cake mix , or strawberry cake mix
- 3.4 ounce box Instant Vanilla Pudding
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup warm water
- 8 ounces sour cream
- red food coloring , optional
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 Tablespoons butter , softened (I use salted)
- 4 ouces cream cheese , softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup strawberry puree , reserved from cake
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 18×13" baking sheet with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper. Then place the strawberries in a blender and pulse until well blended.
- Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, water and sour cream. Mix until well combined.
- Add in 1 cup of strawberry puree and then mix just until combined. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. Pour into the prepared baking sheet. Bake cake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean. Remove from oven and allow cake to cool.
- For the frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese together in a medium size bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Then add in the powdered sugar and strawberry puree. Mix until combined. Taste and add a pinch of salt or dash of vanilla if needed.
- Spread the frosting evenly over top of the cooled cake.
- Slice cake into 24 bars and then top with sliced strawberries if desired, just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 4th of July, American, Cake + Cupcakes, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Fruit Desserts, Nut-Free, Sheet Pan, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Turned out like a custard/bread pudding texture. Not a favorite at all.
Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as intended, we never had that issue in testing. Did you add too much liquid or make the pudding mix on accident? The pudding mix should not be made according to package but just added dry to the cake mix.
Love this spin off of Texas chocolate sheet cake! Going to remember it for the summer!
I love anything strawberry, especially cakes. This strawberry sheet cake is so awesome and super easy to use the strawberry cake mix. The use of the pudding mix and sour cream is great, makes the cake taste better and not dry out, so yummy.
I agree, love anything with strawberries! Glad you enjoyed the strawberry sheet cake!
I love this strawberry sheet cake recipe! It’s easy to make and it tastes so good! I’ll surely make this again!
this cake is amazing and super simple! thank you for sharing this recipe!
You are so welcome, Elieene! Glad you enjoyed it :)
This cake was a huge hit with my entire family! And it was SO easy to make. This one is going in the keeper recipe file for sure. :)
Yay, I’m so glad to hear it was a hit! :)
We love this recipe. Sheet cakes are the best! It’s our go-to spring cake, and everyone loves it!
So happy to hear that!