Strawberry sheet cake is made with vanilla cake batter, a few pantry staples, sour cream, and fresh strawberry purée for a light cake with a beautiful pink hue. Top it with a strawberry version of my cream cheese frosting or strawberry buttercream for the ultimate strawberry-flavored dessert!
Table of Contents
Easy Sheet Pan Cake Recipe
If you love strawberries as much as I do, this is a cake recipe that you won’t want to miss! Like my strawberry jello poke cake, we start this with a boxed cake mix, which makes it super easy to whip up in 35 minutes from start to finish.
It’s flatter than your average cake because the batter is spread out and baked on a baking sheet rather than a traditional cake pan like my strawberry cake recipe or loaf pan like my recipe for strawberry bread.
This old-fashioned strawberry sheet cake and my angel food cake recipe are the perfect light after-dinner desserts along with a cup of tea or some hot chocolate in the winter. In the summer, it can serve a crowd at potlucks and BBQs!
Recipe Ingredients
Make this sheet pan cake easy with pantry staple ingredients. All these ingredients are simple to combine and always have on hand. This cake is over-the-top moist, soft, and full of flavor!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Strawberry cake mix: Make this simple by using the dry ingredients
- 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.
How to Make this Easy Strawberry Sheet Cake
Create a delicious strawberry puree with fresh strawberries. Then mix together wet and dry ingredients for a beautiful pink cake batter. Bake and frost for the best 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.
Use Any Frosting You Like!
Whether you’re adding a plain cream cheese frosting, a strawberry buttercream, or a strawberry cream cheese frosting, wait until your cake cools, then spread it across the entire surface, then add some fresh strawberry slices before you slice and serve!
Cake Tips
Follow these helpful tips to make this strawberry sheet cake even better! Modify this sheet cake for what you have on hand or use these tips to make it easier when baking. These are great ideas for this strawberry 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.
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.
This cake could also be made with strawberry cake mix or vanilla cake mix. You could also bake in a 9×13″ pan if you desire a thicker cake. You will need to add on an additional 5 minutes of bake time.
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.
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 also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
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!