My strawberry sheet cake recipe is a celebration of real, fresh strawberry flavor in every bite. I make my sheet cake from scratch with a homemade strawberry reduction and a touch of strawberry Jell-O for that signature pink hue. It’s so moist and tender! Topped with a creamy strawberry buttercream frosting, it’s perfect for summer occasions, birthday parties, and more!
Fresh Strawberry Sheet Cake
I love a good sheet cake because it’s the perfect size for parties! My light and fluffy strawberry sheet cake gets its beautiful pink color and rich berry flavor from real strawberries simmered into a concentrated reduction. A little strawberry Jell-O powder enhances the color and sweetness without overpowering the fresh fruit.
I always cook my homemade strawberry reduction low and slow so it doesn’t water down the batter or frosting, giving this easy sheet cake an unmistakably real strawberry taste. Even better, it works just as beautifully with frozen berries when fresh ones aren’t in season.
This cake recipe makes a delicious homemade base for my favorite strawberry cake pops, too!
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Time-Saving Tip
If I’m short on time, I’ll swap the homemade reduction for ½ cup of good strawberry jam or preserves in both the batter and frosting. It’s a simple shortcut that turns this easy strawberry sheet cake into an even quicker treat without losing that rich, fruity flavor.
Strawberry Sheet Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- High Powered Blender
- Baking Sheet (make sure it’s rimmed!)
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Reduction
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries washed and sliced*
For the Cake
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons strawberry Jell-O powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature (1½ sticks)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- ½ cup strawberry reduction (from above)
For the Frosting
- 1½ cups unsalted butter slightly melted (3 sticks)
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream (35% fat)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup strawberry reduction (from above)
Instructions
For the Strawberry Reduction
- Place the washed and sliced strawberries into a blender and blend on high until you have a smooth strawberry puree, about 3-5 minutes.2 pounds fresh strawberries
- Place the strawberry puree into a medium saucepan and simmer on the stovetop over low heat for 45 minutes, or until the puree is reduced by half. Whisk often. Don’t try to rush this process, slow and steady is the pace you need for this. You’ll want this strawberry puree reduced by half so that you don’t add too much liquid to your cake batter.
- Let the strawberry reduction cool completely, at least 2 hours, before combining with the other cake and frosting ingredients.
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13×18-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (leave the parchment slightly higher than the sides of the pan so it’s easy to lift the cake out after). Lightly spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, strawberry Jell-O powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.2½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons strawberry Jell-O powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a separate large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat (on high speed) the butter and granulated sugar together until well combined and lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down sides of bowl.¾ cup unsalted butter, 1½ cups granulated sugar
- Add the eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture and beat on high until the mixture is fluffy and well mixed, about 1 minute. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are combined properly.3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- On low speed, beat the milk into the butter mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. The mixture may look a bit curdled but that’s perfectly normal.½ cup whole milk
- On low speed, beat the dry ingredients into the cake batter just until combined (using a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl). Be careful not to overmix this or the cake will not rise properly and it will have a gummy-type texture when baked. Beat just until you no longer see white streaks of flour or large lumps of dry ingredients in the batter. This will take about 30 seconds.
- Gently stir (not beat) the strawberry reduction into the cake batter.½ cup strawberry reduction
- Pour the batter onto the prepared sheet cake pan and use a spatula to evenly distribute the cake batter in the pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 26-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and let cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting and Assembly
- While the cake cools, make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the butter, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute.1½ cups unsalted butter, 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Beat in the powdered sugar slowly until fully mixed in, then beat on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.5 cups powdered sugar
- Beat in the strawberry reduction until well combined.½ cup strawberry reduction
- Smooth an even layer of frosting over the top of the cake and decorate as desired.
Notes
- Measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method to avoid a dry cake.
- If you have more strawberry reduction than you need for this recipe, the extra can be stored in a sealed food-safe container in the fridge and used for ice cream topping.
- If you plan to top your cake with fresh strawberries, I recommend doing so just before serving. Over time, the strawberries will begin to give up their juices, making the frosting watery.
How to Make Strawberry Sheet Cake Step-by-Step
Puree the Strawberries: Place 2 pounds of washed and sliced strawberries into a blender and blend on high until you have a smooth strawberry puree, about 3-5 minutes.
Cook the Reduction: Place the strawberry puree into a medium saucepan and simmer on the stovetop over low heat for 45 minutes, or until the puree is reduced by half. Whisk often. Don’t try to rush this process; slow and steady is the pace you need for this. You’ll want this strawberry puree reduced by half so that you don’t add too much liquid to your cake batter. Let the strawberry reduction cool completely, at least 2 hours, before combining with the other cake and frosting ingredients. I like to do this the night before.
Prep to Bake: Once your reduction has cooled and thickened, gather up the rest of the cake ingredients. Preheat your oven to 350°F, line a 13×18-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (leave the parchment slightly higher than the sides of the pan so it’s easy to lift the cake out after), and lightly spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray. Set aside. Bring the butter, eggs, and milk to room temperature, and slightly melt the butter for the frosting.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk 2½ cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of strawberry Jell-O powder, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt together. Set aside.
Cream the Butter: In a separate large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat (on high speed) ¾ cup of room-temperature butter and 1½ cups of granulated sugar together until well combined and lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the Eggs and Milk: Add 3 large room-temperature eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into the butter mixture and beat on high until the mixture is fluffy and well mixed, about 1 minute. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are combined properly. On low speed, beat ½ cup of room-temperature milk into the butter mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. The mixture may look a bit curdled, but that’s perfectly normal.
Mix the Batter: On low speed, beat the dry ingredients into the cake batter just until combined (using a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl). Be careful not to overmix this, or the cake will not rise properly,y and it will have a gummy texture when baked. Beat just until you no longer see white streaks of flour or large lumps of dry ingredients in the batter. This will take about 30 seconds.
Stir in the Reduction: Gently stir (not beat) ½ cup of the strawberry reduction into the cake batter. Again, do not overmix!
Fill the Pan: Pour the batter onto the prepared sheet cake pan and use a spatula to evenly distribute the cake batter in the pan.
Bake the Cake: Bake strawberry sheet cake in the preheated oven for 26-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely before frosting.
Beat the Frosting: While the cake cools, in a large bowl, beat 1½ cups of slightly melted unsalted butter, 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in 5 cups of powdered sugar slowly until fully mixed in, then beat on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the Reduction: Beat in ½ cup of the strawberry reduction until well combined.
Frost and Serve: Smooth an even layer of strawberry frosting over the top of the cake and decorate as desired. I piped swirls around the edge. If decorating with fresh strawberries, I recommend leaving them off until just before serving to prevent a watery cake.
How to Store
Store leftover strawberry sheet cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying at room temperature for the best flavor.
More Strawberry Recipes to Try!
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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