Description

This easy fresh strawberry sheet cake is a delightful treat featuring a moist, tender strawberry-infused cake topped with a silky smooth strawberry cream cheese frosting. Perfect for gatherings or a special dessert, it combines fresh strawberries' natural sweetness with a light, flavorful frosting and fresh strawberry decoration.

Ingredients

Scale

Strawberry Sheet Cake:

¾ cup vegetable oil (170g)
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (56g)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup milk (80g)
340g fresh or frozen strawberries (about 1 ½ cups puree)
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (360g)
2 tbsp cornstarch (20g)
¾ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Optional: few drops of pink gel food coloring

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:

12 oz cream cheese, room temperature (340g)
⅓ cup strawberry jam (80g)
¼ cup granulated sugar (60g)
⅓ cup heavy cream (80g)
Pinch of salt

Assembly & Decoration:

Fresh strawberries, sliced, to taste

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Instructions

Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (conventional, no fan). Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine vegetable oil, melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat with a mixer or whisk until smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes.
Puree strawberries: Using a food processor, blitz fresh or thawed strawberries until a puree forms. Leave some texture if you prefer a chunkier cake.
Combine wet ingredients and puree: Add the strawberry puree and milk to the wet mixture, whisking gently until fully incorporated.
Incorporate dry ingredients: Sift together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients into the wet mixture, using a hand whisk to gently combine until no lumps remain. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
Add food coloring (optional): If desired, add a few drops of pink gel food coloring and gently fold to evenly distribute the color.
Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Do not overbake.
Cool the cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely at room temperature in the pan.
Prepare frosting: In a bowl, combine room temperature cream cheese, strawberry jam, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt. Whisk on medium-low speed until smooth and silky, avoiding overmixing to maintain a good consistency.
Assemble the cake: Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan or leave it in the pan for serving. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top. Decorate generously with fresh sliced strawberries.
Serve and store: Slice the cake and serve at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator to keep the frosting fresh.

Notes

This recipe yields a light layer of cream cheese frosting; you can increase the frosting quantities to taste for more coverage.
If using frozen strawberries, allow them to thaw completely at room temperature for 30 minutes before processing.
Do not overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added to avoid a dense cake texture.
The cake is best enjoyed at room temperature but must be refrigerated to keep the frosting stable.
You can add a few drops of pink food coloring to intensify the strawberry hue of both the batter and frosting if desired.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (based on 12 servings)
Calories: 350 kcal
Sugar: 30 g
Sodium: 250 mg
Fat: 20 g
Saturated Fat: 8 g
Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Fiber: 1.5 g
Protein: 4 g
Cholesterol: 60 mg