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Best Strawberry Sheet Cake

This seriously is Best Strawberry Sheet Cake recipe - and it's SO easy. I've been tweaking it for a while to get it perfect. It starts with a cake mix but turns into so much more!

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Two things I need to mention here.  First, I’m sorry for all the strawberry recipes.  It’s just that time of year and, well… it’s just that time of year.  Second, I don’t often throw around words like “best,” but this time I mean it.  You know how much I love the ease of a sheet cake and here we have my most favorite strawberry version.  I’ve been tweaking this recipe for some time until I got it right where I want it.   The cake is light and fluffy, but super moist and the icing is the perfect sweetness.  I just love this cake.  I mean LOVE it.  Like it ate two pieces while trying to photograph it.  There’s no shame.  It’s that good.  Now go make it so you can see what I’m talking about.

This seriously is Best Strawberry Sheet Cake recipe - and it's SO easy. I've been tweaking it for a while to get it perfect. It starts with a cake mix but turns into so much more!

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5 from 3 votes

Best Strawberry Sheet Cake

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time50 mins
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Author: Stacey Little | Southern Bite

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 (16-ounce) container fresh strawberries
  • 1 (16.5-ounce) package white cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 (3-ounce) package strawberry flavored instant gelatin (I used Jell-O)

For the icing:

  • 1/4 cup butter 1/2 stick, room temperature
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon strawberry flavored instant gelatin reserved from cake
  • 2 tablespoons strawberry puree

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Wash and hull the strawberries and gently puree them in a food processor, blender, or with a hand (stick) blender. You want them to be good and chopped up but not all liquid. You will need 1 cup of this puree for the cake and 2 tablespoons for the icing. This should make more puree than you need. However, if it doesn't, pour the puree into a measuring cup and add just enough water to make 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons.
  • Preheat the oven to 350° F and lightly spray a 9X13 baking pan (or dish) with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer), mix together the cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil until well combined. Open the gelatin and measure out 1 teaspoon into a small bowl and set aside for use in the icing. Pour the remainder of the gelatin and 1 cup of the strawberry puree into the batter and mix well.
  • Pour the mix into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before icing.

For the icing:

  • In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) cream together the butter and cream cheese until well combined and all lumps are gone. Add the vanilla and mix well. Slowly add 3 cups of the powdered sugar separately mixing well after each addition. Add 2 tablespoons of the strawberry puree and the reserved 1 teaspoon of strawberry flavored gelatin and mix well. Add additional powdered sugar if the icing is too thin. Spread over the cooled cake. Store in the refrigerator.
Making This Recipe?Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernBite using the hashtag #SouthernBite, so I can see how it turned out!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Yum!!!
    My favorite cake is caramel Cake immediately followed by Strawberry Cake!! I can’t wait to try your recipe for Easter!! Thank you!!

    Reply

  3. Hi Stacey! Thank you so much for the strawberry sheet cake recipe! I’m leaning more to sheet cakes as they are so much easier to prepare! Have a wonderful Easter! Blessings from Bama!

    Reply

  4. Can you use frozen strawberries and if so, chop frozen or thaw first?
    Thanks for your help as I am anxious to make this and have plenty of berries in the freezer.

    Reply

  5. Hi Stacey, thanks for the recipe it looks so tasty. I will be buying a white box of cake mix so I can make this cake. Sheet cakes are so easy. Take care and God bless

    Reply

    • Actually there are three standard sizes of “sheet” cake pans – whole, half, and quarter. This would be closest to a quarter sheet, but the recipe is correct at 9×13. Regardless of the sizes of the pans, they are each referred to as sheet cakes because they are made in one layer verses multiple layers like a stacked cake.

      Reply

          • Is there any baking time or temperature change needed for baking this recipe doubled in a half sheet as indicated above?
            I’ve made this recipe and enjoyed it for several birthday parties. We’re feeding a larger crew this time and would like to be sure there’s enough to go around. Thanks!

          • Hi Julie! I just can’t say for sure since I haven’t done it myself. I would add about 10 minutes to the cook time and check it every 5 to 10 minutes.

  8. This was an AWESOME cake. I say was cause I keep nibbling along with the rest of the gang. Made it for Easter Feast it make a beautiful cake that smells great. I have tried other fresh strawberry cakes and have been so disappointed. I am thankful for your diligence in tweeking till it is the “Best”. Keep on keeping on, your on the right path.

    Reply

  9. Hi Stacey…I’m a loyal follower of your blog. I love your stories and your recipes.
    Just thought I’d tell you that I am making your strawberry cake for my Mom’s 97th
    birthday tomorrow. Strawberry is always her favorite and I know she will love this.
    Thanks for all the words of wisdom and the great recipes.
    HAPPY SPRING!!!

    Reply

  10. Now I know what my ladies Sunday School class will have for next Sunday morning. Gets hard trying to think of something different every Sunday. Love these recipe, like to take them and change up the flavored and make them unique.. White cake mix. Orange jello, can chopped mandrin oranges. Possibilities are endless. Thank you for getting my imagination working

    Reply

  11. Can you tell me what strawberry purée is that is called for in the icing? I can’t wait to make this. My strawberry layered cakes always slip and slide!

    Reply

  12. This cake is absolutely divine. Made it exactly as the recipe called for. It was perfect and one of the best cakes I have ever made. Delicious!!!!!!

    Reply

  13. Hi Stacey, Happy Spring……….Well you just made my day once again. About 40 years ago when I was working at a club there was a waitress at that time already in her late 70’s and of course everyone’s favorite. She started a tradition of making me a strawberry layered cake with strawberry icing all made from scratch. She even made the cake for me when I went away to college and one year I was in the hospital on my birthday and she still would make sure I got my cake. She never shared her recipes though. I figured out the icing but I could never figure how she made the cake. I tried so many different ways but it was never the same. I never thought of using strawberry gelatin in the cake or the icing. but I’m guessing that is how she made it. I can’t wait to make it. Millie was her name and she was a wonderful women. She passed away about 30 years ago and I think of her often, especially on my birthday’s. Thank you for sharing your recipe with all of us. I love your passion for cooking. I love that you go for the down home flavors and comfort food.

    Reply

  14. Stacy, I just received your cookbook for mother’s day and really,
    really like it. Looking forward to your next cookbook. Hope it
    comes out soon!! Love the recipes and trying one of the recipes
    tonight.

    Reply

  17. Wow! I was looking for something like this. But can I use something other than vegetable oil? Also, can I use flour in place of the box cake mix?

    Thanks Man!

    Reply

    • You are welcome to use melted butter in place of the oil, I would just add a tablespoon or two to account for the solids in the butter. When it comes to changing the cake mix to flour, that’ll require a bunch of other changes and being that I’ve not tested it that way, I’d hate to recommend it.

      Reply

  18. I made this last Friday to celebrate on Saturday, people loved it!! I used a different icing, but the cake itself was the hit and it was so, so easy! It was very moist and flavorful. TY!

    Reply

  20. Hi!
    This looks great, however I want to make a layered cake. How would I go about doing that with this amount of batter- would it turn out the same if I just adjust the baking time and split it between two round cake pans?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  21. I made this for Easter and it was wonderful! I’ll make this for every special occasion this summer. Thank you

    Reply

  22. My boss is not a fan of chocolate, so I am looking forward to making this and bringing her a piece. Sounds delicious!

    Reply

  23. Just wanted to let you know that I made this cake for my daughters 4th birthday and everyone LOVED it. Made it exactly as stated, but put cut strawberries on top for decoration. Thank you!

    Reply

  24. What brand of white cake mix did you use? I would like to make this for my daughter’s birthday. Thank you!

    Reply

  26. I made this cake last year for a family get-together—–YUM!!! It was soooo good. I think it disappeared faster than any cake I’d ever made. Just looking at the picture makes me want to make it again.

    Reply

  28. No milk (or water) for this recipe? I’ve seen several very similar strawberry cake recipes using a white cake mix & pureed strawberries, but they all also call for some milk or water. Thanks!

    Reply

  29. I was just at a luncheon for the Mayor and one of the deserts was a strawberry cake. It was like yours so I am going to make it tomorrow I hope. And I will let you know, it sounds delish.

    Reply

  34. Can I make this a day ahead of time? If so, should I refrigerate it or can I leave it on the counter for a day?

    Reply

  35. Do you put aluminum foil over the cake when it’s refrigerated? I tried this and it kind of stuck to the frosting …. so I had to reapply it. I put a few tooth picks in the cake and put the foil back on to hold the foil over the cake so it wouldn’t touch the cake. Do you do something else? Did I do something wrong? Or do you have some other suggestions for me? Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

  37. My 6 year old son always asks for a strawberry cake for his birthday-and I love that he asks even though it’s usually a pink cake! He knows what he likes! I used your recipe this year and we all loved it. The frosting was wonderful! This is my new favorite strawberry cake recipe, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  38. Could I do the same thing with other fruit. I want to make a rainbow cake with food coloring. I also each layer to be a different flavor. I want the flavors to be pineapple, lemon, strawberry, apple .lime, orange. and cranberry . would it be possible to change the fruit and jello to match.

    Reply

    • That’s quite ambitious! Soft, juicy fruits like strawberries and pineapple should work just fine. I’m not sure that apples and cranberries would work, though.

      Reply

  39. This is THE best cake! The first time I made it was Father’s Day and both my husband and my son ate 2 pieces – a piece!! The cake is super moist and the frosting has got the best flavor. I have made at least 6 times and have one in the frig to take to Tennessee tomorrow!!

    Reply

  42. Can I make the cake and freeze without frosting. I have a lot of things to make for my garden club’s May luncheon and this would save me a little time.

    Reply

  43. My daughter asked for strawberry cake for her birthday this year. I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to test it out before making it for the party. Our family of 3 devoured the 9×13 size in just a few days. Truth be told, I think it was gone in 2 days. So yummy and moist with that decadent cream cheese frosting! I was able to easily double the recipe and bake a half sheet size to feed the hungry ballet dancer at the birthday party. This will always be my go to recipe when we want a strawberry cake!!

    Reply

    • I’m honored to hear my recipe was used for such a special occasion and delighted that you all enjoyed it so much! Happy Birthday to your daughter!!

      Reply

  44. Regarding the lady who covered her cake with plastic wrap and had “sticking” problems…..just stick a mini marshmallow on top of the toothpick before inserting into the cake.

    Reply

    • How did your cupcakes turn out? I was thinking about doing this as a Christmas dessert… I’ve made the cake several times, and always good, but I want to make cupcakes for this occasion.

      Reply

  47. I made this cake using frozen whole strawberries for a family Easter gathering last weekend. The 16 oz bag of strawberries was frozen at the peak of ripeness and worked perfectly. The cake was a big hit and perfect for spring! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  48. Stacey , one guess , as to what I’m making for 4th of July. You, got it. Your delicious strawberry cake. Yum. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.

    Reply

  50. If I wanted to make this a half sheet, and double up the recipe as another comment said, would the bake time still be the same?

    Reply

    • Doubling the recipe may actually produce more batter than you’ll need for a half sheet, depending on the pan. So just be cautious not to over fill it. I don’t want you to end up with a mess in your oven. That said, it will taker a little longer to bake. I’d start with adding about 10 minutes and then checking every 5 after that to test for doneness. Hope you’ll enjoy!

      Reply

  51. Great recipe! I’ve made this strawberry sheet cake at least two or three times, but the one thing I add is a layer of sliced strawberries on top of the icing. That way, we get puréed strawberries in the cake mix and in the icing and sliced strawberries on top. I core the strawberries and quarter them vertically. That is, I stand each strawberry on end, and make two top-down slices from the tip to the bottom of each strawberry. Then I cover most of the top of the icing with the quartered strawberries. Wish I could post a pic, but hopefully the description will suffice. 🙂

    Reply

      • One cool thing about adding a layer of quartered (or halved) strawberries on top is that it turns an already appealing cake into even more of a visual treat. The fresh strawberries on top of the icing catch your eye and help draw you right in, and they also provide a small bite of extra goodness to please the palate. It’s Valentine’s Day today and I stayed up late last night making another of these tasty beauties for the family. Your recipe is permanently on file in our kitchen, Stacey — and we thank you for that!

        Reply

  52. How did your cupcakes turn out? I was thinking about doing this as a Christmas dessert… I’ve made the cake several times, and always good, but I want to make cupcakes for this occasion.

    Reply

  53. I made this for Christmas & my husband said it was the best cake I ever made and I agree! It has such a wonderfully, intense strawberry flavor.

    One question…the cake portion didn’t hold together well when cutting pieces, although it seemed to be perfectly moist & done. Is this normal? Toothpicks cane out clean.

    Reply

    • I’ve not really had that trouble though you can always try a different brand of cake mix the next time you make it to see if that might be the issue. So glad to hear you enjoyed it!

      Reply

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