Get ready to sink your teeth into pure bliss with this strawberry sheet cake! 🍓✨

This soft, fluffy and dreamy sheet cake is made with fresh strawberries, frosted with a layer of luscious and sweet strawberry cream cheese frosting and topped off with freeze-dried and fresh strawberries. It's the ultimate treat to indulge in for spring! Each bite is like stepping into a delightful spring fairytale 🌸🌷🌞‍

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE?

• This cake is loaded with tons of fresh strawberries so you don’t need any artificial strawberry flavour or essence.
• This cake is super soft, moist and fluffy in texture.
• Ideal for beginners! It is very simple and easy to make. Even if you are a beginner at baking, you can make the perfect cake every single time.
• This cake can easily serve a crowd. The assembled cake is a complete show-stopper! Perfect for any occasion!

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INGREDIENTS YOU"LL NEED!

Here are the key ingredients required to make this cake. Scroll down to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and their exact quantities.

For Strawberry Sheet Cake

• Strawberries (hulled and diced): Either fresh or frozen will work for this recipe. I used fresh strawberries for the cake and on top for decoration. For the cake, first make puree then measure it.
• plain flour/all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Eggs
• Granulated sugar
• Corn flour/Corn starch: It is used to lighten up the plain flour that makes the cake extra soft.
• Red/pink food gel colour (optional): Here you only need a small amount of gel colour as it’s very strong and effective in colouring. It’s best to dip a toothpick in the gel and add a very small amount each time until you get the desired pink colour.

For Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream cheese: It should be COLD. Always use full-fat cream cheese as it gives the frosting a creamy consistency. I used the Philadelphia original here.
• Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature.
• Icing sugar/powdered sugar (sifted): This sugar is great for frosting. It is light and fine, blends into the cream cheese easily and makes the frosting fluffy.
• freeze-dried strawberries: These add a strong strawberry flavour to the frosting without adding too much liquid. First, grind a few sliced freeze-dried strawberries in a coffee grinder, then add to the frosting.  A few slices will be used to decorate the cake.

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EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

• 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Offset spatula
• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• Large mixing bowls

LET’S MAKE THIS CAKE STEP BY STEP!

STEP 1: TO MAKE STRAWBERRY SHEET CAKE

• Add the roughly chopped fresh strawberries and one tsp of fresh lemon juice to a blender or food processor, puree them until smooth with a few tiny chunks of strawberries, measure and set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
• Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or oil, line the bottom with baking paper and leave it to overhang on two longest sides for easy removal. Preheat the fan oven to 155C/311F (for conventional oven 175C/347F).
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla extract and granulated sugar on medium speed until well combined (about 2-3 minutes), scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• Add in the vegetable oil, a very small amount of red or pink food gel colour (optional) and strawberry puree, and beat again to combine.
• Add in the dry ingredients, and beat again on low until just combined, be careful not to overmix the batter if you want light and airy crumbs.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the pan on the counter to remove the air bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 45-60 minutes to cool completely at room temperature. Once the cake has cooled completely, use the baking paper overhangs to lift out the cake carefully and place it over a serving tray or board. To speed up the cooling process, you can keep it in the fridge before frosting

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STEP 2: STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• Cream the softened butter on medium speed (with a hand mixer or stand mixer) until smooth and light in colour (about 2-3 minutes).
• Add in the 1/2 tsp of lemon juice, 1 tbsp of freeze-dried strawberry powder and 1 cup of icing sugar/powdered sugar (sifted). Mix with a spatula then beat on medium-low speed until well combined, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
• Take out the COLD cream cheese straight from the fridge, shift to a small bowl, give it a good mix using a spoon or a hand mixer then add in the above butter mixture. Beat it until combined and fluffy.
• Then add the remaining icing sugar/powdered sugar and beat until fluffy and well combined. Be careful, not to overbeat the frosting as it becomes runny. Use it right away.

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STEP 3: ASSEMBLY

• Frost the top of the cake with a layer of strawberry cream cheese frosting and make swirls, using an offset spatula.
• Decorate with a few slices of freeze-dried strawberries and fresh strawberries.
• Make 15 or 20 slices, using a sharp knife.
• It is best served when cold so pop it in the fridge before serving. Enjoy!

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PRO TIPS FOR PERFECT STRAWBERRY SHEET CAKE!

• All ingredients should be at room temperature.
• Measure your flour correctly to get the best results. The best way to measure the flour is by using a digital scale but if you don’t have one, use proper measuring cups and spoons.  Spoon the flour into the measuring cup then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Don’t measure the whole strawberries, first purée them, then measure to the amount mentioned in the recipe card before adding to the cake batter.
• Don’t over-mix the batter. Once the dry ingredients are combined with the wet ingredients, stop mixing too much, otherwise, it results in a dense cake.
• For the best strawberry cream cheese frosting, use softened butter (which means it should be softened enough, so when you press it with little pressure, your finger leaves a dent) and COLD cream cheese, straight out of the fridge. Just change the mixing order of the ingredients to get a stable cream cheese frosting. You don’t need to add tons of icing sugar to make it stable.

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FAQ

Can I Make This Cake In Advance?

Yes! You can make it a day ahead of frosting and pop it in the fridge. It’s better to make a day ahead of serving because it is easy to assemble when cold.

Can I Make This Cream Cheese Frosting In Advance?

To get the best results, use it right away after whipping. It will stay stable in the fridge for 2 days but keep it in an airtight container. If the frosting looks grainy or separated before you frost the cake, give it a short whip and it will be fluffy again.

How To Store The Cake?

Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can store any leftover frosting in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

I hope that you'll try this recipe and you'll love them as much as my family and I do! If you make this recipe then be sure to tag @kaotickrunch on Instagram. We'd love to see your creations!

Happy baking and eating! 😊