This Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake brings together juicy berries, fluffy cake, and creamy topping for an irresistible dessert that’s perfect for family gatherings and summer celebrations. Learn how to create this crowd-pleasing treat with simple ingredients and easy-to-follow steps that will have everyone asking for seconds!
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Made with simple pantry staples and fresh strawberries, this recipe transforms a humble cake mix into something truly special that looks like you spent hours in the kitchen.
Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, need a dessert for a potluck, or simply want to brighten up a weeknight dinner, this strawberry-studded sheet cake delivers big on flavor without demanding too much of your precious time.
The combination of sweet, juicy berries soaking into the tender cake with billowy whipped cream on top creates a dessert experience that hits all the right notes!
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Why You’ll Love Making This Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
- Time-Friendly Transformation: Turn a basic cake mix into a show-stopping dessert in under 30 minutes of active preparation time.
- Crowd-Pleasing Proportions: The sheet pan format makes this perfect for feeding a gathering of any size, from family dinners to summer parties.
- Make-Ahead Miracle: Prepare components in advance and assemble when needed for stress-free entertaining.
- Adaptable for Seasons: While strawberries shine brightest, this recipe can be modified to showcase whatever berries are at their peak.
🍓 Spring and summer are defined by gorgeous strawberries appearing on the table in any sort of salad, drink, or amazingly delicious cake!
Recipe Ingredients
- White or yellow cake mix
- Whole milk
- Butter
- Eggs
- Fresh strawberries
- Granulated sugar
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a jelly roll pan well. In a medium mixing bowl, add the cake mix, but do not add the ingredients called for on the back of the box! Instead, you are going to add the milk, melted butter, and eggs to the cake mix. Stir very well to combine. Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched, about 15 minutes.
Step 2: While the cake is baking, wash the strawberries and cut them into small enough pieces that they can be scooped up with a spoon when being eaten. Put the cut strawberries in a bowl and add the sugar. Stir to combine well. Let the strawberries rest for 10 to 15 minutes so that the sugar can draw out some of the natural juices in the strawberries.
Step 3: Make the whipped cream while the strawberries rest. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined, and then increase the speed to high. Beat on high until the cream is whipped and forms peaks when the beaters are removed, about 3 minutes.
Step 4: To assemble the cake, spoon the cut strawberries over the baked cake. The cake can still be warm or it can be cool if you like. Drizzle the juice that accumulated in the bowl evenly over the cake, too. Dollop the fresh whipped cream over the strawberries and then use a spatula to spread it evenly over the berries and cake. Slice with a sharp knife and serve right away, or store in the fridge for up to 12 hours before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Fresh strawberries are preferred for their texture and vibrant flavor, but in a pinch, frozen berries can work. Thaw them completely and drain excess liquid before adding sugar. The texture will be softer, but the flavor will still shine through.
The perfect sheet cake should spring back when lightly touched in the center. If your finger leaves an indentation, it needs more time. The edges will also begin to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan when done.
Yes, but baking times will vary. A smaller, deeper pan will require longer baking and may produce a more cake-like texture. A standard 9×13 baking dish works well but will yield a thicker cake layer.
Expert Tips
- Berry Selection Strategy: Look for strawberries that are fragrant, bright red throughout, and firm but not hard. Small to medium berries often pack more flavor than the giant varieties.
- Whipping Wisdom: For the fluffiest whipped cream, chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before whipping the cream.
- Strategic Layering: The recipe correctly puts berries between the cake and cream for a reason! This prevents the sliding that happens when berries sit on top of slippery whipped cream.
- Sugar Timing: Allow your strawberries to macerate in sugar for at least 15 minutes, but no more than 2 hours for the perfect balance of juiciness without becoming too soft.
More Delicious Cake Recipes To Try
If you’re craving berries and cakes, then you’ll love these cake recipes featuring the beautiful fruit!
- Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake: Light, fluffy and bursting with flavor from fresh lemons and berries.
- Strawberry Cake: Moist, fluffy cake layers and a luscious burst of strawberry flavor creates a heavenly experience!
- Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake: A fabulous coffee cake that’s perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack any time of day.
More Cake Recipes To Consider
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Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 white or yellow cake mix
- 1 cup milk whole preferred
- ½ cup butter melted and cooled
- 4 eggs
For the Topping:
- 2 pounds strawberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a jelly roll pan well (a rimmed baking sheet or cookie sheet that is 12×17 inches).
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the cake mix. Do not add the ingredients called for on the back of the box. Instead, you are going to add the milk, melted butter, and eggs to the cake mix.
- Stir very well to combine.
- Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched, about 15 minutes (an under baked cake will leave an indent when touched).
- While the cake is baking, wash and remove the stems from your strawberries, and then chop them into smaller pieces. I like to cut the berries in half from bottom to stem and then lay the cut side down on the cutting board, cutting each half into 3 to 4 pieces about ½-inch wide. The goal is pretty small pieces that will fit on a fork nicely, but also not tiny.
- Put the cut strawberries in a medium bowl and add the sugar. Stir to combine well. I like to let the strawberries rest in the sugar for at least 10 to 15 minutes so that the sugar can draw out some of the natural juices in the strawberries.
- While the strawberries sit, whip your cream.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined, and then increase the speed to high. Beat on high until the cream is well whipped and it forms peaks when the beaters are removed, about 3 minutes.
- When you are ready to assemble the cake, spoon the cut strawberries over the baked cake (it can be warm or cooled), and then drizzle the juice that accumulated in the bowl evenly over the cake too.
- Dollop the fresh whipped cream over the strawberries and then use a spatula to spread it evenly over the berries and cake.
- Slice with a sharp knife and serve right away, or store in the fridge for up to 12 hours before serving.
Notes
- Other recipes call for putting the berries on top of the whipped cream, and while it looks pretty, I find that they slip off when you are trying to serve it. I also like when the berry moisture can soak into the cake a bit.
- This recipe was tested with a 15.25-ounce box of Betty Crocker cake mix (both white and yellow cake mix of this kind were tested).
- If you are making this ahead of time, I’d recommend finding heavy whipping cream (opposed to just whipping cream). The whipped heavy whipping cream is more stable and stays whipped longer without losing its fluffiness or weeping.
- You can make any of these parts ahead of time and assemble before serving, or you can assemble and keep it in the fridge for up to 12 hours before serving. I like to store my sugared berries no more than a few hours, though. They get soft after 4 to 6 hours.
Madison Finchem
Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake