Fresh Strawberry Cake is a pretty pink cake that tastes just as good as it looks. This homemade strawberry cake recipe is easy to make, and it’s topped with the most amazing strawberry cream cheese icing and a few fresh strawberries. This sheet cake is perfect for Valentine’s Day and birthday parties, or just an excuse to eat cake when you’ve got fresh strawberries on hand!
Fresh Strawberry Cake Recipe
Fresh Strawberry Cake tastes so light and sweet, and with homemade strawberry cream cheese icing, everyone will love this simple sheet cake!
There’s something about strawberry that satisfies the taste buds like no other flavor can. It’s more fun than vanilla, but not as rich and filling as chocolate. This fresh strawberry cake recipe really hits the spot with its light, sweet flavor. And with a strawberry cream cheese icing to top it off, this sheet cake is absolutely delicious.
Why buy a box cake mix when you can make a homemade strawberry cake just as easily? This easy sheet cake recipe is beyond tasty and so fun to make. And the strawberry cream cheese icing will have you drooling!
Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
I absolutely adore strawberry cake. It’s a classic for a reason, and it’s the perfect medium between vanilla and chocolate. It’s sweet and flavorful without being too rich. I do love chocolate, but it’s nice to change things up with a fresh strawberry cake recipe every once in a while.
This fresh strawberry cake recipe wouldn’t be complete without the best cake icing…strawberry cream cheese icing! Cream cheese icing is so creamy and flavorful, and it’s really the best option for sheet cakes like this. I think it adds such a decadent taste while still being simple.
This cake is the perfect dessert idea for Valentine’s, Easter, Mother’s Day, or any occasion.
How to Make Strawberry Cake
Making a homemade strawberry cake is just as easy as a box mix with this easy cake recipe. It’s just a matter of mixing your ingredients and baking, and you’ll have a delicious sheet cake ready to eat! We are using fresh strawberries and strawberry gelatin to give it the perfect texture and flavor, and topping it with a homemade strawberry cream cheese icing.
If you’re making this cake ahead of time, or if you end up leftovers, you can store the frosted cake in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
How to Make Cream Cheese Icing
Cream cheese icing is possibly my favorite type of cake icing. It’s so creamy, rich, and smoooooth. Strawberry cream cheese icing is definitely the perfect icing for this homemade strawberry cake recipe. It’s pretty irresistible if you ask me! It’s easy to make too, so no need to use those pre-made cake frostings.
How to Make Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing:
- Use a stand mixer to beat cream cheese, butter, & salt at medium speed until creamy
- Add in lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh strawberries (mashed) and continue blending
- Switch mixer to low speed and mix in powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached (3/12 – 4 cups)
This pretty pink Fresh Strawberry Cake is an awesome easy cake recipe. Topped with Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing, this homemade strawberry cake recipe is the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day, birthday parties, or any time really. I hope you love it as much as we do!
See the recipe card below for details on how to make Fresh Strawberry Cake. Enjoy!
If you like this fresh strawberry cake recipe, try these other amazing cake recipes too:
- Oreo Poke Cake
- White Layer Cake with Strawberry Filling
- Best Turtle Cake recipe
- Strawberry Pound Cake
- Gooey Texas Sheet Cake Skillet
- Raspberry Moscow Mule Cake
- Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
- Kentucky Butter Cake with Strawberries and Cream
- Pink Grapefruit Cake
Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
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Ingredients
For the Fresh Strawberry Sheet Cake
- 1¼ cups unsalted butter 283 grams, room temperature (2½ sticks)
- 2½ cups granulated sugar 500 grams
- 5 large eggs 250 grams, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 14 grams, from ½ lemon
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 6 grams
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 360 grams
- 3 ounces strawberry-flavored gelatin 85 grams (1 box)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt 6 grams
- 1¼ cups buttermilk 284 grams (SEE NOTE)
- 1 cup diced fresh strawberries 167 grams
For the Fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese 454 grams, room temperature (2 bricks)
- ½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams, room temperature (1 stick)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 lemons juiced and zested
- ¾ cup diced fresh strawberries 125 grams, mashed
- 3½ cups powdered sugar 396 grams, plus more if needed
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
For the Fresh Strawberry Sheet Cake
- Set the oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a half-size (18x13x1-inch) rimmed baking sheet with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.1¼ cups unsalted butter, 2½ cups granulated sugar
- Beat in eggs, one-at-a-time, until well combined.5 large eggs
- Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla.1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, gelatin powder, baking soda and salt.3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 ounces strawberry-flavored gelatin, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Turn mixer to low speed. Starting with the flour mixture, beat in the flour and buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture in 5 additions (beginning and ending with flour) beating just long enough after each addition to be blended.1¼ cups buttermilk
- Gently fold in the strawberries.1 cup diced fresh strawberries
- Spread batter into the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool the cake on a cooling rack before frosting.
- While the cake cools, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and salt on medium speed until creamy and lighter in color, about 2 minutes.16 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Beat in the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and mashed fresh strawberries just until blended.2 lemons, ¾ cup diced fresh strawberries
- Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add enough powdered sugar until the desired consistency is achieved. If the mixture is too thick, add more lemon juice or mashed strawberries.3½ cups powdered sugar
- Frost the cooled cake with the strawberry cream cheese frosting, slice, and serve.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- NOTE: If you don't have buttermilk, you can use whole milk or DIY buttermilk.
- To make your own buttermilk, measure 1¼ cups of milk, remove 4 teaspoons of it, and mix in 4 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.
Nutrition Information
I’m planning on making this today. My question…..can I use a 9 x 13 pan instead of a 1/2 sheet pan? It looks wonderful.
Definitely make sure to watch as it bakes as it may need longer!
Is there any way you can use a vanilla box cake? Looks delicious
I haven’t tried that out yet!
This was the best strawberry cake I’ve made! I made it for my teenagers birthday because he loves strawberry, but is not a cake fan, and he loved this! Shared with the neighbors and everyone just raved over it. The only thing I changed was the frosting – I didn’t mash my strawberries, just diced them up and I used less powdered sugar than the recipe called for. I used maybe 2 cups instead of the 3.5-4 cups it said. I tasted it and just made to my liking. Cake was very moist, but light. Definitely will be keeping this recipe!
Happy belated birthday to your son! I’m so happy you all loved it so much!
Can this be made into a cupcake?
Of course! That sounds like a great idea!
Hello Becky, thank you from your EBook that I received. I made the chicken satay last night and it was delicious. you have wonderful recipes, I have lots of recipes but I have to admit that yours is pretty nice and (HO) so good. Thanks to you again. Have a nice day. P.S. tomorrow I will make the strawberry cake, hum..it looks honest good.
Thanks so much! I am happy to hear all the recipe are working out so well for you!
Hi, I made this today and my cake didn’t come out pink at all and I had to use so much powdered sugar for the frosting, I dunno maybe my lemon had way too much juice and my strawberries were way too juicy for it
That’s so strange, I’m sorry it didn’t turn out quite right! I hope it still tasted great.
My icing did that two thankfully I only used one lemon juice of two would have been complete water. It was still delicious though will make again with less lemon juice