A fluffy, light Vanilla Sheet Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. The cake’s subtle sweetness perfectly complements the vibrant, fruity richness of the strawberry topping, creating a simple yet indulgent dessert that's both refreshing and satisfying.
If you’re after a dessert that’s both easy and ridiculously delicious, this vanilla sheet cake with strawberry frosting is where it’s at. The single layer cake itself is light, fluffy, and subtly sweet, and the strawberry frosting? Pure magic: creamy, fruity, and just the right amount of tangy. Whether you're throwing a birthday party or just treating yourself or loved ones for Valentine's Day, this cake is the kind of simple, feel-good dessert that never disappoints.
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Vanilla Cake - The base vanilla cake is absolutely delightful! It's a fluffy, yet moist cake layer. I have made it SO many times over the last year for my family and friends. It's incredibly versatile. It can be turned into a layered cake, or made in an 8x8 pan, or even made into cupcakes! It's the ultimate vanilla cake recipe you need in your back pocket!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting - Ok, seriously, we all know how much I LOVE cream cheese frosting, but strawberry cream cheese frosting can be eaten with a spoon. Just hold the cake. Give me all the frosting. Adding freeze-dried strawberries makes it perfect for all seasons! This same recipe is used in my Strawberry Banana Cake!
Birthday Cake - You can turn this delicious vanilla sheet cake into the perfect birthday cake for your next celebration. Who doesn't love vanilla cake for their birthday?
Easy - This recipe comes together pretty quickly and it's beginner-friendly, so don't worry about thinking you'll mess it up!
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Flour: I have made this cake with bread flour, cake flour, and all purpose flour. The bread flour was a mistake of me not paying attention to what I was grabbing from the pantry, but I'm glad I tried it because it made me see that it wasn't the type of flour I wanted in this cake. Cake flour didn't turn out as well as I would have thought! I loved the texture with all purpose flour the best!
- Butter: Creaming butter and sugar together gives the cake an airy and light texture. Make sure it's softened to room temperature.
- Oil: Use any kind of neutral oil. I alternate between vegetable or light olive oil. Whatever I have on hand.
- Eggs: I use whole eggs + eggs whites. Make sure to only use 2 eggs + 2 egg whites. By leaving out 2 yolks, the cake comes out more fluffy.
- Leavenings: Both baking soda and baking powder are used. The acid from the buttermilk activates the baking soda, but baking powder is also essential for a fluffy and risen cake.
- Buttermilk: I love what buttermilk does to cakes. It creates a beautifully moist cake!
- Cream cheese: Full-fat block cream cheese. Make sure it's cold out of the fridge.
- Butter: Softened, unsalted butter.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: I measure before pulsing. It doesn't have to be exact. You could also add or leave out some of it if you like.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Baking Pan: My favorite 9x13 Metal Baking Pan is from USA pan. It has straight edges, bakes evenly, and never fails. I highly recommend purchasing a good quality baking pan for your cakes.
Mixing bowls: I love using glass Mixing Bowls when making batters and doughs.
Mixer: You can use a stand mixer, or a handheld mixer to make the cake and frosting.
⇄ Substitutions
Oil - Use any type of neutral oil you have, like vegetable, canola, light olive oil, or avocado oil. Anything that won't come through in the cake.
Buttermilk - I personally don't suggest substituting since I think buttermilk substitutions aren't as great as the original. But if you have to, add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to regular whole milk.
✨ Variations
Frosting - Switch up the frosting to a plain cream cheese or vanilla or make a chocolate frosting or a sour cream chocolate frosting.
Flavorings - Add flavorings to the cake like emulsions or extracts to jazz up the cake, like Vanilla Almond Cake.
Sizing - This cake can be made in three 8 inch pans for a layered cake. It can also be turned into cupcakes. This recipe will make 24 cupcakes. You can also halve the recipe and make it in an 8x8 pan.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Prep
Preheat the oven to 350℉ / 178℃
Grease & line a 9x13 metal baking sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk until combined.
Cream butter & sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (you could also use a hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until smooth, light in color, about 3 minutes. Then add the oil and mix for 30 seconds.
💡 Hint: Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to help the batter mix properly.
Add eggs & vanilla
Add in the eggs + egg whites and vanilla extract and beat well until completely combined.
Alternate dry & wet
Sift in half the dry ingredients and slowly mix, then add all the buttermilk and mix for 20 seconds, then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. You don't want to over mix this batter.
Bake
Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the middle rack of your oven for 28-32 minutes (start checking at 25 minutes). A toothpick inserted should come out clean. Let cool before removing from the pan or frosting.
Make the frosting
Pulse the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor or a nutri-bullet until completely powdery.
In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth, for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined, then add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until each addition is incorporated. Once all incorporated and smooth, add the freeze fried strawberries and beat until completely combined.
💬 FAQ
Yes! Absolutely. Divide the batter into 3 8-inch pans and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a quick substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to your milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before using it in the recipe.
Once frosted, this cake should be refrigerated. Make sure to store in an airtight container.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Room temperature ingredients: When called for, it's always best to use room temperature ingredients. This helps the ingredients mix together properly.
Line pans: Prep your pans with parchment paper at the bottom, and grease your pans to make sure the cakes come out in one piece.
Correct pan: Make sure to use the correct type of pan. Baking with metal pans yields better results.
Don't over mix: Once dry ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing.
Don't over bake: Start checking the cake at 25 minutes to ensure you don't over bake.
Make Ahead: You can make the vanilla cake layer in advance. Just make sure to wrap it tightly and refrigerate it. If you plan to make it ahead by more than 1 days, I suggest wrapping it tightly with saran wrap, then aluminum foil, then placing it in the freezer. Let it thaw in the freezer overnight when ready to use.
❄ Storage
Room temperature: This cake can be stored unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature.
Refrigerator: Once frosted, the cake must be stored covered, in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Let come to room temperature before eating.
Freezer: Unfrosted, you can wrap the cake in saran wrap, then aluminum foil and place in the freezer for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge over night.
📖 Recipe Card
Vanilla Sheet Cake with Strawberry Frosting
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1⅓ cup (266 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (56 g) neutral oil
- 2 (110 g) whole eggs room temperature
- 2 (60 g) egg whites room temperature
- 1½ tablespoon (19.5 g) vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon (6 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 1 cup (250 g) buttermilk room temperature
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 oz. (226.8 g) full fat brick cream cheese cold, straight from the fridge
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (12 g) sliced freeze-dried strawberries (I measure then I crush them)
Instructions
Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ / 178℃Grease & line a 9x13 metal baking sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk until combined.2½ cups all purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (you could also use a hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until smooth, light in color, about 3 minutes. Then add the oil and mix for 30 seconds. Add in the eggs + egg whites and vanilla extract and beat well until completely combined.¾ cup unsalted butter, 1⅓ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup neutral oil, 2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites, 1½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- Sift in half the dry ingredients and slowly mix, then add all the buttermilk and mix for 20 seconds, then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. You don't want to over mix this batter.2½ cups all purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup buttermilk
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the middle rack of your oven for 28-32 minutes (start checking at 25 minutes). A toothpick inserted should come out clean. Let cool before removing from the pan or frosting.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pulse the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor or a nutri-bullet until completely powdery.¾ cup sliced freeze-dried strawberries
- In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth, for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined, then add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until each addition is incorporated. Once all incorporated and smooth, add the freeze fried strawberries and beat until completely combined.½ cup unsalted butter, 8 oz. full fat brick cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 cups powdered sugar
- Frost the cake, slice and enjoy! This cake should be refrigerated because of the frosting.
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