Strawberry Sheet Cake

For a sweet 4th of July treat that’s as festive as it is flavorful, Bake With Zoha’s Strawberry Sheet Cake is a must. Bursting with real strawberry flavor and topped with a luscious pink frosting, this easy-to-make dessert is perfect for sharing. It’s budget-friendly, crowd-pleasing, and adds a pop of color and fun to your Independence Day spread, proving that a simple homemade cake can steal the show.

INGREDIENTS

Strawberry Sheet Cake

• ¾ cup vegetable oil (170g)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (56g)
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ⅓ cup milk (80g)
• 340g fresh or frozen strawberries (makes about 1 ½ cups of puree) – if using frozen, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes beforehand
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (360g)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (20g)
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Optional: a few drops of pink gel food color

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

• 12oz cream cheese, room temperature (340g)
• ⅓ cup strawberry jam of choice (80g)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (60g)
• ⅓ cup heavy cream (80g)
• Pinch of salt

Assembly & Decoration

• Fresh strawberries to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Strawberry Sheet Cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (conventional / no fan) and line a 9×13″ baking pan with parchment paper
2. Add the oil, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth (~2 minutes)
3. Blitz the strawberries in the food processor until they form a puree. Leave some texture if desired!
4. Add the strawberry puree and milk to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined
5. Lastly, sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a hand whisk to whisk until the ingredients are just combined gently and no lumps remain. Do not overmix
6. If desired, add a couple of drops of pink food color and gently fold in
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for ~25-30 minutes. Test with a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake – it should have a few moist crumbs on it (no wet batter). Do not overbake!
8. Let the cake cool down at room temperature

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Add the room temperature cream cheese, strawberry jam, sugar, heavy cream, and salt to a bowl. Whisk on medium-low speed until the ingredients are combined and no lumps remain. You should have a silky smooth frosting. Do not overmix, as that can cause the frosting to become runnier
2. Feel free to add food coloring if you would like to!

Assembly & decoration:

1. Once the cake has cooled, carefully remove it from the pan (or keep it in if you want to serve with it). Slather on the cream cheese frosting, and decorate with lots of fresh, sliced strawberries
2. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
3. This cake is best eaten at room temperature, but should be stored in the fridge