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Strawberry Lemon Sheet Cake

A tender, buttery sheet cake loaded with fresh strawberries and bright lemon flavor, topped with thick cream cheese frosting and more berries. Feeds 12-16 people, bakes in one pan, and travels to any potluck, Easter dinner, or Sunday afternoon gathering. Make it a day ahead — it's better that way.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword strawberry lemon sheet cake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 16 slices
Author Maggie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest from about 2 lemons
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1.5 cups fresh strawberries diced small and patted dry, for batter
  • FOR THE FROSTING:
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries sliced, for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 18x13-inch sheet pan (or a 9x13 if that's what you have — just increase the baking time by about 5 minutes).
  2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). Mix just until combined.
  4. Gently fold in the diced strawberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan.
  6. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest, and a splash of lemon juice. Beat until fluffy and spreadable.
  7. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Top with fresh strawberry slices and a little extra lemon zest. Keep refrigerated until serving — it feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: Bake and frost Saturday, refrigerate covered with foil. Add fresh strawberry topping right before serving Sunday. The cake is better the next day.

Buttermilk substitute: Add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 1 cup regular milk. Let sit 5 minutes. Works every time.

Storage: Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days. Let come to room temperature 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor.

For a 9x13 pan: This recipe is designed for a standard 9x13 baking pan. For a larger sheet pan (half sheet), increase by 1.5x.