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This fabulous Vanilla Bean Sheet Cake with Fresh Strawberry Icing comes together super quickly with just one bowl, a whisk, no mixer needed. The beautiful pink-hued icing is bursting with fresh strawberry flavor!
This Vanilla Bean Sheet Cake with Fresh Strawberry Icing is one of those cakes that will have people begging for the recipe after the first delicious bite!
The cake is super moist with a tender crumb and is infused with lots of delicious, tiny vanilla beans.
The icing is creamy, smooth and the fresh strawberry flavor explodes with every bite. It's truly a heavenly flavor combination!
An old friend with new clothes
After the photo shoot for this Vanilla Bean Sheet Cake with Fresh Strawberry Icing, I dropped off most of the cake at our daughter, Cait's house. I knew it would be extremely dangerous to keep it and, with four always-hungry kids, I knew it would be in good, appreciative hands. Shortly afterward, Cait texted me and said, "Holy moly, what cake recipe is that?!" I replied, "It's the white Texas sheet cake recipe, the same one I use for the Caramel Cake." She texted back, "Dang, that's the recipe that keeps giving!"
Keeps giving fabulous results is what she meant. I've used this same recipe so many times that I lost count long ago. It's a fun recipe to adapt as it can take on lots of delicious personalities, like this Funfetti Sheet Cake and this Lemon Poppyseed Cake. I like to think of the recipe as a super flexible, never fail, forever fabulous old friend that's always ready for a make-over!
A little trick to achieve lots of strawberry flavor
If you've ever made a strawberry frosting with fresh strawberries you've probably discovered that it's difficult to get much strawberry flavor. By the time you add 2-3 strawberries, there's so much liquid that the consistency gets super runny. And 2-3 strawberries are not going to give much flavor when combined with several cups of powdered sugar.
I discovered a great little secret while developing the recipe for this Vanilla Bean Sheet Cake with Fresh Strawberry Icing. I diced a bunch of strawberries, added a scoop of sugar (to draw out the juices) then microwaved the mixture until it was reduced. I then strained out the solids, resulting in a strawberry syrup. Another stint in the microwave and I was down to right around a quarter cup of intensely strawberry-flavored syrup.
I combined the syrup with powdered sugar, vanilla and softened butter... voila! A fabulous fresh strawberry icing that's bursting with LOTS of strawberry flavor!
What kind of pan to use for this Vanilla Bean Sheet Cake with Fresh Strawberry Icing
There are actually two answers to this question. You can use a regular half sheet pan which is 18x13 inches OR a jelly roll pan which is a little smaller, measuring 15x10 inches. The sheet pan will yield a larger but thinner cake and icing, and the jelly roll pan, a thicker cake with a thicker icing. My preference? I really like making sheet cakes like this in the smaller, jelly roll pan as the cake comes out a little thicker, but either will work.
Easy peasy
Other than making the strawberry syrup (which is mostly hands-off time) is there is minimal labor involved with both the cake and the icing. No electric mixer is required - if you have a bowl and a whisk, you can stir up this Fresh Strawberry Cake in less than 20 minutes and have it rolling out of the oven in another 20 minutes
Don't let the strawberry season pass without making this DELICIOUS cake! You'll be dreaming about it all year long!
Café Tips for making this Vanilla Bean Sheet Cake with Fresh Strawberry Icing
- You'll need a microwave-safe bowl for this recipe that will hold at least 8 cups. What is a microwave-safe bowl?
- Microwave-safe bowls and containers are specifically designed to be used in the microwave. The container itself does not get hot when heated. You can tell if a bowl (or another item) is microwave-safe by checking the bottom. There should be a small symbol of a microwave with some wavy lines on it.
- This recipe calls for vanilla bean paste. What is it? Vanilla bean paste is a convenient combination of vanilla extract and natural vanilla bean seeds in a syrupy, paste. It comes in a jar and adds extra vanilla flavor and the pretty little vanilla beans to cakes, cookies, etc. No vanilla bean paste? No problem! Just add an equal amount of pure vanilla extract or scrape the seeds from one vanilla bean pod.
- I love these microwave-safe Pyrex measuring cups with handles that stay cool. They come in different sizes, are dishwasher safe and are little kitchen workhorses for me. I use the 8-cup size to make both the cake and the icing for this Vanilla Bean Sheet Cake recipe. Any of these would make a wonderful, long-lasting gift for someone who likes to cook or would like to learn to cook. (Haha, I just talked myself into ordering another one!)
- The easiest and best way to mix up this cake is with a whisk. Every kitchen needs a good whisk. A whisk makes the task of stirring a nice smooth batter (without a mixer) a breeze. Good whisks aren't expensive and will last a lifetime. This is a really nice set of simple whisks.
- You'll need a fine-mesh strainer for this icing recipe. A fine-mesh strainer is a metal strainer with a small weave that allows liquids to pass through but not solids. A fine-mesh strainer is a super useful, economical kitchen tool. This is a great set.
- This recipe calls for buttermilk. If you don't want to purchase buttermilk, just for this recipe, you could sub an equal amount of yogurt or sour cream.
- You can also make your own buttermilk. Just add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar to a measuring cup and fill the cup to the one-half mark with milk. Stir well, then wait 5 minutes and stir again. Use this in place of the buttermilk.
- I use salted butter to make this Vanilla Bean Sheet Cake with Fresh Strawberry Icing. If you only have unsalted butter, add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- As mentioned above, you can use a standard half sheet pan for this recipe OR a jelly roll pan. I really prefer using a jelly roll pan as it yields a thicker cake and thicker icing.
- This recipe makes a fairly thick icing. If you prefer a less sweet cake with a thinner icing, cut the recipe in half or three quarters.
- I like to make this cake when fresh local berries are in season for the best flavor. If you find really pretty strawberries during the off-season, they will also work.
- Please take note that every microwave is a little different and there are different wattages. This means that the times for cooking the icing in the microwave are approximate. Your microwave may be a little quicker or a little slower. The desired end result is a quarter cup of strawberry syrup.
Thought for the day:
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
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Vanilla Bean Sheet Cake with Fresh Strawberry Icing
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup butter cubed
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract, optional (but delicious!)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
For the strawberry syrup:
- 1 ½ cups diced fresh strawberries, fairly packed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the fresh strawberry icing:
- ¼ cup fresh strawberry syrup, (directions above)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup very soft butter
- half & half or milk, if needed
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Spray a 10x15 jelly roll pan or an 18x13 sheet pan generously with baking spray and rub with a paper towel to coat all surfaces. Set aside.
- In a medium-large microwave-safe bowl, combine the cubed butter and water. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Most of the butter should be melted. Remove from the microwave and stir until butter is completely melted.
- Add the sugar and buttermilk and whisk until well combined then add the eggs and whisk again. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla and almond extracts. Whisk until well combined and no baking powder lumps remain.
- Add the flour and whisk until smooth. It will seem lumpy at first but keep stirring. It will get nice and smooth. A whisk works great for this.
- Transfer to the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes while you make the icing.
For the strawberry syrup:
- While the cake is baking, make the strawberry syrup by combining the strawberries and granulated sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl (at least 8 cup capacity as the strawberry mixture will bubble up a lot and you will use this same bowl for the icing).
- Place the bowl with the strawberries in the microwave and cook on high power for two minutes. Remove, stir and repeat two times. You will be cooking the strawberries for a total of 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
- Removed the strawberry mixture from the microwave and pour it into a fine-mesh strainer with a bowl set underneath. Push on the solids in the strainer with a spatula or the back of a large spoon until all of the juice has been strained out. Discard the solids and transfer the syrup back to the original large microwave-safe bowl.
- Return the syrup to the microwave and cook on high power for another 2 minutes. At this point, you should have about a ¼ cup of syrup. If you have more than this, microwave for another minute or two until reduced to ¼ cup.
For the fresh strawberry icing:
- While the cake is cooling, make the icing by adding the powdered sugar and vanilla to the strawberry syrup in the bowl. Stir with a whisk until smooth and well-combined.
- Whisk in the soft butter until smooth and fluffy. The icing should be a nice spreadable consistency. If it seems too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add some half and half or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Spread icing on the slightly warm or room temperature cake. The icing will swirl nicer if you allow the cake to come to room temperature. I use the back of a soup spoon to swirl the icing.
Notes
Nutrition
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Wow! Water in a sheet cake. My pumpkin bread calls for water but never made a cake with it..
Hi Charlotte, Hope you try making this cake - we'd love to hear how it turns out for you!
Hello, 😀
First, I have to say that I love your recipes and all the details that you provide/explain.
I do have a question on this recipe. I am using your option for making 0.5x the recipe. What size pan should I use ? Could I use a 9x13 baking dish ?
Many thanks for all that you share with us ! 💖
Susan M.
Hi Susan, Thanks for your encouraging comments! To halve this recipe, we recommend using an 8 or 9-inch round or square pan. We haven't tested using a 9x13 pan, but if you try it the cake will be quite thin, so the baking time will be shorter. Hope this turns out well for you!
Would i be able to use frozen strawberries with success?
Hi Jody, yes, frozen berries will work for the syrup!
I made this cake last week for our Supper Club. It got rave reviews! Then my husband turned around the next day, (he's a man who does not cook or bake at all! )
But he made the same cake and our kids and Grands absolutely loved it! I was blown away by the fact that he made it, but he said it wasn't hard at all!
Should we say it was ridiculously easy?
Thanks for this beautiful creation. I'll post a pick some other time as its it's on my husband's phone
Hi Jeanne, Thanks for the excellent review! It's amazing that you and your husband each made this recipe on two consecutive days - Wow! So wonderful to hear how well this turned out for both of you, and how much both your Supper Club and your family enjoyed it. We so appreciate you taking the time to let us know and we'd love to see your photo!
Excellent recipe! Could have been under the "Ridiculously Easy" category. Thank you!
Thanks, Heidi! So glad you enjoyed this!
I have added an ingredient that ups the strawberry flavour, which is a really good idea here in western Canada where the strawberries we get are not really flavourful (like in Ontario or B.C. in June). To up the flavour I add a package of sugar free strawberry jello to the creamed butter and then continue with the recipe. It really gives it a strawberry impact and my children and husband all love it... also makes it a little pinker. Love your recipes.
Thanks, Gwendolyn!
Hi Chris,
I did a "practice run" of making this cake for an employee's birthday for later this week. Your recipes never disappoint! The cake was so easy to make and tasted amazing! Would this be an appropriate recipe to double and bake in a Bundt cake pan or is it better suited as a sheet cake?
Thank you!
Hi Jenny, I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Jenny. This particular cake is best made in a sheet pan. I'm afraid that it would get too heavy in a Bundt pan.
Hi,
How can I adjust this for high altitude?
Thanks,
Erika
Hi Erika, I am not an expert on high altitude baking. We live at 2700 ft in the mountains on NC and I don't have to make any adjustments. We haven't tested this recipe at a higher altitude. Maybe someone else can chime in.
I made this beautiful, delightful, absolutely scrumptious cake today. My husband just took a bite, his eyes lit up, and all he could say was, "Wow!" I believe he described it better than I did. Thank you for your wonderful recipes and inspiration. Your recipes continue to make me a "star".
So happy to hear that, Marilyn!
Hi Chris,
I want to make a couple of these to freeze for a women's tea party at our church in May. I made a couple of the poppy seed cakes today to freeze and I suspect I can freeze this one as well. Please let me know if I have the correct assumption? Also, would you suggest to cut them before freezing the cake or cut after thawing? I haven't made a dessert from your site we don't love, from scones to cakes. Love your ridiculously easy recipes. They are truly a blessing. Thank you so much
Thanks so much, for your kind words, Dina!
Yes, this cake will also freeze well. If you cut the cakes when they are still partially frozen, they will cut nicely and cleanly.
I had to cut the recipe in half for lack of having enough butter. I used the suggestion of letting the 1 1/4 cups strawberries macerate in a scoop of sugar (I probably used a little too much sugar, but it turned out fine), then straining the berries to make some delicious strawberry juice. I didn't use all the juice. The rest is in the fridge waiting for me to make another cake. Anyway, it was the best icing I've ever tasted! This is a winner!
Thank you for letting us know, Ellen!
I’d love to make this cake for the two of us…any way to successfully make half the recipe?
I have made a lot of your recipes and they are all delish!
Thank you, Sandi! You can halve this if you need to. You could use an 8-inch round or square pan if you need to.
I have a question. Can you use parchment paper to line the pan instead of oil? Or should i stick with oiling the pan? I have made your Vietnamese chicken meatballs and sauce and the best chicken rice soup and both are amazing. I love your recipies.
Thanks so much, Natalie!
Regarding your question, you could use parchment but since you generally serve this type of cake right out of the pan, the parchment can get in the way when cutting and serving.
If I have to use frozen berries should I thaw first then measure 1 1/2 cups?
Hi Barb, with frozen, thawed berries, I would go with a cup to equal 1½ cups of fresh diced berries.
My mouth is actually watering looking at this cake. I'll definitely be making this but would like to make a layer cake for my grandchildren. I want to make two 8" round pans. Does the recipe need to be doubled for both the cake and icing? I plan to put mascerated strawberries in the middle.
I have your banana bread in the oven right now. It smells soooo good.
Thank you.
Hi Ann, I have made this recie in two 8-inch pans without doubling the recipe. I think if you doubled the recipe, you would have enough for 3 8-inch pans.
I would probably 1.5x the icing for a layer cake.
Any suggestions on how to get the right consistency for the strawberries if you don’t have a microwave. I do have a toaster oven/air fryer. Could I use that to dehydrate the strawberries a bit?
Hi Paula, you could definitely do this on the stovetop in a saucepan. You would just need to monitor and stir it a little more frequently so it doesn't stick and burn.
This cake is perfect for me to make for my dentist's office. They love me to bring in something baked. (Many people these days don't bake from, scratch these days especially if they work full time.) Will this work out in a 9 x 13 foil pan? That way I don't have to go back and pick up an empty pan. Thank you.
Hi Beverly, this should work in a 9x13 but you will need to bake it a little longer. I can't say exactly how long without testing it but if you want to be certain, use an instant thermometer to test it. The temp should be 200-205˚F.