This Texas-style sheet cake is made with a box of cake mix and strawberry gelatin. It’s moist, tender and bursting with strawberry flavor.
Everything is bigger in Texas and sheet cakes are no exception. In the Lone Star State, they do things differently than the rest of the country when it comes to single layer cakes. This strawberry sheet cake is loaded with fresh strawberry flavor and perfect for large gatherings because this sheet cake is the size of Texas!
What is Texas Sheet Cake?
While most bakers bake sheet cakes in 13-inch by 9-inch cake pans, it’s common in Texas to see sheet cakes baked in actual sheet pans (also called jelly roll pans). .
The original Texas sheet cake recipe features a decadent, ultra-moist thin layer of chocolate cake topped with drizzled fudge frosting and chopped walnuts. This strawberry cake recipe is a twist on the classic, replacing chocolate cake with strawberry cake made using a simple box of white cake mix, strawberry gelatin, and chopped strawberries.
Finished with a light mascarpone buttercream made with pureed fresh strawberries, it’s sweetened with just enough powdered sugar to extract all the natural sweetness from the berries.
Editor’s tip: If you’ve never added gelatin to a cake before, you’ve missed something. Not only does gelatin flavor and color the cake, but it also impacts the overall texture of the cake, making it ultra moist, tender and lighter than air. Discover other tips for cooking with gelatin.
How to make strawberry cake
This recipe makes about 36 pieces of sheet cake.
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup rapeseed oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, finely chopped
Icing:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
Editor’s tip: It’s the best white cake mix, according to our Test Kitchen experts.
Tools you will need
- Jelly Roll Pan: This odd-sized pan is worth having in the pantry if you’re a regular baker.
- stand mixer: Whether you’re making cake batter or frosting, a stand mixer is a must!
- icing spatula: For a professional-looking finish, use an offset spatula like this to spread the frosting.
directions
Step 1: Prepare a half plate
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 18 x 13-inch half-pan with parchment paper (not wax paper) and grease with butter or cooking spray.
Step 2: Whisk together the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, gelatin, sugar and flour.
Step 3: Add wet ingredients
Add water, oil and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in the strawberries
Stir in chopped strawberries. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Step 5: Cake Baking Sheet
Bake the strawberry cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 14-16 minutes. Cool completely.
Step 6: Pulse Berries
For the frosting, process the strawberries in a food processor until almost smooth – a few small pieces are enough.
Step 7: Prepare the strawberry frosting
Then, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and mascarpone until fluffy; 3-5 minutes. (If you don’t have mascarpone, use light cream cheese instead.) Then mix in the salt and strawberries.
Gradually stir in enough icing sugar to reach desired consistency and level of sweetness.
Step 8: Frosted cake
Spread frosting on top of cooled cake.
Step 9: Decorate and serve
Decorate the strawberry cake with fresh strawberries, if desired, and serve.
How to Store Strawberry Cake
This strawberry cake can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 5 days. Remove from refrigerator 30-60 minutes before serving to allow cake and frosting to come to room temperature. For best results, we suggest not topping the cake with fresh berries until ready to serve.
Our best sheet cake recipes
We sold pieces of this to-die-for carrot cake at an art show. In no time, we sold the 10 cakes we had prepared! —Dottie Cosgrove, South El Monte, CA
My husband and I try to eat lighter but always crave sweets. This moist and healthy chocolate cake really helps with that. With the rich frosting, it’s a decadent treat! —LaDonna Reed, Ponca City, Oklahoma
This chocolate treat was one of my favorites growing up. The Texas sheet cake is so moist and the frosting so soft that everyone who tastes it wants a copy of the recipe. —Susan Ormond, Jamestown, North Carolina
Lemon pie filling lends a pop of citrus flavor to a handy cake mix, and rich cream cheese frosting lends it sweetness. My family loves this cake cold, so I cut it into squares and freeze it before serving. —Alyce Dubisar, North Bend, Oregon
This sheet cake is perfect for serving to a crowd. It keeps so well that you can easily make it the day before and it will stay moist. I often bring it to potlucks at church, and I haven’t brought home many yet. —Kim Miller Spiek, Sarasota, Florida
My mother’s favorite cake is tres leches, a butter cake soaked in three kinds of milk. I developed a simple, rich and tender version. —Castle Kelley Marina, Canyon Country, California
I love peanut butter and chocolate, so I’ve combined recipes to mix the two together. This chocolate peanut butter cake is served plain or topped with ice cream. —Lisa Varner, El Paso, TX
My grandmother made it for all our family gatherings. Everyone loves it now, I do it for every party we attend or host. —John Morgan III, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
This cake gets better the longer it sits, so I try to make it a day ahead. My mother-in-law introduced me to this deliciously rich sheet cake. With its creamy frosting and light almond flavor, no one can stop at just one piece! —Joanie Ward, Brownsburg, Indiana
As a confirmed chocoholic, this is my favorite treat of all time. I found the original recipe over 20 years ago, but I’ve lightened it up a bit. Everyone asks for the recipe, and no one suspects that it’s lighter than most chocolate cakes. —Carleta Foltz, Sunrise Beach, Mo.
I make this cake for my grandsons. This is a quick and easy recipe that’s perfect for chocolate and marshmallow creme lovers.—Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada
My sweet and tangy sheet cake piled with fresh whipped cream and juicy fruit is so good you might want to eat it for breakfast. —James Schend, Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
