This Mini Strawberry Sheet Cake is soft, fluffy, and made with roasted strawberries and freeze-dried strawberry powder for the best flavor! And for the ultimate in strawberry goodness, enjoy it with this creamy, homemade strawberry buttercream frosting!
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Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
The Strawberry Flavor. This mini strawberry sheet cake uses pureed roasted strawberries and freeze-dried strawberry powder! Combining the two brings an intensified flavor to this mini strawberry sheet cake. No strawberry mixes or extracts are used in this strawberry sheet cake recipe!
The strawberry buttercream frosting also uses the same two key ingredients!
The Texture. What you'll love about this strawberry cake—besides the flavor—is the soft, fluffy texture! And when you top it with the creamy strawberry buttercream frosting, it's a match made in heaven!
The Perfect Amount. This small strawberry sheet cake is perfect for up to 6 people when a regular-sized sheet cake is just too much. It can be made using an 8.4 x 6.4-inch small rectangular baking pan (like the one I found at ALDI) or a 6 x 3-inch round cake pan!
Ingredients Needed
Below are all the ingredients you'll need to make this deliciously soft mini strawberry sheet cake. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe that includes the ingredients and instructions to make the roasted strawberry puree and strawberry buttercream frosting.
- Cake Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder. Most stores carry freeze-dried strawberries, which can easily grind into a smooth powder using a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin. But you can also find the freeze-dried strawberry powder at some select grocery stores and online.
- Unsalted Butter. Room temperature is best.
- Granulated Sugar. Or you can use organic cane sugar.
- An Egg. Just one is needed and is best at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract
- Whole Milk. If in a pinch, you can also use 1% or 2% milk. I did not test this recipe with any non-dairy milk.
- Roasted Strawberry Puree. This uses three ingredients: strawberries, granulated sugar, and fresh lemon juice. Instructions on how to make this are below and in the recipe card.
How to Make Strawberry Puree
This roasted strawberry puree is super easy to make and will bring out the best flavor in your strawberry sheet cake and strawberry buttercream frosting! Below is a general outline of how to make it! For the complete recipe, visit the recipe card.
- Preheat the oven to 250ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the cut strawberries, lemon juice, and granulated sugar to a bowl. Toss to combine.
- Transfer to the lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Add the cooled roasted strawberries to a food processor, and pulse to combine into a puree.
- Use the roasted strawberry puree immediately or keep it in a well-sealed container for up to a week.
Essential Sheet Cake Baking Tools
Recipe FAQs
I used a small rectangular baking pan from ALDI that is 8.4 x 6.4-inches in size, but you can also use a 6 x 3-inch round cake pan as well. Here is a similar size rectangular baking pan I found online.
You can find it at some select stores and also online.
Yes. I have found small bags of freeze-dried strawberries from ALDI, Trader Joe's, and Wegman's.
Place them in a Ziploc bag and roll a rolling pin over the bag until the freeze-dried strawberries are crushed into a fine powder. The powder can be kept in the bag until ready to use. If left for a day or two before using, you may need to roll the powder again to break it up as it can stick and clump together.
The strawberry cake batter will have a medium consistency (not too thin, not too thick) and is easily scoopable and spreadable in the baking pan. It will be light pink with visible red bits of strawberry puree and flecks of strawberry powder.
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📖 Recipe
Mini Strawberry Sheet Cake
Author:Ingredients
Roasted Strawberry Puree
- 1 lb Fresh Strawberries (hulled and cut in half)
- 2 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
Mini Strawberry Sheet Cake
- 1 cup Cake Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 teaspoon Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder
- 5 tablespoon Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- â…“ cup Whole Milk
- ¼ cup Roasted Strawberry Puree
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- ¼ cup Roasted Strawberry Puree
- 2 teaspoon Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder
- ¼ cup Unsalted Butter
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Roasted Strawberry Puree
- Preheat the oven to 250ºF. Line a medium-size baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the freshly cut strawberries, lemon juice, and granulated sugar to a medium-sized bowl. Toss to combine. Transfer to the lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. When done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.1 lb Fresh Strawberries, 2 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice, 2 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- Add the cooled roasted strawberries to a food processor, and pulse to combine into a puree. Keep the roasted strawberry puree in a well-sealed container for up to a week.
Mini Strawberry Sheet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously spray a small rectangular baking pan (approx. 8.4 x 6.4 inches in size) or a round 6 x 3-inch baking pan with a flour-based baking spray. If you'd like, you can add a parchment paper sling to the rectangular pan or a parchment paper circle to the round baking pan. Set to the side.
- Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl.1 cup Cake Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- In a separate medium-size mixing bowl, combine the freeze-dried strawberry powder, unsalted butter, and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on medium-high speed.3 teaspoon Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder, 5 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, whole milk, and roasted strawberry puree. Mix until well combined.1 Large Egg, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ⅓ cup Whole Milk, ¼ cup Roasted Strawberry Puree
- Combine the whisked dry ingredients with the wet ingredients over low-medium speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the cake batter. The cake batter will have a medium consistency (not too thin, not too thick) and is easily scoopable and spreadable in the baking pan. It will be light pink with visible red bits of strawberry puree and flecks of strawberry powder.
- Transfer the strawberry cake batter to the prepared, small rectangular or round baking pan and bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes. The cake is ready when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream the roasted strawberry puree, freeze-dried strawberry powder, unsalted butter, and salt until well combined.¼ cup Roasted Strawberry Puree, 2 teaspoon Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder, ¼ cup Unsalted Butter, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. Apply the strawberry buttercream frosting to the cooled strawberry cake, then enjoy!3 cups Powdered Sugar
- Any leftover strawberry sheet cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or kept in the freezer (double wrapped and kept in a plastic freezer bag). Leftover strawberry buttercream frosting can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week or frozen for up to one month.
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Recipe Notes
- For this recipe, you can use an 8.4 x 6.4-inch rectangular baking pan or a round 6 x 3-inch round baking pan.
- Any leftover strawberry puree can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.
- The freeze-dried strawberry powder can be purchased in powder form, or you can get freeze-dried strawberries and grind them up using a Ziploc bag and a rolling bag. Freeze-dried strawberries can be found at Aldi, Trader Joe's, and Wegmans.
- Any leftover strawberry sheet cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer (double wrapped and kept in a plastic freezer bag).
- Leftover strawberry buttercream frosting can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week or frozen for up to one month.
Nutrition
Nutritonal information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Kat D says
This was a delicious little cake. We’re getting into Fall so I have to save my strawberries over time to get enough to roast. The cake was soooooo tender and the frosting not overly sweet. For reference, I cooked it in a large loaf pan and it stood about an inch tall.
Jennifer says
I'm so happy you loved this strawberry cake! Thank you for the feedback and for mentioning you made it in the loaf pan. Did you adjust your baking time for it at all?