Sourdough Strawberry Sheetcake with Fresh Strawberries
Learn how to make a delicious sourdough strawberry sheetcake with fresh strawberries and a tangy sourdough twist. Perfect for summer gatherings or as a family treat!
Why buy a boxed cake mix with over 15 ingredients including artificial dyes and preservatives when you can whip up a homemade cake in just a few minutes using a few simple real-food ingredients you have in your pantry and fridge? Today, I’ll show you how to make a light and fluffy strawberry sheet cake using fresh strawberries and sourdough discard!
This cake is perfect for birthdays, potlucks, picnics, or just as a sweet treat during strawberry season. The added twist of using sourdough discard in the batter gives a subtle tang that will have people wondering what makes this cake so moist and delicious. Top it off with the most divine strawberry buttercream frosting made with just 5 ingredients!
My girls have always loved strawberry cake. In fact, it was the very first homemade cake I ever made. I remember that first time—years ago when my go-to was to purchase pre-made cakes for parties. But for my daughter’s first birthday, I wanted to do something extra special, so I made a homemade strawberry cake with fresh strawberry frosting. I added a sweet little bunting to the top, and I was so proud of myself for making something from scratch. Fast forward 13 years, and now nearly everything I make is from scratch. It’s amazing how things have changed!
Why Use Sourdough Discard in Cake?
As I mentioned before, sourdough discard adds a subtle tang that can really elevate the flavor of your baked goods. This classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting is a great example of how adding discard makes a deliciously moist dessert. In this strawberry sheet cake recipe, it not only contributes that delicious tang, but it also helps create a moist, tender texture that’s hard to beat.
By using sourdough discard, you’re making the most of your sourdough starter. The natural sourdough flavor balances perfectly with the sweetness of the strawberries, creating a well-rounded, flavorful cake that’s not too sweet but still delightful.
Ingredients
Sourdough Discard Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups pureed fresh strawberries (about 2 cups of whole strawberries
- 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
Homemade Strawberry Frosting:
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries (These add a beautiful color to the frosting and add strawberry flavor.)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar/confectioner sugar
- 1/4 cup pureed fresh strawberries, room temperature (1/2 cup whole strawberries)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
How to Make Sourdough Strawberry Sheetcake
Making the Sourdough Strawberry Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with a strip of parchment paper. Allow the paper to cover the bottom and the two longest sides of the pan with some paper overhang for easy removal.
- Combine 3 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Lightly puree 2 cups of whole strawberries in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, just mash them with a fork.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups of pureed strawberries, 1/2 cup of room-temperature milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 2 sticks of room-temperature unsalted butter. Using the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed for about 1 minute. Reduce the speed and gradually add the 2 cups of sugar and cream together for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Be sure to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add two room-temperature eggs one at a time and mix until just incorporated. Then add 1/2 cup of sourdough discard and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture a little at a time alternating with the strawberry puree. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix together on low speed for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly, and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the center of the cake and make sure it comes out clean.
- Make sure the cake cools completely on a wire rack before frosting. If you want to remove it from the pan, make sure you refrigerate it for an hour before doing so.
Making the Homemade Strawberry Frosting:
- Add freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor or blender and pulse until powder. Then sift it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the larger pieces.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat 2 sticks of softened butter for about 2 minutes on a medium speed. Add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of freeze-dried strawberries, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix on low until the powdered sugar is mixed in and then at medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Then add the pureed strawberries one tablespoon at a time. You may not need the full 1/4 cup. Mix on low until incorporated. You want the frosting to be thin enough to spread but not watery. *The frosting can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.
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Assembling the Cake:
Once the cake is completely cooled, you have two options. You can frost it while it’s still in the pan or you can use the parchment paper to carefully remove the cake so that you can then frost and slice to serve.
The most popular option is to keep it in the pan, frost it, and store it at room temperature. Just cover the top with a lid or plastic wrap.
When making the cake for parties or special occasions, I like to refrigerate it for at least an hour and then remove it from the pan and frost. Simply lift the cake from the pan using the parchment paper, place it on a flat surface, and frost! Add fresh berries to the top of the cake as a beautiful garnish.
How to Serve Strawberry Sheetcake
The beauty of a sheet cake lies not only in how easy it is to frost but also in how it’s served. Since sheet cakes are usually cut into squares, I love adding a sliced strawberry or a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top of each square. That way, when the cake is sliced, each piece gets its own little bit of decoration, making every serving feel special and personal.
Storage and Tips
- Any leftover cake (though that’s unlikely, right?!) can be stored in an airtight container for a few days. If your pan has a lid, just pop it on, or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap to keep the cake fresh.
- Be sure to use freeze-dried strawberries, not dried strawberries which are chewy and will not work in this recipe.
Sourdough strawberry sheetcake with fresh strawberries is a fun and flavorful twist on the classic dessert, combining the tangy goodness of sourdough with the sweetness of fresh, juicy strawberries. It’s a simple yet delicious way to make the most of strawberry season!
You can find the full recipe card below. For more seasonal strawberry treats, be sure to check out recipes like sourdough strawberry shortcakes and homemade sourdough bread with fresh strawberries—perfect for enjoying throughout the strawberry season. Happy baking and if you love this recipe, please give it a 5-star rating and tag me on social media!
Sourdough Strawberry Sheetcake
Ingredients
Sourdough Discard Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups pureed fresh strawberries (about 2 cups of whole strawberries)
- 1/2 cup milk at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
Homemade Strawberry Frosting:
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar/confectioner sugar
- 1/4 cup pureed fresh strawberries at room temperature (1/2 cup whole strawberries)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Making the Sourdough Strawberry Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with a strip of parchment paper. Allow the paper to cover the bottom and the two longest sides of the pan with some paper overhang for easy removal.
- Combine 3 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Lightly puree 2 cups of whole strawberries in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, just mash them with a fork.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups of pureed strawberries, 1/2 cup of room-temperature milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 2 sticks of room-temperature unsalted butter. Using the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed for about 1 minute. Reduce the speed and gradually add the 2 cups of sugar and cream together for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Be sure to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add two room-temperature eggs one at a time and mix until just incorporated. Then add 1/2 cup of sourdough discard and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture a little at a time alternating with the strawberry puree. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix together on low speed for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly, and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the center of the cake and make sure it comes out clean.
- Make sure the cake cools completely on a wire rack before frosting. If you want to remove it from the pan, make sure you refrigerate it for an hour before doing so.
Making the Homemade Strawberry Frosting:
- Add freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor or blender and pulse until powder. Then sift it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the larger pieces.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat 2 sticks of softened butter for about 2 minutes on a medium speed. Add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of freeze-dried strawberries, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix on low until the powdered sugar is mixed in and then at medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Then add the pureed strawberries one tablespoon at a time. You may not need the full 1/4 cup. Mix on low until incorporated. You want the frosting to be thin enough to spread but not watery.
Assembling the Cake:
- Once the cake is completely cooled, you have two options. You can frost it while it’s still in the pan or you can use the parchment paper to carefully remove the cake so that you can then frost and slice to serve.
- The most popular option is to keep it in the pan, frost it, and store it at room temperature. Just cover the top with a lid or plastic wrap.
- When making the cake for parties or special occasions, I like to refrigerate it for at least an hour and then remove it from the pan and frost. Simply lift the cake from the pan using the parchment paper, place it on a flat surface, and frost! Add fresh berries to the top of the cake as a beautiful garnish.
