Name: Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cake (Rustic Layer Dessert)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 box vanilla or white cake mix (plus eggs/oil/water per box); 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional); 2 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 tsp lemon juice (optional); 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream; 1/3 cup powdered sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 4 oz cream cheese, softened

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This rustic strawberry shortcake cake is a simple vanilla sheet cake stacked with juicy strawberries and fluffy whipped cream, so you get “shortcake” flavor in easy-to-slice layers. It’s the kind of dessert that looks impressive but doesn’t require perfect frosting skills.

What it is

Instead of individual biscuits, you bake one tender vanilla cake, slice it, and stack it with whipped cream and sweet strawberries for a casual, bakery-style finish. Macerating strawberries with sugar helps them release juices, creating a syrupy filling that soaks into the cake in the best way.

What you need

Cake:

1 box vanilla or white cake mix (plus eggs/oil/water per box), or your favorite homemade vanilla sheet cake
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional, boosts flavor)
Pinch of salt (optional)

Strawberries:

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup granulated sugar (use more if berries are tart)
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Whipped cream layer:

2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional (highly recommended for “rustic but stable”):

4 oz cream cheese, softened (makes the whipped layer thicker and more sliceable)

Optional bright twist:

2–3 tbsp Meyer Lemon Marmalade to spoon or swirl into the strawberries

Bake it Step By Step

Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment (leave overhang for easy lift).
Mix and bake the cake according to your cake mix directions (or your homemade recipe) until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cake completely; warm cake will melt the whipped layer and turn the filling runny.
While the cake cools, toss strawberries with sugar (and lemon juice if using) and let sit 20–30 minutes until glossy and juicy.
Make whipped cream: beat cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks; for a sturdier layer, beat cream cheese smooth first, then whip in the cream and sugar until fluffy.
Assemble: lift cake from pan, then cut it in half crosswise to make two large rectangles (or cut into two equal squares for a taller stack).
Place one layer on a serving board. Spread on about half the whipped cream, then spoon on about half the strawberries plus a little of their syrup.
Add the second cake layer, then finish with the remaining whipped cream and strawberries.

Whipped cream is the classic topping for strawberry shortcake desserts, and it pairs best with lightly sweetened berries.

Make it pretty

Keep it intentionally imperfect: swoopy whipped cream, strawberries piled high, and a few drips of berry syrup down the sides looks charming, not messy.

For clean slices:

Chill the assembled cake 45–60 minutes before cutting.
Use a long serrated knife and wipe it between slices.
Serve extra strawberry syrup on the side so people can add more without flooding the layers.

Ideas

Lemon-strawberry version: swirl a spoonful of Meyer Lemon Marmalade into the macerated berries.
Mousse upgrade: fold 1/2 cup of Easy Lemon Mousse into the whipped layer for a brighter, creamier filling.
Dessert table pairing: add Meyer Lemon Bars and Fudgy Lemon Brownies Blondies for a citrus-and-berry spread.

Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cake (Rustic Layer Dessert)

Author: danyrecipes
Total Time: 55
Yield: 12 servings
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

A rustic strawberry shortcake cake made with an easy vanilla sheet cake, sweet macerated strawberries, and fluffy whipped cream. Slice-and-stack layers make it look impressive without complicated decorating.

Ingredients

Cake:

1 box vanilla or white cake mix (plus eggs/oil/water per box)

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Strawberries:

2 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Whipped layer:

2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional (more stable whipped layer):

4 oz cream cheese, softened

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Bake the cake in a parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan according to package directions. Cool completely.

2. Toss strawberries with sugar (and lemon juice if using). Let sit 20–30 minutes until juicy.

3. Make whipped layer: Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. (Optional: Beat cream cheese smooth first, then whip in cream and sugar until fluffy.)

4. Lift cake from pan and cut it in half crosswise to create two layers.

5. Place one cake layer on a serving board. Spread half the whipped layer over it.

6. Spoon half the strawberries and a little syrup over the cream.

7. Top with the second cake layer, then finish with remaining whipped cream and strawberries.

8. Chill 45–60 minutes before slicing for cleaner pieces.