We are making our classic vanilla cake with vanilla bean cream cheese icing, but with a strawberry filling. For this strawberry vanilla sheet cake version we fill our vanilla cake layers with a vanilla bean mascarpone cream. After layering on the cream, we add on chopped strawberries with a little more vanilla bean mixed in. We then ice the entire cake in our classic cream cheese icing and top with more strawberries.

This cake has four components, but thankfully only 1 of the four, the cake layers are baked. The other 3 are just the icing, mascarpone filling, and strawberry filling.

The mascarpone filling: The mascarpone filling is a simple combination of both mascarpone and heavy cream. We add a little bit of vanilla bean paste and powdered sugar for sweetness.
The strawberry filling: The strawberry filling is just strawberries diced into small cubes. We stir in a little vanilla bean paste for additional flavor on the strawberries.
The cream cheese icing: the outside of the cake is coasted in our classic cream cheese icing. We flavor it with vanilla bean paste, are you sending a trend?, along with our secret ingredient, a little bit of almond extract, but this is entirely optional.

Strawberry Vanilla Sheet Cake

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 30

Cooling 30

Total Time 2

Servings 12

Ingredients

Vanilla cake:

4 cups cake flour 480 g
2 teaspoons baking powder 10 ml
1 teaspoon baking soda 5 ml
1 teaspoon salt 5 ml
170 g coconut oil room temperature
170 g butter room temperature 1.5 sticks
2 ½ cups granulated sugar 500 g
8 egg whites
2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon imitation vanilla extract optional adds nostalgic box cake flavor
1 teaspoon almond extract optional adds almond flavor if you don’t enjoy this leave it out
2 cups buttermilk 480 ml

Mascarpone filling:

8 ounces mascarpone
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons powder sugar

Strawberry filling:

1.5 cups small diced strawberries
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Strawberry topping:

20 strawberries for topping stems removed

Cream Cheese Icing:

1 sticks butter 226 g or 1 cup
1 stick cream cheese 226 g or 8 ounces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease three 8” cake pans and line with parchment
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
In the base of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, coconut oil, and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes on medium high speed. Scrape down the bowl halfway through
With the mixer still running, slower pour in the egg white and whip for 1-2 minutes until well combined
Add in the extracts and mix until well combined
Reduce the mixer speed to low and then add 1/3 of the flour mixture until just combined then add ½ of the buttermilk and repeat the remaining flour and buttermilk, alternating. You should start and end with the dry
Place the batter into a greased, parchment lined cookie sheet. We used a 16 x 10” jelly roll pan but if you have a larger cookie sheet the layers will be slightly thinner and bake time likely slightly less.
Bake for ~30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Icing:

In the base of a kitchen aid or large bowl with a hand mixer, add softened butter and cream cheese
On medium high speed, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy (around 2 minutes)
Add salt, almond extract, and vanilla. Whip until combined
On low speed, add the powder sugar 1 cup at a time
Once all the sugar has been added, turn up the mixture and whip on medium high until light and fluffy (around 2 minutes). Set aside

Mascarpone filling:

Add the mascarpone, heavy cream, vanilla bean, and powdered sugar into a bowl
Using a handwhisk mix until medium peaks form. When it happens it will happen very quickly and over mixing will risk the mixture curdling. Set aside

Strawberry filling:

Cut strawberries into cubes and stir with vanilla bean to combine

Assembly:

Cut the cake into 2 even pieces (they should both be 8” x 10”)
Pipe a ½ cream cheese icing boarder along the edges of the cake layer. This will act as a moat to keep the cream and strawberries in
After piping the moat, add the mascarpone filling. Spread it into an even layer and top with the strawberry vanilla bean mixture
Place the 2nd cake layer on top and thinly coat the top and outsides with cream cheese icing
Place the topper strawberries on top, cut side down in even to cover the top of the cake
Store in the fridge until time to serve