Strawberry Shortcake Cake is a rustic vanilla layer cake filled with a whipped cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries. Easy, impressive, and SO good!

Is saying Strawberry Shortcake Cake redundant? Possibly. But when I think of traditional strawberry shortcake, I think of individual angel food cakes or shortcakes with whipped cream and diced strawberries (like my mixed berry shortcakes).
This isn’t those.
This cake has been upgraded with layers of moist vanilla cake, homemade cream cheese frosting, and fresh berries.
I took a shortcut with a boxed French Vanilla cake mix, but the whipped cream cheese frosting is from scratch and the strawberries are super fresh.
Why you’ll love this Strawberry Shortcake Cake Recipe 🍓
Perfect summer dessert – Strawberry season is just asking you to make this cake!
Simple ingredients – Because you’re starting with a cake mix base, you don’t need a ton of ingredients.
Family favorite – Whether it’s father’s day, a dinner party, a summer birthday, or just because, this cake is perfect for all occasions.
Tools you’ll need
- Cake stand – I think this one is pretty
- 9″ cake pans
- Metal mixing bowls
- Parchment paper liners or you can DIY with regular parchment paper
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
For the cake
- Cake Mix – I use French Vanilla (Duncan Hines) but yellow will work as well.
- Eggs – Three large eggs.
- Water
- Butter – Instead of vegetable oil, we use butter, at room temperature, to add richness and flavor.
For the frosting
- Cream Cheese – I use full fat cream cheese, make sure it’s at room temperature so it mixes easily.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar is what I’ve tested with.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract, not imitation, for the best flavor.
- Heavy Cream – Sometimes called whipping cream or heavy whipping cream, same thing.
- Strawberries – Fresh, juicy strawberries. Washed and sliced.

How to make cake mix Strawberry Shortcake
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Step One: First, mix the cake mix, eggs, water, and softened butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Divide the cake batter evenly between two 9-inch round pans that have been greased and sprinkled with a little sugar. Bake for 30 minutes at 350° or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool and flip out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
- Step Two: While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese frosting by adding the cream cheese, sugar, and and vanilla to a mixing bowl and mixing with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Step Three: In a small chilled bowl, add the heavy cream and beat on high with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Boom – fresh whipped cream.
- Step Four: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined.
- Step Five: Assemble the cake by adding one layer to a cake stand, spread half the frosting on top and top with sliced strawberries. Place the second layer on top of the strawberries and repeat the process, adding the rest of the homemade whipped cream and the rest of the juicy strawberries.

What to serve with Cake Mix Strawberry Shortcake
You don’t need much to go with this cake but if you want to stick with the theme, try some strawberry shortcake jello shots.
You can serve it after chicken parmesan meatballs or lemon piccata pasta.
Storage
How to store leftovers
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze it?
You can, but wrap the cake layers tightly in plastic wrap. It might be a bit too messy to wrap in plastic wrap, although you can try.
Can you freeze cream cheese frosting?
You can. For the best results, store it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Preferably separate from the cake.

Tips for success 🍓
- I used a French Vanilla cake mix but you could use angel food, yellow, or even white. Whichever you prefer.
- To easily flip the cakes out of the pans, trace the pan onto a piece of parchment paper, cut out your circle, and lay it into the pans before greasing so they easily pop out.
- Before making your whipped cream, start with a really cold bowl. I like to pop my metal bowl into the freezer for about 10 minutes before I start so it’s fully chilled. Cream whips much better when cold.
- I piped the frosting on, just using a zip top bag, because it’s so easy and I think it looks nice, but you could also just spread it with a spatula.

Need more strawberry recipes? Try these:
Strawberry Pretzel Jello
Strawberry Brownie Delight
Strawberry Pie (without Jello)
Strawberry Jello Poke Cupcakes
Fruit Pizza
Click here to view my entire collection of cake recipes.
Originally published March 19, 2017
Let’s talk about the strawberries. This pregnancy has had me craving a bowl of fresh fruit every night. Namely raspberries, but the past couple weeks, the strawberries have been so good, I switched over.
Yesterday, we went to the new Busch’s Fresh Food Market that opened in Canton. Metro Detroiters, I’m sure you’re familiar with Busch’s. I live in between two of them and frequent them often, but this new one? It’s special. It’s fancy and beautiful and I’m a little jealous it’s 25 minutes from my house.
We grabbed fresh, local apples for the week and those strawberries caught my attention and inspired this cake.
Tons of fresh, local, organic choices in a pretty setting.
Plus, a Starbucks right in the market. An olive oil bar. Lots of baked goods made in-house (we grabbed some cookies).
More fruit options to tempt me, local cider, and some of the prettiest flowers I’ve ever seen.
Overall, it’s a gorgeous market. There’s also a BBQ restaurant inside and a full hot food bar and cold foods/salad bar. It would be great for grabbing lunch during the workday or grabbing dinner on the
Strawberry shortcake is iconic for spring for me! It ushers in the best of the seasonal foods! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my gosh I love Strawberry Shortcake and THIS ONE looks SOOOO good!!!!
This is EXACTLY how I like to bake. A little help from a box and then some homemade additions. This might just be the star of my Easter dessert table this year!
I’ll never pass up a doctored up cake mix =)
This market sure looks like haven to me. I would spend hours there – and this shortcake looks divine. Love that you used a ziploc to pipe the frosting. I do that all the time.
Thank you! & ziploc is one of my favorite tricks – no tips to clean 😉
This looks divine! I am ready for strawberry season so that I can make it.
The strawberries on your cake look so fresh and sweet! Perfectly ripe, which is hard to find! This is a lovely cake to make for Easter!
They were – they’ve been so good the past week or so at the market (I go through a lot of berries lately 😉 )
This is one of my favourite classic combinations! Something about it reminds of summer and warm days. And your cake is stunning! This will be a hit at any BBQ or party for sure.
This is such a gorgeous dessert! I love this twist on strawberry shortcakes!
Thanks, Jamie!
This cake is so beautiful and perfect treat to kick off the Spring season with. I love cakes with fresh fruits and berries…pinned! xo
Thanks, Catherine!
This looks SO good! Always love a recipe with a good mix of bought and homemade. Will definitely give this a try!
Thanks, Laura. Definitely agree – a mix of homemade & from scratch is my favorite lately =)
I made your Strawberry Shortcake Cake a year ago for my daughter-in-law’s birthday. It was a huge hit. Everyone LOVED it. It’s delicious, light and fresh. Making it again for tomorrow’s Easter Dinner and for the same birthday girl. My family loves it. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Gail! I’m so glad you liked it. Happy birthday to your DIL & happy Easter 🙂 !
The picture looks so inviting. I would love to try this recipe.
Powdered or granulated sugar in the frosting?
Granulated – I just updated for clarity 🙂