A high altitude strawberry chiffon cake that tastes like strawberry shortcake! This strawberry shortcake sheet cake starts with soft and fluffy vanilla chiffon cake soaked with milk, topped with homemade strawberry compote and cream cheese whipped cream.
You might also love these recipes for strawberry spoon cake, strawberry cream cheese pretzel pie, and strawberry tiramisu.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Light and Refreshing. I love the combination of the soft vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and lightly sweetened whipped cream. This cake is perfectly light on a warm spring or summer day.
Stays Soft and Moist. You’re guaranteed of a cake that stays moist for days as it soaks up the strawberry compote and the whipped cream. This is a cake that keeps wonderfully in the refrigerator, and is even soft when it’s cold from the fridge.
Easy to Make. Today’s strawberry chiffon cake is basically a sheet cake version of my popular strawberry shortcake layer cake. Assembled as a one layer sheet cake, it’s easy to put together for those who don’t want to fuss with stacking and filling a layer cake.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Strawberries. You can make the strawberry compote with either fresh or frozen strawberries.
- Granulated Sugar. Adds a touch of sweetness to the strawberry compote.
- Cake. I used my high altitude recipe for chiffon cake, but if you prefer, you can also use this vanilla cake recipe. Both bake beautifully in a 9×13 pan, and stay soft and moist for days. To keep the cake extra moist in the refrigerator, pour a little milk over it after baking.
- Cream Cheese. The cream cheese will add stability and body to the whipped cream, so that it doesn’t deflate on the assembled cake.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and stabilizes the whipped cream.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Cream. You’ll need heavy whipping cream with its high fat content to make the whipped cream topping.
Instructions
Strawberry Compote
- Wash, hull and dice the strawberries, then combine with the sugar in a saucepan.
- Bring the strawberries to a boil over medium heat, then continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the water is evaporated, and the strawberries are thick and jammy. If the fruit starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat to medium low and continue simmering, stirring frequently, until the filling is reduced to about 2 – 2 1/4 cups.
- Refrigerate the strawberry compote until well chilled. You can make the compote one day in advance.
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Lightly spray the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray, if you plan on serving the cake directly from the pan. However, if you plan on turning the cake out onto a large serving plate or baking sheet, you’ll also need to line the pan with parchment paper, to ensure you can release the cake from the pan.
- Make the Chiffon Cake batter as instructed, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for about 35-40 minutes, until the top springs back when gently touched, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes. It’s normal for the cake to shrink a bit as it cools.
- Use a chopstick or wooden skewer to poke holes in the cake, then pour the 1/2 cup milk over the cake. Set the pan in the refrigerator and cool completely, about 1-2 hours.
- You can make the cake up to 1 day in advance, covering it with plastic wrap and keeping it refrigerated until ready to assemble.
Whipped Cream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold cream cheese and powdered sugar for 1-2 minutes until smooth, then beat in the vanilla.
- Gradually stream in the cold heavy whipping cream, scrape the bowl down again, then whip on medium speed (#6 on a Kitchen Aid stand mixer) until the frosting is soft and fluffy, but thick enough to hold its shape.
Assembly
- You can assemble and serve the cake directly from the pan, or, if you lined the pan with parchment paper, turn the cake out onto a baking sheet or serving plate and peel off the paper.
- Spread the chilled strawberry compote on top of the cake, reserving 1/2 cup of compote.
- Dollop the whipped cream on top of the compote, and spread it out to the edges.
- Dollop the remaining 1/2 cup strawberry compote onto the whipped cream, then gently swirl it in.
- Serve immediately, or keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use either fresh or frozen berries.
Leftover cake can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days. Note that the leftover cake stays moist for days after baking, and still tastes great, but will not look as pretty as it does when freshly assembled. As the cake sits, the strawberry compote will bleed a little into the whipped cream, and its vibrant color will fade. For the prettiest presentation, plan on assembling the cake no more than several hours before serving.
You Might Also Like
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High Altitude Strawberry Chiffon Sheet Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Dish
- Stand Mixer with Paddle and Whisk Attachments
Ingredients
Strawberry Compote
- 2 lbs strawberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Cake
- 1 recipe High Altitude Chiffon Cake
- ½ cup whole milk or cream, for brushing over the baked cake
Whipped Cream
- 8 oz block cream cheese, cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Strawberry Compote
- Wash, hull and dice the strawberries, then combine with the sugar in a saucepan.
- Bring the strawberries to a boil over medium heat, then continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the water is evaporated, and the strawberries are thick and jammy. If the fruit starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat to medium low and continue simmering, stirring frequently, until the filling is reduced to about 2 – 2 1/4 cups.
- Refrigerate the strawberry compote until well chilled. You can make the compote one day in advance.
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Lightly spray the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray, if you plan on serving the cake directly from the pan. However, if you plan on turning the cake out onto a large serving plate or baking sheet, you'll also need to line the pan with parchment paper, to ensure you can release the cake from the pan.
- Make the Chiffon Cake batter as instructed, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for about 35-40 minutes, until the top springs back when gently touched, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes. It's normal for the cake to shrink a bit as it cools.
- Use a chopstick or wooden skewer to poke holes in the cake, then pour the 1/2 cup milk over the cake. Set the pan in the refrigerator and cool completely, about 1-2 hours.
- You can make the cake up to 1 day in advance, covering it with plastic wrap and keeping it refrigerated until ready to assemble.
Whipped Cream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold cream cheese and powdered sugar for 1-2 minutes until smooth, then beat in the vanilla.
- Gradually stream in the cold heavy whipping cream, scrape the bowl down again, then whip on medium speed (#6 on a Kitchen Aid stand mixer) until the frosting is soft and fluffy, but thick enough to hold its shape.
Assembly
- You can assemble and serve the cake directly from the pan, or, if you lined the pan with parchment paper, turn the cake out onto a baking sheet or serving plate and peel off the paper.
- Spread the chilled strawberry compote on top of the cake, reserving 1/2 cup of compote.
- Dollop the whipped cream on top of the compote, and spread it out to the edges.
- Dollop the remaining 1/2 cup strawberry compote onto the whipped cream, then gently swirl it in.
- Serve immediately, or keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
I made this yesterday and it was the best thing I’ve ever made. And the 5 others who ate it agreed. Although, I say that about every cake I make from your site 😂 I’m so grateful to have found your website. Flawless desserts every time in the Mile High City!
So kind of you to say, thank you!