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We are OBSESSED with strawberry desserts, especially in the summer, and these strawberry shortcake bars are on repeat all season long! Let’s be honest, all YEAR long.
The super soft cake-like crust is the perfect base for the light cream cheese layer and the fresh, cold strawberries. These bars actually taste just like our classic Strawberry Shortcake but with less hassle! Simply mix and bake each layer and top with strawberries and Whipped Cream. It’s heavenly and easy enough for the kids to make!
Although the steps are super simple, be sure to plan ahead with time, because it does need to refrigerate for at least 3 hours! That makes it an IDEAL make-ahead dessert and a favorite chilled treat.
If you love the flavors in these shortcake bars, try these other shortcake-inspired desserts: Classic Strawberry Shortcake and Bisquick Strawberry Shortcake!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- A chilled treat. We love that this bar recipe is refrigerated, it makes a delicious warm-weather dessert!
- Just layer and bake. The steps are SUPER simple – mix and bake the batters, then top with fresh strawberries and Whipped Cream.
- Fresh strawberries. We love treats that incorporate fresh fruit – especially strawberries! It’s just so refreshing and delicious.
Strawberry Shortcake Bar Ingredients and Substitutions
Butter Vanilla Cake
- ½ cup butter, softened – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs – room temeprature
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour – see How to Measure Flour
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract – or ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1-pint strawberries – We prefect just using strawberries, but to mix it up you could try raspberries, blueberries, sliced bananas, or sliced kiwi.
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼-½ cup powdered sugar – sifted
- 8 ounces cool whip – Thaw if frozen. We love using Cool Whip to keep it simple but you could also make our favorite Homemade Whipped Cream.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Bars
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the Cool Whip from the freezer to thaw. Hull and slice the strawberries and set aside.
- CAKE LAYER. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in eggs, baking powder, and salt. Alternate between adding in the flour and milk, beating after each addition. Beat until all ingredients are combined. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour batter evenly into a greased and floured 9×13-inch baking dish.
- BAKE. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake, the cake should be flat and light in color. Let cool completely and set aside.
- CREAM CHEESE LAYER. In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and thawed Cool Whip. Evenly spread cream cheese mixture over top of cooled cake. Top with sliced strawberries.
- CHILL. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting, we’ve made this mistake before and the frosting will melt right into the layers!
- Ripe strawberries are a vibrant, deep red color from stem to tip with a sweet aroma and will have the BEST flavor. We love to pick up fresh strawberries from farmer’s markets.
Strawberry Shortcake Bars
Ingredients
Butter Vanilla Cake
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pint strawberries
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼-½ cup powdered sugar
- 8 ounces cool whip, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the Cool Whip from the freezer to thaw. Hull and slice the strawberries and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in eggs, baking powder, and salt. Alternate between adding in the flour and milk, beating after each addition. Beat until all ingredients are combined. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour batter evenly into a greased and floured 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake, the cake should be flat and light in color. Let cool completely and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and thawed Cool Whip. Evenly spread cream cheese mixture over top of cooled cake. Top with sliced strawberries.
- Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Video
Notes
- Using room temperature ingredients helps them incorporate more easily, resulting in a lighter cake.
- Ripe strawberries are a vibrant, deep red color from stem to tip with a sweet aroma and will have the BEST flavor. We love to pick up fresh strawberries from farmer’s markets.
- Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting, we’ve made this mistake before and the frosting will melt right into the layers!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
The frosting and the cake can be made a day ahead of time and stored separately until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge or divided into airtight containers. The bars will last for 2-3, but the strawberries will only last for 1-2 days. The frosted cake can be frozen without the strawberries for up to 3 months.
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This recipe was originally published May 2017.
Recipe adapted from Divas Can Cook.
This is one of my go to dessert recipes for any occasion and anyone who tries it absolutely loves it!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thankfully the nutrition information is not correct so I will try this recipe this summer. You can put all of the ingredients in an analyzer and it’s about 236 calories per serving, 1/12th of the finished dessert. 💕
Absolutely delicious
Thank you for saying that!
Wondering how long to bake the shortbread if Im cutting the recipe in half, using a 9×9 square or pie pan?
It might be double the time, since they are way thicker. I personally have not tried, but just keep an eye on it.
if i make thEcake ahead of time, do i have to store it in the fridge?
When I make ahead, I don’t really assemble it (frost it or put strawberries on top), until I am ready to take somewhere or serve. If you do, then I would keep in the fridge.
I made this and OMG!! I didn’t know I was capable of making something so amazing. My kids and I demolished this!
LOL..of course, you are!! So happy you all liked it!!
My daughter (13 yrs) loves baking and was able to make these for the family. They weRe delicious! The cake base was soft and paired well with the toppings.
These are beautiful bars! And, they taste amazing!
These are the perfect treat to bring to a party or shower. I love that you can add any kind of berry too!
My family loves these!!! They are so soft & pretty! We love the thickness of the frosting..no skimpy frosting there!