Strawberry-Lemon Sheet Cake

This is a Southern Living recipe from years ago.  It has a home-made cake recipe but I always use a cake mix.  It’s somewhat time-consuming but very delicious!    To save some calories and fat, you can make the cake mix with applesauce in place of the oil and use egg substitute, then use light Cool Whip instead of the whipped cream.

1 yellow cake mix, baked in a 15x10 jellyroll pan (line with parchment or wax paper, lightly grease paper)  I've done this with 3 9-inch round pans as well and it works great!    

Filling & Topping 

2 cups strawberries (frozen work great for this recipe), unsweetened 

6 tablespoons sugar, divided 

¼ cup lemon juice 

¼ cup flour   

Bring strawberries, 4 tablespoons (¼ cup), and lemon juice to boil and cook for 5 minutes (on medium heat).  Whisk 2 tablespoons sugar and ¼ cup flour together in saucepan.  Add strawberry mixture and whisk together.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly.  Pour into glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap, chill 2 hours.   

Cut cooled cake in half.  Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread top with half of strawberry-lemon filling.  Top with remaining layer.  Spread remaining filling over top.  

Whipped Cream 

1 ½ cups whipping cream 

6 tablespoons sugar   

Beat cream and sugar on high until stiff peaks form.  Spoon into a 1-gallon freezer bag.  Press cream into one corner of bag, removing excess air.  Snip a ¼-inch hole in corner of bag.  Pipe cream vertically onto cake sides.