Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. While the oven heats, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, room-temperature eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream in a large bowl and mix until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate adding the dry ingredient mixture and the whole milk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cake bakes, prepare the strawberry sauce by combining the hulled and chopped strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp flour, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes, mashing the berries with a spoon as they cook to release their juice and create a thicker, more cohesive sauce.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Using a fork or skewer, poke holes all over the top of the warm cake—I like to make the holes fairly close together so the cake absorbs plenty of liquid. Carefully pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the entire cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. Let the strawberry sauce cool for about 15 minutes, then pour it over the cake in an even layer, allowing it to settle into the poked holes.

Place the chilled cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until it becomes smooth and creamy. Add the chilled heavy whipping cream and continue beating until soft peaks form. Fold in the sifted icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/8 tsp salt, then beat again until stiff peaks form. I find that beating just until stiff peaks is the sweet spot—overbeating can make the frosting grainy, so watch carefully in the final moments.

Spread the whipped cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake, making sure to cover all the way to the edges. Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the frosting to set. This chilling time also helps the cake hold its structure when cut.