Wash and hull strawberries, dry gently with a paper towel, and slice them.

In a large bowl, whip cream cheese until fluffy, then add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip until stiff peaks form and fold in lemon zest.

Spread cream filling on half of the slices of bread, layer with strawberry slices, then add more cream filling on top before placing the remaining bread slices.

Wrap sandwiches tightly in plastic wrap, compact, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

After chilling, cut the edges for a neat appearance and slice diagonally to showcase layers.