Vanilla Sheet Cake

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Skip the bakery because this Vanilla Sheet Cake is t’s soft, fluffy, perfectly moist, and topped with the dreamiest vanilla buttercream frosting. Made with simple pantry staples and is perfect for birthdays, holidays, or anytime you’re craving a classic vanilla cake.

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What Is Vanilla Sheet Cake?

Vanilla Sheet Cake is a soft, buttery vanilla cake baked in a rectangular sheet pan instead of traditional round cake pans. It’s known to be extra moist, have a tender crumb, fluffy texture and easy to prep.

This Vanilla Cake recipe is incredibly soft, buttery, and full of rich vanilla flavor in every bite. I love making sheet cakes because they’re easy to decorate, frost, serve a crowd, and there’s no need to fuss with stacking cake layers.

It’s the perfect cake for all occasions and celebrations- you’ll want to make this all year long! Other easy sheet cakes to make are Red Velvet Sheet Cake, Berry Yogurt Sheet Cake and Peanut Butter Sheet Cake.

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key ingredients

• Flour: All-purpose flour works great, but you can also use whole wheat flour. Just note the flavor will be slightly different. Always spoon and level flour when measuring it. Be sure not to scoop it out of the bag using the measuring cup. This way, you won’t accidentally measure out too much. 
• Baking soda, baking powder and cornstarch: Used as a leavening agent, this will make the cake rise and be soft and fluffy.
• Salted butter: If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
• Granulated white sugar: Used to make the cake sweet.
• Good quality pure vanilla extract: Enhances all the flavors. I love using vanilla bean paste to maximize the flavors.
• Oil: Canola oil or vegetable oil can be used. This adds tons of moisture to the cake.
• Eggs: We use 3 whole eggs at room temperature to help bind the cake batter and add richness.
• Sour cream: Makes the cake have an extra fluffy texture! Full fat sour cream is best, you could also use plain Greek yogurt if you prefer.

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how to make vanilla sheet cake

Mix dry ingredients: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 13×9 inch baking pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, corn starch, baking powder and baking soda together until well combined.

Cream butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add wet ingredients: Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add in the vanilla extract, oil, sour cream and mix again.

Rotate between adding the milk and flour mixture: Mix in 3 increments to the wet mixture. Make sure the cake batter is combined, but do not over-mix.

Bake cake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean and the tops are a light golden brown. Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.

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Make the frosting

Cream butter: In a separate bowl, beat together the softened butter with an electric mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Mix on low speed and gradually increase the speed when adding the powdered sugar.

Add in the vanilla extract and milk: Continue to beat on high speed until creamy and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin, and more milk if frosting is too thick.

Spread frosting all over the top of the cooled cake: Make the frosting smooth or make swirls with a spoon. Decorate with rainbow sprinkles (optional), slice and enjoy!

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recipe variations

• Lemon Cake: Add a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to the cake batter for a zesty lemony flavor.
• Frosting: Swap the Vanilla frosting for a Chocolate Frosting, Cream Cheese Frosting, Strawberry Frosting , classic Vanilla Frosting or Lemon Frosting. You could also leave it unfrosted like a pound cake and dust with powdered or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Size of baking pan: To bake in 2 9-inch round cake pans reduce the baking time by a few minutes. To bake in a jelly roll sheet pan 12×17 inch pan, bake the cake for 20-25 minutes. To bake in a bundt pan, bake for 50-55 minutes. Always use the toothpick test to see if the cake is baked and note that oven temperature times vary in every oven.
• Chocolate Cake: Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and chocolate chips to the cake batter to give the cake a chocolate flavor.

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vanilla cake tips

• Use room temperature ingredients: This will ensure a smooth and velvety batter and the ingredients will incorporate easily.
• Make sure not to over-bake the cake: Every oven is different, so the bake times will be different.
• Let the cake cool completely before frosting: This prevents the buttercream from melting and gives you smooth, clean slices.
• Don’t overmix the batter: Mix just until the ingredients are combined to keep the cake light and tender.
• Decorate to match the occasion: Add colorful rainbow sprinkles for birthdays, fresh berries for summer, or festive decorations for holidays.

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leftovers & storage

Leftovers: Store leftover cake in an airtight container or cover plate with foil or plastic wrap. Store in a cool area for up to 5 days.

Freeze: You can freeze unfrosted or frosted cake by wrapping the cooled unfrosted cake with plastic wrap, or cut into individual slices and wrap each slice, and then place in a heavy-duty ziplock bag or cover with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrost: To defrost the unfrosted or frosted cake, let the cake thaw completely before frosting. Place cake in the refrigerator to sit overnight or sit out in the counter for at least 3 hours.

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