Birthdays, special occasions, or a delicious midnight snack: Vanilla Sheet Cake is a great recipe to have in your wheelhouse!
While a box of cake mix is easy to grab off the shelf and prepare, a homemade cake is nearly just as easy and free from those pesky additives and long ingredient lists of a cake mix. With this Vanilla Sheet Cake recipe, nearly as fail-proof too. Beginning (or non-) bakers to seasoned bakers can turn out a delicious cake in no time with these easy-to-follow instructions and simple ingredients.
You might assume this is basically white cake, but it’s actually better. The added vanilla gives what is white cake that extra boost of flavor, the nostalgic aroma while it’s baking, and a depth that basic white cake lacks. No offense to white cake, of course. It has its time and place (I’m looking at you, wedding cakes!).
Sometimes sweet and simple is all you need – while there’s nothing fancy about this cake, it is downright delicious! Even as someone who loves chocolate, this cake hits the spot. And you can always swap out the white icing with an icing or frosting flavored with chocolate, strawberry or even peanut butter. Vanilla Sheet Cake shows up for birthdays or any occasion where you want a classic but delicious cake.
What does “room temperature” really mean?
In this recipe, you need the butter, eggs, and milk at room temperature. So what does that really mean? My kitchen might be a toasty 76 degrees while yours might be 68 degrees. Does the term “room temperature” really mean the actual temperature of the room? Not really. What you need is butter that, when you gently press your finger on top, leaves an indentation (but does not cave in totally). And milk and eggs that have set out for about 20-30 minutes to take away the chill. About 30-45 minutes ahead of making the recipe, set the butter, milk, and eggs out on your countertop. That should do it!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
How to Make Vanilla Sheet Cake
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Step 3: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, ensuring they are fully incorporated into the batter.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
Step 5: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 6: While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting by beating together the confectioner’s sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and spreadable.
Step 7: Once the cake is done, allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Then, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake.
Step 8: Cut the cake into squares and serve. Enjoy your homemade vanilla sheet cake with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk!
FAQs & Tips
Vanilla Sheet Cake can be made ahead and wrapped in wax paper then foil. Do not frost it ahead. You can either store it at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to a month. To defrost from the freezer, simply set it out on your counter for about an hour. Gently unwrap and frost. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To avoid dense, heavy homemade cake, make sure you really cream the butter (which must be room temp) and sugar well in Step 2. This creaming process creates air in the batter, which helps it stay light. Additionally, in Step 4, when alternating the milk and dry ingredients, mix just until combined – don’t overmix that part. Following these two easy tips will help you turn out light, airy cake every time.
For cakes, metal is best – it conducts the heat the most efficiently and evenly. If you don’t want to serve it in a metal pan, after the cooling time, you can run a butter knife around the edge of the cake and gingerly flip it onto whatever serving platter you would like to use. Then simply frost and serve.
Serving Suggestions
For serving, you can add some simple sprinkles like the ones pictured here. You can also make a thicker frosting by simply using less heavy cream – start with only 2 T of heavy cream and gradually add until you get the spreadable texture you want. For a summertime occasion, try adding sliced berries on top of the icing, just before serving. You can also mix things up and frost with your favorite chocolate or peanut butter frosting. Our Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is ah-mazing on top of this Vanilla Sheet Cake!
Vanilla Sheet Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, ensuring they are fully incorporated into the batter.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting by beating together the confectioner’s sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and spreadable.
- Once the cake is done, allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Then, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake.
- Cut the cake into squares and serve. Enjoy your homemade vanilla sheet cake with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk!
