When you're short on time and need to throw something together for dessert, this simple Vanilla sheet cake recipe is the perfect crowd-pleaser.
It is a tender, moist vanilla cake slathered with cream cheese frosting. It is the best choice to accompany breakfast and afternoon coffee, and it's even great for a birthday cake.
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How to Make Vanilla Sheet Cake
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle. Butter and flour, or use nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy, a 9x13-inch ceramic baking pan, or a metal pan. Sift the flour and baking powder to remove lumps in a large bowl.
Set aside. Combine the unsalted butter, sugars, pure vanilla, clear vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
On medium speed, beat until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes; stop and scrape the bowl, and paddle with a rubber spatula as necessary.
Add the eggs, beat on medium speed until well combined, about 2 to 3 minutes, and scrape the bowl. On low speed, stream in half of the buttermilk. Increase speed to medium-high and mix for about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl.
Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the bowl again, add the remaining flour mixture and remaining buttermilk, and mix until the batter comes together, about 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Finish folding the ingredients by hand using a rubber spatula to ensure the batter is well mixed and smooth; there should be no streaks of fat or liquid.
Evenly pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake vanilla sheet cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the vanilla sheet cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack until completely cool.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light, about 2 minutes.
Gradually add 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar, mixing at low speed to combine. Once the confectioners' sugar is mixed in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 1 minute.
When the vanilla sheet cake is completely cool, use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top.
More Sheet Cake Recipes:
📖 Recipe
Easy Vanilla Sheet Cake
Tools
Ingredients
- 344 g (2-¾ cup) all-purpose flour, spooned, leveled & sifted
- 226 g (2 sticks/1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 400 g (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 225 ml (1 cup) buttermilk or sour milk, room temperature*(see substitution below)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) pure vanilla extract
- 15 ml ( 1 tablespoon) clear vanilla flavor
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs , room temperature
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 226 g (8 oz) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 113 g (1 stick or ½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon ) pure vanilla extract
- 248 g (2 cups) confectioners' sugar, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Butter and flour, or use nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy, a 9x13-inch ceramic baking pan, or metal pan. Sift together the flour and baking powder to remove any lumps in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the unsalted butter, sugars, oil, pure vanilla, clear vanilla, and salt. On medium speed, beat until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes, stop and scrape the bowl, and paddle with a rubber spatula as necessary.
- Add the eggs, beat on medium speed until well combined, about 2 to 3 minutes, and scrape the bowl. On low speed, stream in half of the buttermilk. Increase speed to medium-high and mix for about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Scrape the bowl again, add the remaining flour mixture and remaining buttermilk and mix just until the batter comes together, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Finish folding the ingredients by hand using a rubber spatula to ensure the batter is well mixed and smooth; there should be no streaks of fat or liquid.
- Evenly pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake vanilla sheet cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the vanilla sheet cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack until completely cool.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light, about 2 minutes.
- Gradually add 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar, mixing at low speed to combine. Once the confectioners' sugar is mixed in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 1 minute. When the vanilla sheet cake is completely cool, use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top.
Notes
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
