This vanilla sheet cake recipe uses the reverse creaming method, an easy technique that promises a uniquely soft and springy crumb with the most delicious buttery vanilla flavor. Use this cake recipe as a birthday sheet cake or for anytime you crave a simple classic dessert. Top the cake with whipped vanilla buttercream, a frosting made from butter, confectioners’ sugar, and heavy cream and whipped until extra fluffy.
When it comes to classics like vanilla cake, the chapter never really ends. You see, there’s 3 layer vanilla cake, vanilla cupcakes, vanilla naked cake, one layer vanilla cake (aka strawberry shortcake cake!), vanilla 6 inch cake, confetti cake, and even a vanilla white cake hybrid. Each of these recipes use the same ingredients, only remixed and divided in different proportions.
But what about a simple vanilla sheet cake recipe?
That’s what we’re focusing on today. This is a pure and classic vanilla sheet cake with a soft, springy crumb and unbelievable sweet vanilla flavor. It’s the simple birthday cake you need and buttery taste you love. And let’s add a giant fluff ball on topโotherwise known as whipped buttercream. This is dessert nostalgia at its finest!
One reader, Gabrielle, commented: “I followed the recipe exactly and it came out amazing! I made it for someone’s birthday at work and it was a hit. It transported and served nicely right out of the dish. I would make this again! โ โ โ โ โ “
Another reader, Teri, commented: “Just made this today! Delicious, light, fluffy, and rose beautifully! โ โ โ โ โ “
Another reader, Alycia, commented: “Love, love, LOVE this cake! It has become my go-to birthday cake recipe, both for myself and for anyone I can talk into letting me make them a cake. It is fluffy with great crumb and flavor. I’ve made it into a 2-layer cake several times, following the baking instructions in the recipe Notes section. I’ve added sprinkles and mini chocolate chips, too! โ โ โ โ โ “
Behind the Vanilla Sheet Cake Recipe
My vanilla cake recipe (the best I’ve ever had!) yields too much batter for a 9×13-inch quarter sheet cake, while the strawberry shortcake cake batter isn’t quite enough. My 2 layer vanilla/white cake hybrid is super light and fluffy and while it’s the perfect amount for a 9×13-inch quarter sheet pan, it doesn’t have the same buttery tight crumb as traditional vanilla cake. For today’s recipe, I took what I love about these cakes and combined them into the appropriate amount of batter to fit this classic size pan.
First, let’s walk through an in-depth tutorial of the mixing method. (Reverse creaming! You’re going to love it.) Though this is a very straightforward recipe, I encourage you to read through my tips before getting started.
Reverse Creaming Method for Cake
Do you remember when I shared Tessaโs Blackberry Lavender Cake? I just love her recipes! Prior to that cake, I had only used the reverse creaming method a handful of times. I loved her cakeโs texture, so I replicated it with my strawberry shortcake cake not long after. We’re going to use the same method with today’s vanilla sheet cake recipe. Instead of starting with creaming butter and sugar together like traditional cake recipes, the reverse creaming method begins with the dry ingredients and ends with the eggs. This method produces a lighter and tighter crumb with more spring. The slices are tight like pound cake, but not dense in the slightest. Itโs velvety soft and almost tastes creamy.
This method is so unique, but very easy.
Sift the dry ingredients, including the sugar, into a bowl. Sifting with a fine mesh strainer is imperative because it aerates the dry ingredients and leaves behind larger sugar crystals. Remember, we arenโt creaming sugar and butter together where large sugar crystals are usually broken down. Next, mix in cubed room temperature butter, a little milk, and vanilla extract. In this step, the butter coats the flour. The coating of fat minimizes the flourโs formation of gluten, which helps result in a finer cake crumb. You’ll taste the difference.
By the way, we coat flour with fat when we make biscuits and pie crust too. This practice helps produce an extra flaky (not dense) baked good.
Success Tip: Cube the butter when it’s cold. Smaller pieces of butter will warm to room temperature much quicker than a full stick of butter. Plus, it’s easy to cut cold butter into cubes as opposed to warmer room temperature butter.
After that, weโll add the rest of the liquids including the remaining milk, the sour cream, and eggs. The photo on the left (below) is our sheet cake batter. I promise it’s the creamiest batter you’ll ever work with. Avoid over-mixing it.
Which Cake Pan?
Use whichever 9×13-inch pan you have on hand. I usually lean towards a glass 9×13-inch pan simply because the cake looks extra beautiful serving right out of the dish. It’s what I prefer when making cookies and cream cake and yellow sheet cake, too. If using a metal baking pan, keep a close eye on the cake. Metal pans usually mean a quicker bake time, though my test recipes (in all different pans) each finished baking around the same time.
Vanilla Sheet Cake Ingredients
Whether you’re a beginner baker or pro, you’ll be happy to see that this vanilla sheet cake requires only a handful of super basic baking ingredients. Each one serves a purpose and for best results, I don’t recommend making substitutions.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour produces the softest cake. There’s simply no competition, but you can certainly make this cake flour substitute if needed. Cake flour is sold in the baking aisle with the other flours. You can use leftovers in any recipes using cake flour.
- Sugar & Salt: Sugar sweetens the cake and salt adds flavor.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Remember the differences in baking powder vs baking soda and why it’s important to use both in some recipes?
- Butter: Room temperature butter is the workhorse behind this whole recipe, especially the reverse creaming method. It also adds flavor. I recommend using unsalted butter in this sheet cake recipe. If you’re interested, here’s a post I wrote on salted butter vs unsalted butter.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds flavor. Use an entire Tablespoon… trust me! And if you use homemade vanilla extract, even better. ๐
- Whole Milk: The cake’s crumb is extra rich and we have the whole milk to thank for it. Avoid lower fat or nonfat milks. Moist cakes need fat.
- Sour Cream: The moist maker! Thanks to sour cream, this cake melts in your mouth.
- Eggs: To obtain a fluffier cake, I usually add extra egg whites. However, this sheet cake didn’t need it. Maybe my ratios were off, but my few test recipes proved that this combination of ingredients brought together with the reverse creaming method doesn’t need extra whites. Simply use 3 full eggs. Actually, in one test recipe, I used 4 eggs with no sour cream. The cake tasted heavy, so I ultimately swapped 1 egg with sour cream. The cake is much lighter and moister.
Whipped Buttercream
Elevating this vanilla sheet cake is a lovely blanket of whipped buttercream. Use the same ingredients as my regular vanilla buttercream recipe, but add extra heavy cream and whip it for a few extra minutes. A little extra cream and a little extra whip turn this frosting into a buttercream/whipped cream duo. This is the same frosting we use to fill our cream-filled chocolate cupcakes. It’s mega creamy and fluffy, as if you borrowed a puffy cloud from the sky and slathered it on a cake. Talk about dreamy!
Couldn’t you get lost in these swirls?
If you want to go the extra mile, top this beauty with thick and fluffy Swiss meringue buttercream instead. For a less sweet option, try my whipped frosting. It’s a personal favorite! And for a pretty pink spin, strawberry buttercream frosting pairs wonderfully with vanilla cake.
Make an American Flag Cake!
Before we finish up, let’s chat about turning this vanilla sheet cake into a flag cake. Spread 2/3 of the frosting all over the cake, saving the remaining 1/3 for piping detail. Grab some fresh blueberries and halved strawberries and line them up to mimic the stars and stripes on an American flag. I used Ateco 32 piping tip for the piping between the “stars” and Ateco 844 piping tip for the piping between the “stripes.”
This would be an excellent choice for Memorial Day Weekend or the Fourth of July. See more Memorial Day Weekend recipes and 4th of July desserts.
Would love to know if you try this sheet cake!!
More Quarter Sheet Cake Recipes
- Banana Cake
- Pumpkin Cake
- Cookies & Cream Cake
- Yellow Sheet Cake
- Pineapple Carrot Cake
- Spice Cake & Apple Cake
- Zucchini Cake
Vanilla Sheet Cake with Whipped Buttercream Frosting
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This vanilla sheet cake recipe uses the reverse creaming method, an easy technique that promises a uniquely soft and springy crumb with the most delicious buttery vanilla flavor. Each ingredient serves a purpose and for best results, I don’t recommend making substitutions.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (354g) cake flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, cubed and softened to room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, at room temperature and divided
- 1/3 cupย (80g)ย sour cream, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Whipped Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 and 1/2 cups (540g) confectionersโ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml)ย heavy cream (can be cold or room temperature)
- 2 teaspoonsย pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
- optional: sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Generously grease a 9×13-inch cake pan.
- Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. (Or if using a handheld mixer, any large mixing bowl.) With the paddle attachment, beat the ingredients together on low speed for a few seconds to gently combine. Add the butter, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of milk. Mix on medium speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl. The mixture will resemble a thick dough.
- Whisk the remaining milk, the sour cream, and eggs together in a medium bowl. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the egg mixture in 3 additions, mixing for about 15 seconds after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl, then mix for about 15 more seconds until batter is completely combined. Avoid over-mixing. Some small lumps are OK.
- Pour and spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for around 32-35 minutes or until the cake is baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, itโs done. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. The cake must be completely cool before frosting.
- Make the buttercream:ย With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectionersโ sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 4 full minutes. Add up to 1/4 cup more confectionersโ sugar if frosting is too thin or another Tablespoon of cream if frosting is too thick. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. (I add 1/8 teaspoon salt.) Frosting should be extra fluffy.
- Spread frosting in a thick layer on cooled cake. I use and recommend an offset spatula. If desired, use a piping tip to pipe some frosting and/or garnish with sprinkles. Slice and serve.
- Cover leftover cakeย tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the refrigerated frosting sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then beat with a mixer for 1 minute to bring it back to a spreadable consistency. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Cake Pan | Fine Mesh Sieve | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Offset Spatula
- Cupcakes:ย Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) for 19-21 minutes. Yields about 2 dozen. Or try myย vanilla cupcakes recipe.
- 2 Layer Cake: If desired, you can use this batter to make a 2 layer cake instead. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake time will be a few minutes shorterโkeep a close eye on the cakes at 20 minutes and check for doneness with a toothpick.
- Cake Flour: For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle and I haveย many more recipes using it. If you cannot get your hands on cake flour, you can make a DIY cake flour substitute.
- Why is everything at room temperature?ย Allย refrigerated items should beย at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly.ย Read here for moreย information.
- Sprinkle Cake: To make a sprinkle cake, fold about 2/3 cup (105g) of sprinkles into the cake batter. Avoid nonpareils (the little balls), which tend to bleed their color.
- Chocolate Frosting: If desired, swap the whipped vanilla buttercream with chocolate buttercream. The chocolate buttercream calls for beating for 1 minute, but for a fluffy whipped texture, whip for 3 full minutes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Love this recipeโฆ. This is the second time I used this recipe for a โonesieโ baby cake. The cake and frosting were perfect. Only problem is I had a hard time getting a blue coloring for the onesie.
Gel food coloring is best for vivid colors!
Sally,
I really need your help. I am a good baker but I don’t anymore because I am dealing with metastatic stage IV terminal breast cancer. I have a 12 year old son, and I wish he knew me before this (I’ve dealt with this most of his life). So, I don’t get to bake with him like he would like. It is really hard for me to stay on my feet for long.
On Saturday, I need to make a LARGE sheet cake for his class project. Then his friends have to decorate it to depict their project about 16th century Spain. They don’t want me to do the layers (and cut it up). They want a really large sheet cake so they have plenty of room on the top to do their thing (draw a country, etc.).
You have a vanilla sheet cake recipe, but it isn’t large enough for the Wilton metal sheet cake pan (I’ve never used yet) that is 15″ x 11.5. What recipes should I make twice to fill this in? I think you might say I have to mix two batters up separately. If I need to do that, the unfortunate thing is that the first batter would have to sit in the pan for awhile at room temperature. I understand that the volume would be 172.50. Thank you in advance for your input. With the price of food, I don’t want to mess this up. Thank you! Kim
Hi Kim! We’re happy to help. Yes, we would recommend making the batter twice and then combining it. It’s okay for the first batch to sit at room temperature while you make the second batchโjust cover the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Once the batter is combined, you can fill your pan about half way and use any leftover batter for a few cupcakes on the side. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness. We hope this helps and that the cake is a hit!
Came out great! Even better was that I was able to make this without any kind of electric mixer. It was a lot of elbow grease but was worth it!
Could I substitute the sour cream for buttermilk please? Or would that change things terribly?
Thank you
Hi Sue, if using buttermilk as a substitute, use it to replace the milk AND the sour cream. So, 1 and 1/3 cups total. Happy baking!
if i wanted to make this into a cookie butter cake can i fold in some biscoff spread? and would that alter the baking time at all?
Hi Elise! It would take some testing to adapt this recipe to include cookie butter. It may be best to search for a cookie butter sheet cake recipe instead, or top this vanilla cake with a cookie butter frosting (cookie butter should work well in the place of peanut butter in our peanut butter frosting recipe, but we haven’t tested it ourselves).
Hello can use this recipe for 12×12 square pan and do I double up the amount for 30ppl serving?
Hi Pei, here’s everything you need to know about converting to different cake pan sizes.
Hi Sally! Do you think this cake would hold up as a numbered birthday cake? Thanks!
That should work just fine, Allison!
I didnโt have cake flour so I made my own. While the cake is good, especially with this awesome frosting, I found the texture to be a tad coarse. Could this be the home/grown cake flour?
Hi Susi, Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh too. Dense cakes can often be caused by over mixing the batter. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes will be a helpful resource to review. Thanks for giving this one a try!
I love your cake recipes! But this is the second buttercream recipe of yours Iโve made and it breaks every time. I sift the confectioners sugar and beat it as you described and ensure everything is room temp. Itโs happened 4-5 times. Help!
Hello! this looks so delicious. I was curious on how much frosting this would make! I need a less sweet frosting to fill and coat a three layer, eight inch cake. I saw your actual less-sweet, whipped frosting, but I don’t have cream cheese, so I think I might have to use this one. Thank you guys so much!
Hi Addie, this frosting will yield about 3.5-4 cups.
If I have cake batter left over can I put it in fridge ? If so how long?
Hi Sylvia, we donโt recommend that, as the leaveners are activated once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. We recommend baking as soon as possible after mixing up the batter.
Hi Sally I made this cake for a half Van half chocolate sheet cake for a friend. Iโm a seasoned baker so I was wondering why overnight the cake shrunk quite a bit. Has that happened to you ? It looked great after baking but the next morning it shrunk a lot. More than a normal cooling.
Hi Laura, When cakes shrink, itโs often because they are slightly underbaked. A few additional minutes in the oven should help for next time. Be sure that your baking powder and baking soda are also fresh for optimal rise. Hope this helps for next time!
Hi, would it be possible to add white chocolate to the whipped buttercream? Or would that cause issues when whipping?
Thanks!
Hi Lucy, here’s our white chocolate frosting recipe!
Hello! I am using this recipe to make a number cake with stencils and want to make it tres leches flavored. would the three milks absorb into this cake well?
Hi Leo, we haven’t used this cake with a milk soak, but we can’t see why not! Let us know how it goes for you.
Hello! My cake came out super dense. What did I do wrong?
Hi Elsa, Make sure you are using cake flour and your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. Dense cakes can often be caused by over mixing the batter. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes will be a helpful resource to review. Thanks for giving this one a try!
If I want to double this recipe and cook inn a larger pan. Do I lower the baking temp to 325?
Could I use a 12×17 sheet pan for this recipe?
Hi Kate, hereโs everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions.
How would I double this if I need to make half a sheet cake?
Hi Jennifer! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
This is the best vanilla cake Iโve ever had. Followed the recipe exactly as written
I love your cakes Sally! Iโm hoping to try this one for my daughterโs first birthday party in the weekend. I plan to make it twice separately and then layer it. As I want twice the qty. Will the cake be ruined if I freeze it (without icing) so I can make it in advance and thaw the day before and ice on the day?
Previously with your chocolate cakes I have cooled them, wrapped in cling film and foil for them for freezing.
Hi Rose, that will be fine! This cake freezes well. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. We have an entire post with our best tips to freeze cakes that might be helpful. Hope the cake is a hit for your daughter’s birthday!
Excited to make this cake for my son’s wedding, but before I start….. I live at 7300 ft., what all altitude adjustments should I make?
Thank you!
Hi Tresa, we wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Could I swap the sour cream for yogurt?
Hi Ally, absolutely!
If I wanted to make a marble cake, could I add cocoa powder to half the batter?
Hi Anna, it’s a little more complicated than that, because cocoa powder is very bitter, and also drying, so we usually also add extra sugar and milk, too. See this recipe for zebra cake for guidance!
Would this buttercream recipe work if I’m putting an edible image on top of a 9×13 birthday cake? Thanks!
Hi Judy, we haven’t tested it, but that shouldn’t be an issue.
I made two recipes of this cake and baked each in a 12 x 27 inch half sheet pan for 20 minutes. Each cake was frosted with a recipe of the whipped buttercream. I scored each cake into 24 pieces and placed a half glazed strawberry in the center of each piece. I followed the recipe exactly as written. Delicious and far easier than making several layer cakes!
Hi! Plan to make this tomorrow. Do you have any tips for keeping a more level surface while baking? Trying to avoid any doming on the top.
Hi Michelle, a little doming is normal and you can use a serrated knife or cake leveler to help even out the surface. We don’t personally use them, but some bakers swear by cake strips to help the cake bake with a more even top. We hope you enjoy the cake!
What measuring changes would I need to make if using a 12×18 in pan
Hi Willa, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions.
Do I double this recipe for a 12×18 pan? All of the half-sheet cake recipes I find are intended for jelly roll pans, and thus very THIN. I was hoping I could just double this quarter-sheet cake recipe and end up with a regular thickness half-sheet birthday cake. Would that work?
Hi Jessica, this cake as written will fit into a 12ร17-inch half sheet pan. It will be on the thinner side and the bake time will be shorter. However, if you want it thicker, I would make the batter twice (separately; do not double as the added volume will affect how the batter mixes) and then use however much to fill the half sheet pan halfway full. Use extra batter for a few cupcakes on the side.
Thank you for this info! Iโm going to try this for our family gathering in July and make the two batters separate and a few cupcakes. What would the bake time look like?
Thank you for all you do! Canโt wait for your cookbook to arrive!
Hi again Angie! I’m unsure of the best bake time, so so sorry! You can use a toothpick to test for doneness. When it comes out clean, the cake(s) are done.
Really disappointed. This cake came out beautifully then shrunk to less than half the size. What did I do wrong?
Hi Leigh, how was the texture of the cake? When cakes shrink, it’s often because they are slightly underbaked. A few additional minutes in the oven should help for next time. Be sure that your baking powder and baking soda are also fresh for optimal rise. Hope this helps for next time!