Vanilla Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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The perfect dessert to feed a crowd, this vanilla sheet is easy to frost and decorate, easy to transport, and easy to serve.
Tis’ the season for graduation parties, potlucks, and summer BBQs. At my house alone this month, we are celebrating my son’s 18th birthday and high school graduation and my husband’s 50th (!!). These occasions scream for a sheet cake. Less fussy than a layer cake but just as festive, a sheet cake is easy to frost and decorate, easy to transport, and easy to cut and serve — plus, it feeds a crowd. This luscious vanilla sheet cake with cream cheese frosting is adapted from my favorite cake cookbook, Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri. It can also be made as vanilla cupcakes or topped with berries and turned into a flag cake.
What You’ll Need To Make Vanilla Sheet Cake
Step-by-Step Instructions
Bake the Cake
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Don’t worry if the batter looks a little curdled at this point.
Reduce the speed to low, then beat in one-third of the flour mixture.
Pour in half of the buttermilk. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining buttermilk. Beat in the remaining flour.
Scrape down the bowl and beat again until the batter is evenly combined. Do not overmix.
Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake is set and lightly golden around the edges, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until aerated and light, about 2 minutes.
Stop the mixer and add about half of the confectioners’ sugar; mix on low to combine. Gradually add the remaining sugar, keeping the speed on low.
Once all of the sugar is mixed in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
When the cake is cool, use a butter knife or small offset spatula to top the cake with the frosting.
Swirl the frosting lavishly.
The cake is best enjoyed fresh on the day it is baked, but it will keep nicely for a few days. Store in an airtight container (or cover tightly with plastic wrap) at room temperature.
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Vanilla Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
The perfect dessert to feed a crowd, this vanilla sheet is easy to frost and decorate, easy to transport, and easy to serve.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
For the Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- Sprinkles, for decorating (optional)
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Butter and flour a 9x13-in pan, or use nonstick cooking spray with flour in it, such as Baker's Joy or Pam with Flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. (Don't worry if the batter looks a little curdled at this point.)
- Reduce the speed to low, then beat in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining buttermilk. Beat in the remaining flour, then scrape down the bowl and beat again until the batter is evenly combined. Do not overmix.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cake is set and lightly golden around the edges, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until aerated and light, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add about half of the confectioners' sugar; mix on low to combine. Gradually add the remaining sugar, keeping the speed on low. Once all of the sugar is mixed in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- When the cake is cool, use a butter knife or small offset spatula to swirl the frosting lavishly over top. The cake is best enjoyed fresh on the day it is baked, but it will keep nicely for a few days. Store in an airtight container (or cover tightly with plastic wrap) at room temperature.
- Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 piece of cake
- Calories: 462
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Sugar: 50 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 199 mg
- Cholesterol: 96 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Hi! Would you say the frosting in this recipe pipes well?
Hi Laura, It does not – sorry! For piping I would recommend my Swiss meringue buttercream.
Is there any reason I couldn’t freeze the frosted cake for about 2 weeks?
Hi Corrine, it’s fine to freeze the cakes, but for the best results, I’d wait until you thaw it before frosting.
Too much icing sugar for my liking but I don’t like it too sweet or add more cream cheese. The cake is lovely will definitely make again.
Made this cake using an all purpose gluten free flour for my mother’s 89th birthday. It was a delicious, dense cake that was loved by all, including my brother who normally passes on deserts. He must have reiterated at least three times how much he liked it. The frosting would be delicious on a carrot cake. Thanks Jen for another superb tested and perfected recipe.
Made a double batch of this for my daughters 7th birthday – the texture and flavor are superb, everyone enjoyed very much. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Hi Jenn-
Can you use reduced fat buttermilk and get the same results? Sorry if this has already been asked.
Thanks!
Yup – enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Wanted to make a plain yellow cake in an 8×8 square pan and of course came to onceuponachef to look for one. Will this work halved? Want to make cake pops out of it. Thanks!!
Sure, Abbie, that will work. Enjoy!
This cake is so good I made it last night and my family loves it! This will be my go to when I have to take a dessert. Thank you for this recipe now I have to try your other recipes!
Jen, I’d really like to make this for my grandson’s 2nd birthday party but due to busy schedules I need to bake it Wednesday night, then frost Friday for Saturday afternoon. Do you think it will freeze or refridgerate ok without the frosting?
If you plan to make it today and not serve it until Saturday, I’d freeze it to ensure it remains fresh. Just thaw on the countertop the night before you plan to frost it. Hope everyone enjoys!
Excellent advice, Jen, worked like a charm! This was the easiest, most delicious, moist vanilla cake (we added sprinkles to the batter for youngster fun) and yummy frosting. Every single morsel was devoured and our party guests were raving! I 100% agree with the solid 5 star ratings but admit I’m puzzled that only 25 people have commented so far. I encourage others to try it too because this really is another “Jen” perfected winner !!
So glad it came out nicely — thanks for reporting back!
Can I make this cake the night before and then frost it in the morning to serve that evening? Is it really okay to leave it out on the counter all day with the cream cheese frosting?
Sure, Jane, it’s fine to bake it the night before and also okay to leave it on the counter. 🙂