Cakes

Simple Vanilla Sheet Cake

4.35 from 32 votes
Keep it simple when feeding a crowd with my Simple Vanilla Sheet Cake recipe — it's moist & topped with fluffy vanilla buttercream. What else could you want?
A vanilla sheet cake with slices served

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.

Hi Bold Bakers!

WHAT YOU GET: A simple vanilla sheet cake recipe, topped with fluffy vanilla buttercream, that will please everybody in the crowd.

No special occasion is required for this simple and delightful vanilla sheet cake with fluffy vanilla buttercream. I strongly believe a great Vanilla Cake should be in every baker’s repertoire, but sometimes you need a cake that will feed a larger audience than a three-layered circular cake.

This crowd-pleasing sheet cake has everything I love — a deliciously moist and tender crumb, the lovely taste of vanilla, and the most unbelievably fluffy buttercream icing. 

My homemade vanilla sheet cake recipe feeds 20 people easily, so feel free to invite a few extra folks around. Or, prepare for your next gathering and freeze this lovely cake until you’re ready to frost and serve! 

Top-down view of my vanilla sheet cake

Do I Need Cake Flour? 

Cake flour is essential for the tender, tight crumb of this cake, but don’t worry if you don’t have any on your shelf — you can easily make your own cake flour by following my recipe here.

What Type Of Frosting Should I Use On Sheet Cake?

This recipe calls for my Best-Ever Vanilla Buttercream, but feel free to explore other options that may fit your flavor preferences (and the weather) better. Try my Chocolate Buttercream or my Foolproof Strawberry Buttercream. If you’re worried about serving buttercream on a hot summer day, frost this cake with a stabilized whipped cream and top with fresh summer berries. Use my Stabilized Whipped Cream recipe!

Tools You Need To Make Vanilla Sheet Cake

  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • 13 x 18-inch (33 x 46-cm) half-sheet pan
  • Mixing bowls
  • Stand mixer or handheld electric mixer

A look at the interior crumb of my sheet cake

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Vanilla Sheet Cake

  • Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before you start. This will ensure even mixing and will create a light and moist cake.
  • Cake flour is essential for the tender, tight crumb of this cake. If you don’t have any, you can easily make your own here. Cake flour weighs less than all-purpose flour: 1 cup is equal to 4 oz/115 g (compared to 1 cup of all-purpose flour, which is 5 oz/142 g).
  • Make sure your frosting is soft and at room temperature before using, or it will tear this delicate cake.
  • A crumb coat is helpful when frosting this cake: Spread a very thin layer of frosting over the entire surface of the cake to seal in the crumbs, then refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to firm up. Proceed with frosting the cake.
  • You can turn this into a simple layer cake by cutting the cake into thirds and stacking the layers with frosting.
  • Use my Vanilla Buttercream. Or replace the vanilla buttercream with my Best-Ever Chocolate Buttercream,  Foolproof Strawberry Buttercream, or Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream. On hot days, use my Stabilized Whipped Cream recipe and top with fresh fruit. 

Make More Sheet Cake

Want To Go Deeper?

Level up your baking skills even further and subscribe to the Bold Baking Academy today! You’ll get access to all the in-depth baking courses both past and present, access to the Bold Baking Academy Community, and the one-of-a-kind Baking Concierge — which is a fast & direct connection to me and my team of culinary experts to answer any baking question you might have.

That’s right, inside or out of the Academy! So subscribe now!

Banner to subscribe now to the Bold Baking Academy

Vanilla Sheet Cake Recipe

4.35 from 32 votes
A vanilla sheet cake with slices served
Keep it simple when feeding a crowd with my Simple Vanilla Sheet Cake recipe — it's moist & topped with fluffy vanilla buttercream!
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 20 people
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
A vanilla sheet cake with slices served
Keep it simple when feeding a crowd with my Simple Vanilla Sheet Cake recipe — it's moist & topped with fluffy vanilla buttercream!
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 20 people

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8 oz/225 g) butter (softened)
  • cups (14 oz/395 g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) whole milk (at room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (12 oz/340 g) cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 recipe Vanilla Buttercream

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and butter and flour a 13 x 18-inch (33 x 46-cm) half-sheet pan. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat in the milk and vanilla extract.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together, then fold into the butter mixture until evenly mixed.
  • Spread evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let cool completely before frosting with Vanilla Buttercream. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
4.35 from 32 votes (28 ratings without comment)
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

44 Comments
most useful
newest oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
adina
adina
2 months ago

Note that the grams for the sugar is off. Should be around 350g for 1 3/4 cup. I did it by weight and my cake definitely had too much sugar… Still tasty though! And good thing I was layering it with lemon curd.

Mayah
Mayah
2 months ago

I fell in love with this recipe! If I wanted to convert it to an 8 inch 3 layer cake, what would be bake time?

Linda
Linda
3 months ago

Can this be baked in a 9×13-inch pan? If so, how long do you bake it?

Ketki
Ketki
6 months ago

Hi Gemma, would it work if I make 2 layered cake with buttercream frosting and some filling like blueberry or strawberry?
Thank you

Bryony
Bryony
7 months ago

Hi Gemma, thanks for amazing recipe! Would it work if I doubled the recipe? To create two sheet cakes?

Chloe
Chloe
1 year ago

Wow! This recipe got me through my first half sheet cake ever. Thank you!! For religious reasons I substituted margarine sticks instead of butter and homemade oat milk instead of cow’s milk. Luckily it turned out PERFECTLY. I’ll admit, I got nervous when I added the oat milk because the batter formed curdles, but then the consistency evened out again once I added the dry ingredients and stirred throughly. I also added ~7-8 minutes to the bake time. I have a deliciously moist, spongy, vanilla cake for an my family’s birthday!

Kenneth
Kenneth
1 year ago

Is this cake a moist and flavorful cake. I have been searching and can’t find one I like? Thanks

Gabby
Gabby
1 year ago

How tall is this cake? 1.5”, 2”? I’m looking to do a 2 layer 1/2 sheet cake, thinking of making 2 of these and putting a filling of vanilla pudding.

Tricia
Tricia
1 year ago

Hi Gemma. I made this recipe for my granddaughter’s baby shower and it was a huge hit. Could I make this cake in 2 cake pans to get a layer cake? I want each layer to be taller that 1 inch, and I’ve found I’m getting skinny layers with most recipes. Thanks.

Gary Mc
Gary Mc
1 year ago

I would like to make a marble version of this cake – what would you suggest to the chocolate element?

About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, best-selling cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking and the Bold Baking Network. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 1000+ videos on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 authority for everything baking.

 

Weeknight Family Favorites Chapter from the Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook

5 Days of
My BEST EVER Recipes

FREE EMAIL BONUS

51434

Chef-tested recipes that have been loved by millions of real bakers