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Easy Vanilla Sheet Cake

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.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 622 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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
    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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

  • How to Store 
  • How to Store 
  • This vanilla sheet cake with cream cheese frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight for up to 3 days; remove it from the fridge about 15 to 30 minutes before serving to allow the Frosting to warm up and lose its chill.
  • This vanilla sheet cake with cream cheese frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight for up to 3 days; remove it from the fridge about 15 to 30 minutes before serving to allow the Frosting to warm up and lose its chill.
  • Plain vanilla sheet cake without frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight for up to 5 days; remove it from the fridge about 15 to 30 minutes before serving to allow it to warm up and lose its chill. Cream Cheese Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight for up to 5 days; remove it from the fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before decorating the cake to allow the frosting to warm up and lose its chill.
  • Plain vanilla sheet cake without frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight for up to 5 days; remove it from the fridge about 15 to 30 minutes before serving to allow it to warm up and lose its chill. Cream Cheese Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight for up to 5 days; remove it from the fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before decorating the cake to allow the frosting to warm up and lose its chill.
  • Make-Ahead
  • Make-Ahead
  • The vanilla sheet cake with cream cheese frosting can be made a day ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days with a cling film cover over the top of the pan.
  • The vanilla sheet cake with cream cheese frosting can be made a day ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days with a cling film cover over the top of the pan.
  • How to Freeze
  • How to Freeze
  • Freeze the vanilla sheet cake without the cream cheese frosting for up to 3 months. Wrap the cake in clingfilm twice and foil once. To defrost, unwrap and defrost for about 5 to 8 hours at room temperature on a wire rack—Frost before serving.
  • Freeze the vanilla sheet cake without the cream cheese frosting for up to 3 months. Wrap the cake in clingfilm twice and foil once. To defrost, unwrap and defrost for about 5 to 8 hours at room temperature on a wire rack—Frost before serving.