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Vanilla Sheet Cake with Buttercream Frosting

This vanilla sheet cake with buttercream frosting is a delicious fluffy white velvet cake baked in a sheet pan. Top this with your homemade bakery-style buttercream frosting and you have a winner.

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Vanilla Sheet Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Vanilla Sheet Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Sheet Pan Cake

Use this recipe anytime you crave something sweet or even as a birthday cake. Who said the cake must be round for a birthday anyway? While this can be made as a layer cake, this recipe has all the deliciousness of a layer cake, but without all the effort.

This sheet cake is just baked in a half sheet pan, cooled, and frosted.

 You can certainly make a fancy layered cake using two 9-inch cake pans with this recipe or make this in a 9 X 13 cake pan or use a half sheet pan as I have today.

Top this scrumptious cake with a creamy vanilla buttercream frosting.

Frosting White Velvet Sheet Cake
Frosting White Velvet Sheet Cake

White Velvet Cake

This sheet pan cake is a white velvet cake that is based on a lovely red velvet cake recipe. This white cake has just the perfect amount of moist and tender crumb that is ideal for any occasion.  

What is so special about a velvet cake?

A velvet cake gets its flavor and velvety texture from buttermilk. This creates a moist and tender cake

Pan of Vanilla Sheet Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Pan of Vanilla Sheet Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Make Your Own Buttermilk

Buttermilk is the liquid that is left behind after churning cream and making butter. I like the thickness of the buttermilk in the store. However, if you have whole milk at home, you can make your own in a pinch.

There are three different ways to get the job done.

First Method

Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 Cup of whole milk.  

Second Method

Add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 Cup of whole milk.

Third Method

Add 1 ½ Teaspoons of cream of tartar to 1 Cup of whole milk.

No matter what method you use to make your own buttermilk:

Mix the ingredients and let sit 5 minutes. The milk will start to curdle and thicken. The result is homemade buttermilk.

Serving a Piece of Vanilla White Cake
Serving a Piece of Vanilla White Cake

What Frosting Goes with White Velvet Cake?

Since I used a sheet pan today, I made a delicious, simple buttercream frosting. However, there are so many great options…it is so hard to choose. Here are a few of my favorite icing recipes.

Quick and Easy Buttercream Frosting
Quick and Easy Buttercream Frosting

I have used marshmallow frosting with this cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting pairs nicely with the tang of the buttermilk in the cake recipe.

Amazing 5-Minute Cream Cheese Frosting
Amazing 5-Minute Cream Cheese Frosting

Another perfect pairing is using Ermine frosting.

Ermine Buttercream Frosting
Ermine Buttercream Frosting

Make Your Own Cake Flour

Two Ingredients for Making Cake Flour

Yes, there are just two ingredients needed to make this fine-textured, light flour. However, if you can purchase cake flour, that is really the best option.

You can find out more about making your own cake flour.

Hints to Vanilla Sheet Cake Recipe

Today, I took the easy route and just baked this cake in a sheet pan. The result is a delicious cake that can be served as frosted bars too.

This cake is great for stacking too. However, if you are looking to make a fancy presentation make sure to chill the cakes before frosting and filling.

Layered White Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Layered White Cake with Buttercream Frosting

When baking, it is better to use a scale and weight ingredients. However, I must admit, I do not always follow this recommendation. It does make recipes fool-proof if you follow this practice. Baking is different than cooking, where you can get away with not being quite as exact.

If you have your ingredients at room temperature, it will help ensure that the ingredients mix together better.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Freshness

The texture and moistness of this cake is best the day of baking.

This is also a perfect make ahead recipe.

  • Store the frosted (with buttercream) cake for 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature
  • Keep for 5 days covered in the refrigerator.
  • Freeze the cake unfrosted for 2 months. To serve, thaw, frost, and enjoy.
Vanilla Sheet Cake with Buttercream Frosting
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Vanilla Sheet Cake with Buttercream Frosting

This vanilla sheet cake with buttercream frosting is a delicious fluffy white velvet cake baked in a sheet pan. Top this with your homemade bakery-style buttercream frosting and you have a winner.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Bars, Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, Cake, Dessert
Servings: 24 Servings
Calories: 201kcal

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 Cups All-purpose flour Sifted
  • 1 1/2 Cups Cake flour Sifted
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening at Room Temperature
  • 3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract Can use clear for a whiter batter
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk

text ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
    Sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set this aside.
    Sifting All-Purpose Flour for Cake Flour
  • Prepare your baking container. Today, I used the half sheet pan. I sprayed with a light amount of oil. If baking in two 9-inch round cake pans, then I would butter and flour them. Cut 2 circles of parchment paper and line the bottoms. This will assure that your cakes come out after baking.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat together the vegetable oil, shortening and vanilla. Beat until light, fluffy, and creamy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time.
    Mixing Eggs into the Cake Batter
  • By hand, fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.
    Folding in Buttermilk in the cake batter
  • As soon as the batter comes together and there are no lumps, pour into your baking container(s).
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake springs back or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Cool the cake before frosting. See the post for three different kinds of frosting recipes that I have used on this cake.
    Frosting White Velvet Sheet Cake

Your Own Private Notes

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Nutrition

Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.

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