Vanilla Sheet Cake

Here’s a classic, soft, and fluffy Vanilla Sheet Cake recipe — perfect for birthdays, gatherings, or just because 🎂✨

Ingredients (for 9×13-inch pan)

Cake:

2¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour
2½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
½ cup (120 ml) sour cream or plain yogurt

Vanilla Frosting (Optional):

1 cup (230 g) unsalted butter, softened
3–4 cups (360–480 g) powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2–4 tbsp milk or cream

Instructions

1️⃣ Preheat & Prep

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan (or line with parchment paper).

2️⃣ Mix Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3️⃣ Cream Butter & Sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes).
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
Stir in vanilla extract.

4️⃣ Combine Wet & Dry

Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry.
Fold in sour cream gently until smooth.

5️⃣ Bake

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake 30–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.

6️⃣ Frost (Optional)

Beat butter until creamy.
Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until desired consistency.
Frost cooled cake evenly.

Tips for Success

Room temperature ingredients make the cake more tender.
Do not overmix once the flour is added — overmixing can make the cake dense.
For extra flavor, add ½ tsp almond extract with vanilla.
Cake can be made a day ahead; keep tightly covered to stay moist.

If you want, I can provide a “super moist, from-scratch version” that includes a simple syrup soak or a one-bowl shortcut method for faster prep.