Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Basic White Sheet Cake 5.0 (2) This tender, two-layer cake feeds a crowd. Close Credit: Jason Donnelly Prep Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 30 Yield: 1 12-by-17-inch layer cake Jump to recipe Our classic white cake recipe is a tried-and-true classic that's perfect for any number of occasions, from birthdays to showers to school parties. While cakes like this are available from supermarket bakeries, they're so much more delicious and satisfying when made from scratch. For a two-layer cake, you'll want to make this recipe twice, rather than making one big big batch of batter and splitting it between two pans—it'll ensure you end up with two layers of even thickness, giving you a picture-perfect result. You'll also definitely want to pull out a stand-mixer or hand-held mixer to both beat the ingredients together and whip some egg whites to stiff peaks, which—along with cake flour—is the secret to this finished cake's light and dreamy texture. 25 Creative Kids Birthday Cakes You Can Make Yourself White Cake vs. Yellow Cake Both white cake and yellow cake are vanilla cakes, but it's the inclusion—or absence—of one ingredient that sets them apart: egg yolks. The luscious, sunny yolks, which are made up of fats and proteins, lend yellow cake its golden color and rich mouthfeel. Using just whites, on the other hand, results in a cake that's lighter, fluffier, and pure white, like this recipe. Dos and Don'ts for a Picture-Perfect Sheet Cake Do prep your pans: To ensure your cakes release easily from the baking sheet, it's crucial to prep the pan thoroughly. This includes brushing it from end to end with softened butter, lining with parchment, and then brushing that parchment with butter. Finally, sprinkle a light dusting of flour over top and shake, tap, and tilt pan to ensure the surface is thoroughly coated; tap out any excess. Don't forget to also grease the wire rack you'll be inverting the cakes onto to keep cakes from sticking as they cool. Do sift your dry ingredients: Sifting the flour mixture aerates the dry ingredients while breaking up any clumps, resulting in a lightweight, less dense end product. If you don't have a sifter, use a fine-mesh strainer for this step. Don't over-mix: You've undoubtedly heard this one before, but it's especially important for this recipe: Over-mixing the batter can develop too much gluten, which in turn can result in a dense, gummy cake, rather than one that's airy and tender. As soon as the last addition of flour has been incorporated and no dry streaks remain, turn off that mixer. Don't rush: For a picture perfect cake, take your time with this recipe. That includes adding the wet and dry ingredients in three alternating additions, throughly beating the egg whites, and then gradually folding them into the batter, being careful to not deflate them. This recipe does require some care, but the payoff—two tender, fluffy layers of vanilla cake—is so worth it. You'll need about six cups of frosting to fill and cover a two-layer sheet cake. If using our Simple Vanilla Frosting, plan to make 1 1/2 times the base recipe to ensure you have enough. (You can also double the recipe and freeze any leftovers for future use.) How to Make White Cake Ahead If you'd like to make this cake in advance, let both layers cool completely on wire racks, then wrap each in a double layer of plastic, followed by a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrosting Frozen Cake Layers Defrost cakes, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight. In a pinch, you can let the cakes thaw at room temperature, but you're guaranteed a better texture with a more gradual approach. Directions Credit: Jason Donnelly Preheat oven; prepare baking sheet: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 17-by-12-by-1-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line bottom with parchment, butter parchment, and dust pan with flour, tapping out any excess; set aside. Sift dry ingredients; beat butter, then gradually mix in sugar: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl, and set aside. Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment until it is creamy. Add the sugar to the butter in a steady stream, and continue beating until the butter is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Credit: Jason Donnelly Add dry and wet ingredients alternately: Reduce speed to low, and add dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla in three additions, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients; be careful not to overmix. Set batter aside. Credit: Jason Donnelly Beat egg whites to form stiff peaks: In a medium metal bowl or clean bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg whites just until stiff peaks form. Credit: Jason Donnelly Fold egg whites into batter; pour into pan: Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter until combined. Fold in remaining whites in two batches. Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Credit: Jason Donnelly Credit: Jason Donnelly Bake cake, then let cool 15 minutes: Bake until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center, about 30 minutes. Let pan cool 15 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen sides, then invert onto rack; invert again: Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula or paring knife, and invert onto greased wire rack. To prevent the layer from splitting, invert again so that the top is up. Cool completely before assembling cake. Credit: Jason Donnelly While this layer cools, repeat steps with a second batch of ingredients for a second cake layer. Trim tops of each layer; halve one cake crosswise: To assemble, trim tops of each layer so they are flat. Place one layer of cake on serving platter. Cut second layer in half crosswise to make two 8 1/2-inch by 12-inch pieces. Credit: Jason Donnelly Frost bottom layer; top with cut cakes: Spread top of (uncut) cake layer with 1/4-inch layer of the icing, then gently place the two cut pieces on top to form second layer. Credit: Jason Donnelly Credit: Jason Donnelly Frost top and sides; decorate: Use remaining icing to frost top and sides of assembled cake. Decorate as desired. Credit: Jason Donnelly How to Store White Sheet Cake Unfrosted cake layers, after cooling completely, can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to five days. For longer storage, wrap the layers in a double layer of plastic followed by a layer of foil and store in the freezer for up to three months. Tips for Frosting a Sheet Cake Use cooled cakes: When frosting this cake (or any cake recipe, really), it's crucial your layers are thoroughly cooled. Warm cakes will cause the frosting to slide off and become a crumbly mess.Chill cakes before frosting: To make frosting as easy as possible, you can opt to wrap both layers in plastic wrap (be sure no cake is exposed to air) and chill them in the fridge for 2 hours. This will firm the cakes up, in turn making applying the frosting a breeze. 5 More Sheet Cake Recipes to Try Texas Sheet Cake Lemon-Glazed Sheet Cake Vanilla Sheet Cake With Malted-Chocolate Frosting Banana Sheet Cake With Passion-Fruit Frosting Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sheet Cake Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.