Simple Vanilla Sheet Cake (Printer-friendly)

Tender vanilla cake with creamy buttercream and decorative piped flowers, perfect for festive occasions.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Sheet Cake

01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream

09 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
10 - 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - ¼ cup whole milk
12 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
13 - Food coloring in pink, yellow, and green

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with milk, beating until smooth and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.
10 - Divide buttercream into bowls and tint portions with food coloring for flowers and leaves.
11 - Spread a generous layer of plain buttercream over cooled cake as the base layer.
12 - Fill piping bags fitted with flower and leaf tips with colored buttercream. Pipe flowers and leaves decoratively across the cake, focusing on corners or along edges for a classic presentation.
13 - Optionally, pipe a cross or add First Communion text with a small round tip.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly moist for days, so you can bake it ahead without any stress creeping in.
  • Buttercream piping looks intimidating until you realize it's just muscle memory and a steady hand—you'll feel like a pastry chef by the third flower.
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to juggle multiple cake layers or complicated assembly.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable—cold eggs and milk will cause the batter to break and result in a grainy, less tender cake.
  • Do not overmix once you add the flour; stop the mixer as soon as you see no streaks of dry flour, even if small lumps remain.
  • Gel food coloring is your friend for vibrant flowers without compromising buttercream texture.
03 -
  • Make the cake a full day ahead and store it covered at room temperature; the crumb actually improves as it sits.
  • Chill the frosted cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving—it firms up the frosting and makes slicing cleaner and more elegant.
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