Whipped buttercream frosting - Fluffier, sweet frosting (included below).

This cake can be frosted with your favorite type of homemade frosting. Top left: Butter and sugar creamed together, Top right: Eggs and vanilla added to the batter, Bottom left: Adding milk and flour, Bottom right: Fully mixed batter. Then, switch to low speed for adding the dry ingredients and milk.

I recommend using a hand mixer on medium speed for creaming together your butter, sugar, and eggs.

Overmixing can overwork the gluten, causing your cake to turn out tough.

Mix your dry ingredients just enough to incorporate them into the batter.

This removes clumps and helps make a smooth, even batter.

Sift or whisk your dry ingredients together.

Room temperature ingredients emulsify when mixed and create a creamy, even batter that bakes up fluffy in the oven.

Make sure your butter, eggs, and milk are all room temperature before beginning (not melted, not cold).

This can change the texture and make your cake dry. These two are not interchangeable.īutter, eggs, milk, and granulated sugar add moisture to your cake, and should not be substituted. When substituting with all purpose flour in my cupcake recipe, readers often complained of a 'cornbread' type texture - this is why.īaking powder is needed for this recipe, not baking soda. Cake flour gives your cake a tighter crumb and tender texture.

I do not suggest substituting cake flour with all purpose flour. Unsalted butter and salt can be substituted with salted butter if needed. If you do not have the listed ingredients on hand, I recommend searching for a recipe that does include those ingredients. Since baking is an exact science, I do not recommend substituting any ingredients in this recipe. Here's a great article with more details: Bon Appetit - Is It Better to Bake in Glass or Metal? Ingredients and substitutions Metal is easier to work with overall, and your cake is more likely to bake evenly throughout. While I did bake my 9x13 cake in a glass pan for these photos, I recommend using an aluminum pan instead. It's also visually pleasing to serve a cake in a glass pan. The benefit of glass is that you can see your cake while it bakes, ensuring the edges don't burn. Baking a cake in glass can take longer than baking in a metal pan, which often translates into overcooked edges while waiting for the center to finish. Glass is an insulator, meaning it takes longer to heat up, but will stay hot for longer. Metal pans are also basically indestructible! Metal, like aluminum, is a conductor, meaning it heats up quickly and allows heat to pass through easily.

Nordic Ware 9' Round Natural Aluminum Cake Pans (2 Pack)ĭid you know that there is a difference in baking with metal versus baking with glass?.

Natural Aluminum Nordic Ware Commercial Baker's Half Sheet (2 Pack).

Nordic Ware Classic Metal 9x13 Covered Cake Pan.

This will take extra skill, patience, and frosting (which I'll go over later).

Simply frost, slice, and serve! Round cakes need to be removed from their pans, trimmed, assembled, and frosted. I have tested this recipe in all three sizes (as shown above) and they all turn out tender, moist, and delicious.īoth the 9x13 and 13x18 sheet cakes can remain in the pan after baking.

So, what size do you choose? This is totally up to personal preference. 13x18 half sheet pan (with 1 inch sides).9x13 baking pan (with 2 inch tall sides).This recipe works as written in three different sizes: Make this vanilla sheet cake for your next birthday party, celebration, or family gathering. The whipped buttercream frosting is reader favorite recipe - it's easy to make and has a classic sweet vanilla flavor!

This vanilla cake turns out moist, fluffy, and tender. Make this cake in a 9x13 sheet pan, 13x18 sheet pan, or as a 9-inch two layer cake! Instructions for each are included in the recipe card. This cake can be made, as written, in three pan sizes. Topped with my favorite whipped buttercream frosting, this recipe can be made in three different pan sizes - even as a layer cake! It makes the perfect classic birthday cake.Īfter many reader requests, I have finally turned my vanilla cupcake recipe into a full-sized cake! This cake recipe is perfect for birthdays and celebrations, and is made with simple ingredients. Vanilla sheet cake is a classic yellow cake recipe that's tender, fluffy, and easy to make at home.

Vanilla cake recipe easy