Buttermilk Sheet Cake

Reasons to Make a Texas-Sized Vanilla Sheet Cake

• No-fuss recipe. This vanilla sheet cake recipe is so easy, my kids can make it. You don’t even need a mixer.
• Simple ingredients. The batter comes together with pantry ingredients, and it bakes up perfectly every time (I share my pro tips to ensure that it does!).
• Perfect for parties. Nothing has a party covered like a Texas sheet cake, and this vanilla and buttermilk version is a crowd favorite. It makes plenty of slices, but I rarely bring home leftovers.

What You’ll Need

Simple ingredients make this vanilla buttermilk sheet cake a wonderful last-minute dessert, since I always seem to have what I need in the pantry. Here’s a summary of the ingredients. You’ll find the full amounts and recipe details in the recipe card below the post.

For the Cake

• Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda for leavening, and salt. For consistent results, I stick with regular granulated sugar when baking. Check the dates on your baking soda package to make sure it’s not expired.
• Butter – Salted or unsalted butter, melted.
• Eggs – Lightly beaten and brought to room temperature.
• Vanilla
• Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can still make this sheet cake using an easy homemade buttermilk substitute. See below for details.

For the Frosting

• Butter – Like the cake, this will need to be melted before you start.
• Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar. The fine texture is key to a silky-smooth frosting (as opposed to granulated sugar).
• Milk and Vanilla – Whole milk or 2% milk are both good options for thinning out the frosting. 

Use an Easy Buttermilk Substitute

No buttermilk in the fridge? No problem! I’ve made an easy buttermilk substitute from scratch on countless occasions with just two ingredients. To make buttermilk, combine 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice) and add it to a 1-cup measuring cup. Next, fill the rest of the cup with regular whole milk (or 2%). Give the mixture a stir, and then let it sit for 5 minutes. Boom! Homemade “buttermilk.”

I’ve used homemade buttermilk in everything from buttermilk pie to banana bread, and it hasn’t failed me yet.

How to Make a Vanilla Sheet Cake With Buttermilk

Since this is a sheet cake, take out a large, 11×17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Then, you can have the cake batter ready for the oven in just a few minutes following the steps below. Scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.

• Prep. Coat your half-sheet pan (or jelly roll pan) with cooking spray. Set this aside, and get your oven preheating to 400ºF.

• Combine the batter ingredients. Whisk together the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. Next, stir in the butter and some hot water, followed by the eggs, vanilla, and finally the buttermilk. Continue whisking to combine.

• Bake the cake. Pour the cake batter over the prepared pan. Carefully place the sheet pan into the oven to bake for 15-18 minutes. After your cake is baked, take a moment to admire your handiwork. Just LOOK at that gorgeous golden color!

• Make the frosting. While your cake is cooling, get started on the vanilla icing right away. Whisk together the butter with powdered sugar, milk, and a bit of vanilla. Make sure to keep whisking until any lumps have dissolved.
• Frost the cake. Finally, drizzle that buttery frosting all over the cake while it’s still warm. If you’d like, use an offset spatula to even things out, then leave the cake to cool fully. Or don’t. I won’t tell!

Can I Make This Cake In a Smaller Pan?

Sure. If you would like to bake this vanilla buttermilk cake in a 9×13-inch pan, decrease the oven temperature to 350°F and increase the bake time to about 20 minutes. It’ll take a bit longer to bake as the cake is thicker.

Tips for Success

• Don’t overmix. For the fluffiest cake texture, be sure you’re only mixing the batter until the ingredients are just combined. Over-mixing can lead to a tough and dense cake.
• Don’t overbake. Check that your cake is done using the “toothpick test”. When the cake is ready, a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake should come out clean.
• Frost the cake while it’s still warm. This is the secret sauce for the ultimate sheet cake! Frosting the cake while it’s still warm (not hot from the oven) allows the icing to melt into the top of the cake.

Try These Variations

This simple vanilla sheet cake is so moist and flavorful on its own. And yet, there are plenty of options to make it your own. Try adding any of the following:

• Add fruit. Add fresh blueberries to the batter for some blueberry buttermilk pancake-inspired vibes.
• More add-ins. Try adding chocolate chips, shredded coconut, chopped nuts (like pecans, walnuts, or macadamias), and spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.
• Peanut butter. I also have a peanut butter sheet cake with buttermilk that you can try.

More Frosting Ideas

You can also dress up your sheet cake with more easy frosting flavors:

• The Best Buttercream Frosting
• Heritage Frosting
• Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting 
• Chocolate Buttercream
• Party Frosting

How to Store a Vanilla Sheet Cake

• Refrigerate, or don’t. This vanilla cake will keep fresh when stored airtight, either on the counter for 3 days or in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
• Freeze it. You can freeze the frosted or unfrosted cake (see below). The frozen sheet cake will keep for up to 3 months. Whenever you’re ready to enjoy it, simply thaw it in the fridge overnight beforehand.

Make-Ahead and Freezing

Sheet cakes are the best to make ahead for parties. One of the main reasons is that they freeze so darn well! You can freeze this vanilla cake before or after it’s been frosted:

• If you’re freezing it before frosting, simply wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap (with a layer of foil to protect against freezer burn) and then pop it into the freezer.
• If you’re freezing the cake after frosting, I recommend placing the whole cake into the freezer, uncovered, and while it’s still in the pan, to allow it to pre-freeze. This avoids messing up the icing! Once the cake is frozen solid, double wrap it and then place it back into the freezer to store. 

More Easy Cake Recipes

• Strawberry Sheet Cake
• Lemon Sheet Cake
• Easy Sponge Cake
• Yellow Sour Cream Cake
• German Butter CakeSave