This easy vanilla sheet cake is a rich, tangy version of a white Texas sheet cake with buttermilk! Every bite is insanely moist, tender, and buttery, topped with creamy vanilla frosting that melts into the cake. It’s the ultimate crowd-pleasing dessert that you can make without a mixer!
Today, I’ll show you how to make a moist, tender white Texas sheet cake with buttermilk! This vanilla sheet cake is one of my go-to desserts for potlucks and parties. It’s ridiculously moist, buttery, and tender. I can almost guarantee that there won’t be a slice left whenever you serve it!
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:
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
Vanilla Buttermilk Sheet Cake
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: serves 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This tender and buttery vanilla sheet cake with buttermilk is topped with creamy vanilla frosting that melts into the cake. It’s a perfect, easy dessert idea for parties!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Coat an 11×17 rimmed baking sheet with baking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the butter and water until combined. Next whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Place the cake on a wire rack to begin cooling and immediately make the frosting.
- In another large bowl whisk together the butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until no lumps remain. Pour immediately onto the warm cake.
- Allow the cake to cool before serving.
Do you think it would be possible to decorate this with fruit on top after icing? Or would the consistency of the icing prevent this?
You could decorate it with fruit. I would just wait until you’re ready to serve to add it!
I have made the chocolate Texas sheet cake many times, but the event I am making it for required a white or yellow cake. Since I am familiar with this type of recipe I knew it would be thin. I upped the whole recipe by 1/2 and baked it in a deeper pan that was the same size 11×17. And I used some vegetable oil with the melted butter with out any problems.
It did require longer baking to finish it. But its a perfect easy recipe.
Love seeing the boy making the recipe in the photos. That is how I learned to bake too, as a kid many many years ago with my grandmother. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks so much!! Glad you liked it!
Can you stack two of these and fill and frost for a birthday cake?
sure 🙂 It will be a little denser than a typical layer cake, but i bet it will be good!
I just wanted a really good yellow cake recipe for my little boy’s birthday but wanted it to be more like a birthday cake. This seems more like a dessert bar/denser cake and not so much fluff….am I right? Looks awesome! I just hope it works!
Can I make overnight and frost in the morning the cake
Sure!
Is this a cake you could layer??
I just read the frosting comments. Since I was trying to use up buttermilk, I made a glaze from an online recipe & it turned out great. It is super easy too make and easy to frost your cake: 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract & 1/4 cup buttermilk. Combine the ingredients & whisk until smooth. Pour glaze over slightly warm cake. Cool completely & allow glaze to set. I always add sprinkles.
I enjoyed this cake but it wasn’t what I thought it would be. I was VERY excited to make it; easy, beautiful, sounded delicious! I made it for my daughter’s 1st birthday. I make many cakes and have a baking background so I know good stuff. The only change I made was to the frosting; I added about 1/4 c. strawberry jam and a bit less powdered sugar. It was amazing. The cake cut wonderfully. Beautiful little squares that held up nicely. A bit dense, moist and creamy, the cake shouldn’t be eaten with a fork. It’s so thin (expected) it should be picked up and eaten like a lemon bar. Once I did this (second piece) I fell in love with it. It’s pretty interesting to think that HOW you eat something can affect the overall enjoyment of it.
There’s nothing wrong with this recipe. I like it a lot and thank you for it.
This cake is yummy, we just ate some. I baked it at 350 degrees far. It still turned out great. Thank you.
So glad you liked it!!
I have made this cake three times in a 9×13 pan and bake it 45 to 50 min toothpick comes out clean take it out let it cool. Cut it and RAW. Please help me it looks so delicious.
I made this today in a 9×13 pan, baked at 350 for 43 min, and it was so perfect. No icing needed. Practically melted in my mouth with this amazing thin crust on top. So good, everyone loved! And best of all, batter came together in under 30 min! Thank you so much for this recipe! My new go-to vanilla cake! Merry Christmas!
This cake is awesome! Even better the next day! Such a great recipe, it’s my go-to cake when I’m not craving a chocolate sheet cake 🙂