Simple Vanilla Sheet Cake (Print)

A moist vanilla cake layered with smooth buttercream and decorated with colorful piped flowers.

# What You Need:

→ 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 (pink, yellow, green, or as desired)

# Directions:

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 without 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 extract.
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 the edges.
13 - Optionally, pipe a cross or add First Communion text with a small round tip.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The cake stays impossibly moist because of the milk and butter ratio—it never turns into that sad, dry sheet cake texture you find at grocery stores.
  • Buttercream flowers look fancy enough to impress but don't require a pastry degree; even wobbly petals look charming.
  • You can make it a day ahead, which means you can breathe the morning of the event instead of panicking.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable here; they mix smoothly and create a tender crumb, while cold ingredients create lumps and a dense texture.
  • Don't overmix the batter once you add the flour—mix just until you don't see dry streaks, or you'll end up with a tough cake that tastes more like bread.
03 -
  • Use gel food coloring instead of liquid; it keeps your frosting the right consistency for piping and produces more vibrant colors.
  • If your buttercream is too soft to pipe, refrigerate it for 15 minutes—this firms it up just enough without making it impossible to work with.
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