This vanilla sheet cake with vanilla frosting is soft, buttery, and full of rich vanilla flavor. It’s an easy, from-scratch cake that’s perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or anytime you need a simple dessert everyone will love.
Every baker needs a great vanilla sheet cake recipe, and this one checks all the boxes. Don’t let the words plain vanilla fool you. A really good vanilla cake should be buttery, tender, and packed with rich vanilla flavor — and that’s exactly what you’ll find here.
Best of all, it’s an easy cake to make. The batter comes together with simple pantry ingredients, bakes in a 9×13-inch pan, and finishes with a creamy vanilla buttercream that’s just right for spreading on top.
Dress it up with sprinkles for birthdays and celebrations, or leave it simple for an everyday dessert. However you serve it, this is the kind of classic cake you’ll find yourself making again and again.
Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Rich vanilla flavor. Vanilla shines in both the tender cake and the creamy frosting.
- Soft and moist. Buttermilk helps create a tender crumb that stays delicious for days.
- Easy to make. No stacking or decorating skills required — just bake, frost, and enjoy.
- Perfect for birthdays and everyday baking. Dress it up with sprinkles for a celebration or keep it simple for an everyday dessert.
- Easy to transport and serve. A 9×13-inch cake is ideal for sharing and travels well for parties and gatherings.
Key Ingredients
- Cake flour – This gives this vanilla sheet cake its soft, tender crumb. If you substitute all-purpose flour, the cake will have a slightly firmer texture.
- Buttermilk – It adds a subtle tang that enhances the vanilla flavor while helping create a moist, tender cake. It also works with the baking soda to give the cake a beautiful rise.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter so you can control the salt in the recipe. Let it soften before mixing so it creams properly with the sugar.
- Vanilla – Since vanilla is the star of this recipe, use the best vanilla extract you have. I also like adding a little vanilla bean paste for even more flavor and those beautiful flecks throughout the cake and frosting. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, you can use all vanilla extract instead.
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
How to Make Vanilla Cake With Vanilla Frosting
Whisk the dry ingredients.
Whisking everything together first helps distribute the leavening evenly so the cake bakes with a uniform texture.
Cream the butter and sugar.
Beat the butter and sugar until the mixture looks light and fluffy. This step incorporates air into the batter and helps create a lighter cake.
Alternate the dry ingredients and buttermilk.
Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix just until combined after each addition to keep the cake tender.
Bake.
The cake is done when the top springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool completely before frosting.
Even a slightly warm cake can melt the buttercream, so let the cake cool completely before decorating.
Tips for Success
- Measure the flour carefully. For the softest, most tender cake, weigh your ingredients if possible. If you’re using measuring cups, fluff the flour, spoon it into the cup, and level it off with a straight edge. For more detailed info, see my tips for measuring flour.
- Use softened and room temperature ingredients. Softened butter plus room temperature eggs and buttermilk will mix together more smoothly and create a more even batter if they’re not cold.
- Don’t over-mix. Once you begin adding the dry ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Over-mixing can lead to a dense or tough cake.
- Cool completely before frosting. Even a little warmth can cause the buttercream to soften and slide, so be patient before decorating.
- Decorate right away. If you’re adding sprinkles, do it immediately after frosting the cake so they’ll stick before the buttercream begins to crust.
Variations and Serving Ideas
- Keep it classic. Frost the cake and leave it plain for an everyday dessert that lets the vanilla flavor shine.
- Make it festive. Top the frosting with sprinkles for birthdays, holidays, baby showers, or any celebration.
- Add a pop of color. Tint the buttercream with gel food coloring to match the occasion or your favorite color palette.
- Try a different frosting. While vanilla buttercream is a natural pairing, this cake is also delicious with chocolate buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
- Serve with fresh berries. A handful of strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries alongside each slice adds a fresh contrast to the rich buttercream.
- Dress up each slice. For an extra-special dessert, serve with whipped cream, berries, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Looking for a layer cake instead? Try my classic vanilla layer cake.
How to Store
Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If refrigerated, let the cake sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before serving for the best texture and flavor.
You can also freeze the unfrosted cake or individual frosted slices for up to 3 months. Wrap well in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil or place in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature.
A Classic You’ll Bake Again and Again
Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, bringing dessert to a gathering, or simply craving a classic homemade cake, this from-scratch vanilla sheet cake with vanilla frosting is a recipe you’ll reach for again and again. With its soft, buttery crumb, rich vanilla flavor, and creamy buttercream, it’s an easy dessert that’s always a crowd-pleaser. Add sprinkles for a festive touch or keep it simple — the result is delicious either way.
In 2026, I revisited this recipe to make it even better. This updated version keeps everything that makes this cake a favorite while adding even more rich vanilla flavor and a wonderfully tender texture.
More Sheet Cakes You’ll Love
Vanilla Sheet Cake with Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 ¼ cups (390 g) cake flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
For the frosting:
- 3 cups (330 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- pinch salt
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Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease 9×13-inch baking pan. If you like, line with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract and paste.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in 3 portions, alternating with 2 portions of buttermilk. Mix just until combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of large air pockets.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack.
To make the frosting:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the confectioners' sugar until thoroughly combined.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the cream (or milk), the vanilla, and salt. Continue beating until the frosting is the desired consistency. Add more cream (or milk), a small amount at a time, as needed.
- Increase the mixer speed to high and continue mixing for 2 or 3 minutes until the frosting is fluffy.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Garnish as desired.
Notes
- Updated July 2026: I refreshed this longtime favorite with buttermilk for an even more tender crumb, extra vanilla flavor, and a richer vanilla buttercream.
- Lining the pan with a parchment paper sling makes it easy to remove the cake from the pan after baking and cooling.
- Measure the cake flour by weight for the most accurate results and the softest texture.
- Use softened and room-temperature ingredients so the batter mixes smoothly and bakes evenly.
- For the best vanilla flavor, use a combination of vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, simply substitute an equal amount of vanilla extract.
- Cool completely before frosting to keep the buttercream smooth and easy to spread.
- The number of servings can vary as needed from 16 generous slices to 24 smaller servings.
- Store tightly covered at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. If refrigerating, bring servings to room temperature for serving.
14 Comments on “Vanilla Sheet Cake with Vanilla Frosting”
Do do you have a book I can purchase ?
Alberta
Hi, Alberta! I do have a cookbook! You can find out more here: Cookbook Announcement.
I made this cake exactly as directed, including using the parchment paper. My advice on the parchment paper, Don’t.. Do. It!
The cake is extremely dry, as in dry toast. All those good ingredients wasted. I baked it for 33 minutes in my 4- year old oven. Maybe I should have baked it for 20 minutes?
Also, put in some flavoring; lemon would be nice, and make more icing, cream cheese icing would be much better, with or without flavoring. Just get some flavor in there.
I went to a wedding a couple of years ago where the vanilla cake was to die for. It was very mouse and just delicious without any other flavoring. I had hoped this would be like the wedding cake. It was not. 😢
I’m sorry you had troubles, Carol. I just had this cake again yesterday, and I don’t find it dry at all. I find it wonderfully soft and moist. If you didn’t change anything at all about the recipe, my first thought was perhaps your cake flour was self-rising. Otherwise, perhaps check the freshness of your ingredients and the accuracy of your oven’s temperature.
Dry cake is definitely not fun…as a life long baker, I have found careful measuring to be crucial to a success filled outcome. Jennifer’s recipes have almost exclusively included gram weights, which I have followed like road maps. I once wrote to her to say that her importance is akin to the late Maida Heatter. Her recipes have been nothing but spot on for me, and those who I share the results with. So thank you Maida and Jennifer!
Thank you, dear Jeff!
There’s so much I could say…..but I’m going to try and practice what I preach. EVERY SINGLE food blogger I follow, including Jennifer, has taken constructive criticism with grace and accepted feedback and questions with the utmost professionalism and patience. And EVERY SINGLE food blogger I follow has had a recipe or two that didn’t float my boat……if you know what I mean. Each recipe I choose not to make again has always been edible and halfway decent, just not better than another I may have come across. To each his own I say. You simply cannot please everyone all of the time. I never classify any recipe as a “waste of time” because I learn something new every time I try a new recipe……even if that means learning that I don’t want to make that particular recipe ever again. Bottom line: KINDNESS IS A CHOICE. SOMETIMES IT IS A CHOICE WE HAVE TO MAKE EVERY SINGLE DAY, MAYBE EVEN EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF EVERY SINGLE DAY. Thank you Jennifer for your wonderfully positive and fun blog. I look forward to checking in weekly and seeing what new recipes and helpful tips you have in store for us.
Kindness is definitely a choice, and everyone can always use more of that. Thank you so much for your support, Vicki!
After raving success with your simple and simply divine Irish Cream cake, this recipe has “make me” all over it. I have perhaps a silly question which has nothing to do with my baking or not baking this cake, as it is definitely happening…my question is wondering if this cake falls under “yellow cake” category. For a while I was on a bender trying to find the quintessential yellow cake recipe, and truth be told I guess I don’t know what defines yellow cake. Thank you for my future calories!
Hi, Jeff! I consider any no-frills vanilla cake to be a yellow cake. The distinction I make is whether or not it has whole eggs or just egg whites, as the yolks are what makes it yellow. I don’t know if that reasoning is correct, but that’s how I’ve always made the distinction. Hope that helps!
Do u have a Gluten free White cake recipe? I look forward to hearing from u.thanks linda
Hi, Linda! My specialty is traditional baking, so I don’t do much baking for special diets.
Jennifer, will this recipe convert to making cupcakes?
Hi, Priscilla. I haven’t tried that with this recipe, but I think it would work as cupcakes.