yellow sheet cake

The ultimate birthday cake is right here! This yellow sheet cake with chocolate fudge frosting is the only yellow cake recipe you'll ever need.

Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

(270 grams) cake flour (spoon & leveled)

baking powder

baking soda

salt

sugar

eggs,

vanilla extract

(120 grams) sour cream,

(240 milliliters) whole milk,

(65 grams) natural unsweetened or dutch-process cocoa powder

(120 milliliters) whole milk

corn syrup*

optional: rainbow sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously grease and lightly flour a 12&#215;17 inch half sheet pan or a 9&#215;13 inch quarter sheet pan. Set aside.

Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for 3 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Turn the mixer down to medium-high speed and beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sour cream.

Add 1/2 of the cake flour mixture/dry ingredients and 1/2 of the milk and beat on low speed until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and milk and beat on low speed until combined. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be smooth, velvety, and slightly thick. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl.

Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan. Smooth it out into a thin, even layer. For a 12&#215;17 inch sheet cake, bake for 20-22 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For a 9&#215;13 inch sheet cake, bake for 36-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. With either size, make sure you rotate the cake pan once or twice during bake time.

Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan placed on a wire rack. As the cake cools, make the frosting.

Make the frosting

Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until pale, smooth, and creamy, about 2 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer or sieve, sift the confectioners&#8217; sugar and cocoa together. Add the sugar/cocoa mixture to the butter, then beat on low speed for 20 seconds. Stop the mixer, then add the milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. If the frosting is too thick, beat in an extra splash of milk.

Frost cooled cake and top with sprinkles. Slice and serve. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Absolutely amazing recipe. If you are looking for a perfect yellow slab cake look no further. This is the best!

Hey there. The first time I made this cake I used all purpose flour( a little less- about 2 tbsp less per cup of flour,because cake flour is fluffier volume wise) and I found the cake to be tasty however it wasn't nice and fluffy. I made it again today in a 9x13 glass pan and I used cake flour. It turned out nice and fluffy and baked up in a about 26 minutes! Hope that helps!

Just made this for my mom's birthday and it was a hit! I didn't have cake flour so I used the recommended method of swapping flour for some corn starch. It came out fluffy and and not dense at all. This cake took some effort for a newbie like me but I would gladly make it again!

This yellow sheet cake recipe makes an incredibly fluffy and tender cake and is topped with delicious chocolate frosting.

Yellow Sheet Cake

sugar (300 grams)

eggs, room temperature (224 grams)

cake flour (360 grams)

Tbsp baking powder (12 grams)

tsp fine salt (6 grams)

buttermilk, room temperature (240 grams)

vegetable oil (75 grams)

Tbsp vanilla extract (12 grams)

chocolate

baking cocoa (50 grams)

tsp fine salt (3 grams)

sugar (375 grams)

heavy cream, room temperature (80 grams)

x 13 inch baking pan

Flower nails (as heating cores)

Pretty sprinkle blend

offset spatula

Preheat the oven to 325°F / 162°C. Line...

Preheat the oven to 325°F / 162°C. Line a 9x13-inch (quarter sheet) pan with parchment paper. Place two flower nails / heating cores in the center of the pan with the flat side sitting against the cake pan. Make sure they are a few inches apart. Spray the pan and flower nails with nonstick baking spray.

Place 1 cup of butter and 1 1/2...

Place 1 cup of butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. Beat on a medium-high speed using a whisk attachment for 2 minutes. The mixture should become lighter in color as air is incorporated into it.

Mix in 4 eggs on a low speed,...

Mix in 4 eggs on a low speed, two at a time. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the 3...

In a separate bowl, whisk together the 3 cups cake flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt.

Add half the dry ingredients into the butter/egg...

Add half the dry ingredients into the butter/egg mixture and mix on a low speed until combined.

Then mix in 1 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup...

Then mix in 1 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup oil, and 1 Tbsp vanilla extract on a low speed.

Add in the rest of the dry ingredients...

Add in the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until the ingredients are just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Reposition...

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Reposition the flower nails so that they’re evenly spaced across the pan.

Bang the pan on your counter to remove...

Bang the pan on your counter to remove any air bubbles, then bake for 35-40 minutes.

Rotate the pan halfway through to help the...

Rotate the pan halfway through to help the cake bake evenly.

Let the cake cool in the pan for...

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove it from the pan and place it on a wire rack to finish cooling. Once it's fully cooled, carefully flip the cake and remove the heating cores.

While the yellow sheet cake bakes and cools,...

While the yellow sheet cake bakes and cools, make the chocolate buttercream frosting.

Melt 2/3 cup of chocolate first so that...

Melt 2/3 cup of chocolate first so that it has time to cool off before it's added into the frosting. Heat it in 15 second intervals, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is fully melted. Set aside.

Beat 1 cup of butter on a medium...

Beat 1 cup of butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. 

Mix in 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 1/2...

Mix in 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp fine on a low speed until combined.

Gradually mix in 3 cups of powdered sugar...

Gradually mix in 3 cups of powdered sugar and 1/3 cup of heavy cream on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Then mix in the cooled, melted chocolate on...

Then mix in the cooled, melted chocolate on a low speed.

Beat on low until the ingredients are fully...

Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.

If the frosting seems too thick, add an...

If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.

Stir by hand with a rubber spatula for...

Stir by hand with a rubber spatula for a couple minutes to get the frosting SUPER smooth.

Spread an even layer of chocolate buttercream on...

Spread an even layer of chocolate buttercream on top of the cooled sheet cake. Make swirls with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Add rainbow sprinkles around the perimeter of the...

Add rainbow sprinkles around the perimeter of the cake and use a sharp knife to cut the cake into 16 squares. Then enjoy!

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/d8whgjnhmxnsmiwfntc7.mp4

This yellow sheet cake is insanely fluffy and moist, and is topped with the most decadent chocolate buttercream.

(266 grams) cake flour (spoon & leveled)

(230 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

(62 grams) natural unsweetened or dutch-process cocoa powder

The fudge frosting is DELICIOUS!!!! I used it to ice a German Chocolate Cake &amp; not only did it taste amazing, it worked beautifully piped on a cake. The tastiest chocolate frosting I've ever had!! This is my go to chocolate frosting from now on. Everyone who ate the cake, RAVED about it!!

Hi Sally,

I am not a regular baker but wanted to bake a cake for my Sister-in-law's birthday and I attempted the Yellow cake with fudge topping. I must say it turned out very well and was a great hit. Thank you very much for the excellent instructions which made it easy for a novice like me to churn out a good cake

Oh. My. God.  This cake!  This cake was AMAZING.  So moist, so delicious, and the frosting was to DIE for.  I live in Colorado at 6000 feet, so adjusted a bit for high altitude and it worked just fine.  I added an extra 1/4 cup flour, reduced the baking soda by 1/8 tsp. and reduced the sugar by 2 Tbsp.  I also used buttermilk instead of the whole milk and increased the amount by 2 Tbsp. It took 40 minutes at 350 for the middle to be done, and it was a bit browner than I would have liked on the top, but the cake was still moist and once you cover it with frosting nobody sees it anyway.  BTW, the frosting makes about twice as much as needed, so I froze the extra. Hoping it will thaw well and I can use it later because it really was fabulous. Thank you for this wonderful recipe - I know I'll be making it again and again!

This cake is so good and easy to make in sheet cake form! That fudge frosting...YUM!

I made this cake and forgot to add the milk. I was thinking the batter was very thick. It tastes more like a sugar cookie. Lol. I will never forget the milk again. I don't bake often but I loved your very specific directions. That is extremely helpful.

I crave this cake! I've made it so many times. It's perfect with all flavors of buttercream but I prefer chocolate.

Yes, really, this cake is that good.  Made it with my 9, 6 &amp; 3 year old granddaughters today (well - they made it and I supervised), and we were all absolutely giving it 2 thumbs up.  So moist, delicious and tasty.  Absolutely everything you want in a cake.  Made it in the 9 x 13 cake pan and it was perfect.

The cake is perfection...truly epic. My only issue was that there was no way the volume of batter was going to bake in the suggested pan size. Am I the only one who has run up against this problem? I have never once had to modify any of Sally's recipes (and most of my go-to's are now from here), but I had to switch to a 9x13 pan in order to ensure that I didn't end up with a cracker. Also--I had a glut of buttermilk and used that instead...highly recommend!

Excellent cake! Rich and buttery but still a light texture. Creaming the butter as directed makes this cake taste like bakery goods instead of homemade. The chocolate buttercream frosting was to die for! Never again will  use  cans of frosting when this is easy and so incredibly delicious. I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8 inch square pan, since it’s just us two and dare not have so much cake calling me! A big thank you to Sally!

This cake was amazing! Easy enough that my 4 year old was able to be involved. Thank you!

I have always volunteered to make the birthday cake for my co-workers on their birthday. Once I started making this cake, it is the one everyone requests that I bake for them! It is a hit every time! I have found most people just love a simple, basic cake and this one is that but just tastes so good! I always do the larger sheet pan as it feeds a crowd easily and then there are leftovers! And I always use sprinkles for decoration, so no stressing over that! Great recipe as usual!

I’m giving this 4 stars because I follow all of your recipes and I know it’s sensational. I don’t know what I did wrong. For some reason, my cake came out overly moist and slightly greasy. And the bottom is crunchy almost like a sugar cookie. Is this a result of letting the butter sit out too long at room temperature? Something is off with the texture.

Thank you for the most beautiful recipe. Taste, flavor, all out of this world. Not a baker, but wanted something simple to impress my 19yrs old on his birthday.  Shuuu I was blown out. This is definite five star.

Thanks once more Sally.

This cake is delicious! If anyone is thinking about trying this, I definitely recommend!

I made this as a test run by halving everything and baking in an 8x8 pan. It was perfect!  Then I made the full 13x9 version with the recipe exactly as written and I got dense, gluey streaks toward the bottom. What causes that kind of compression in a cake? I followed all instructions....mainly I want to learn the science of that kind of failure so it doesn't happen again. Any thoughts?

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