One of my favorite desserts in all the world is Texas Sheet Cake. Quick and easy, rich and decadent, and even though it’s not really what comes to mind when you think of summer desserts, for me, Texas Sheet Cake is just as much a part of summer as watermelon and Popsicles and burgers.
But recently, I found myself experiencing a hankering for something like Texas Sheet Cake, only in vanilla. I wanted the same kind of super-easy batter–thin and runny–which yields a light, spongy cake (one that’s flat on top). I wanted the same kind of process, the same size, the same let’s-feed-a-crowd feel, just with an incredible vanilla flavor instead of chocolate. So. I bring to you the White Texas Sheet Cake. And since the 4th of July is around the corner, I bring you the flag cake. Between the light, spongy cake and the tangy cream cheese frosting and the fresh berries, I don’t think you can get a more satisfying summer dessert.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter – Use real, salted butter. You’ll need some for both the cake and the frosting.
- Buttermilk – Low fat or full fat will work.
- Flour – All-purpose flour lightly spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with a knife.
- White sugar
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Eggs
- Almond and Vanilla Extracts
- Blueberries and/or Blackberries – washed and dried.
- Strawberries and/or Raspberries – washed (if using strawberries, also hull and slice them and then pat them dry with a paper towel).
- Cream Cheese – light works fine, although it will yield a slightly softer frosting at almost room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar – sifted.
How to Make White Texas Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a jelly roll (10×15″) or half sheet (13×18″) baking sheet. Don’t use anything smaller (like a 9×13″) or the cake will not bake correctly.
- Combine some butter and buttermilk in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the buttermilk/butter mixture and mix until combined. Add the eggs and extracts and mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake until the top is golden and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean (baking time will vary depending on your oven…start checking sooner rather than later)!
- While the cake is cooling, prepare a batch of my Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting: Whip together some cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and whip until smooth and fully incorporated.
- When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the cake.
- Decorate with berries however you like!
- If you’re making the flag, it helps to lightly mark a flag pattern into the frosting, then fill the square with blueberries and/or blackberries and every other stripe with strawberries or raspberries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Storing and Other Tips
- Once the cake is assembled, it needs to be kept in the refrigerator until time to serve. If you don’t have a sheet pan lid, place a few toothpicks strategically between berries (where the holes won’t be visible later) to create a canopy with plastic wrap that won’t stick to your frosting.
- If making a day ahead, continue through frosting the cake. Cover and refrigerate. Prep your berries, but don’t decorate until closer to serving time, or you run the risk of the berries getting mushy and weeping into the frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people will this serve?
One sheet cake should feed 24. If you know you have big eaters (teenage boys, anyone?) you may want to plan on making more!
What’s the difference between a sheet cake and a regular cake?
Not much, really, just the way it’s baked! Sheet cake recipes are just specifically designed to bake up perfectly in a larger, shallower pan than a traditional cake.
Tips for Making White Texas Sheet Cake
- When scooping your flour, lightly spoon it into a measuring cup and level using a knife.
- Ensure you use the correct size of pan. Do not use a 9×13 pan – the cake will not bake correctly.
- The baking time will vary depending on your oven. It’s a good idea to start checking on the cake sooner, rather than later.
- The frosting can be made up to a day ahead of time if desired. For the frosting, light cream cheese works fine, although it will yield a slightly softer frosting at almost room temperature.
- To ensure the juices don’t run all over the cake, place strawberries on a paper towel to drain them slightly.
White Texas Sheet Cake (Red, White, & Blue Edition)
This easy White Texas Sheet Cake is a fun alternative to the traditional chocolate version!
Servings servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour lightly spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with a knife
- 2 cups white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 pint blueberries and/or blackberries washed
- 1 quart strawberries and/or raspberries washed (if using strawberries, also hull and slice them and then pat them dry with a paper towel)
Frosting
- 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese light works fine, although it will yield a slightly softer frosting at almost room temperature
- ½ cup salted butter at almost room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract or both
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a jelly roll (10×15") or half sheet (13×18") baking sheet. Do NOT use a smaller pan.
- Combine the butter and buttermilk in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the buttermilk/butter mixture and mix until combined. Add the eggs and extracts and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18-24 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean (baking time will vary depending on your oven).
Frosting Instructions
- While cake is baking, prepare the frosting. Whip together the cream cheese, butter, and extract until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and whip until smooth and fully incorporated. Store in refrigerator until cake has finished baking and cooled completely.
Decoration Instructions
- Slice strawberries, setting them on a paper towel to drain slightly (so the juices don't run all over the cake). When the cake has cooled completely, spread the frosting evenly over the cake using an offset spatula.
- Lightly mark a flag pattern into the frosting using a toothpick, then fill the square with blueberries and/or blackberries and every other stripe with strawberries or raspberries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
When scooping your flour, lightly spoon it into a measuring cup and level using a knife.
Ensure you use the correct size of pan. Do not use a 9×13 pan – the cake will not bake correctly.
The baking time will vary depending on your oven. It’s a good idea to start checking on the cake sooner, rather than later.
The frosting can be made up to a day ahead of time if desired.
For the frosting, light cream cheese works fine, although it will yield a slightly softer frosting at almost room temperature
To ensure the juices don’t run all over the cake, place strawberries on a paper towel to drain them slightly.
Nutrition
Calories: 283kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 208mg, Potassium: 117mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 416IU, Vitamin C: 25mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 283kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
This recipe was easy to prepare and delicious!
I’ve been loving the Texas sheet cake, but we’ve been craving a good white cake. I stumbled on this recipe when searching your site for something else and had to make it… late at night. I love that it’s a simple recipe. I had most of the ingredients on hand, my husband happily went to the store and picked up the things we didn’t. It was SO delicious!! I made it exactly as printed (I always do with OBB recipes- they turn out perfect every time) and it’s the best white cake I’ve ever had! My jelly roll pan is not to be found so I used a cookie sheet and just started checking it at 18 minutes. The cake was done at 20 in my oven. It’s so dense and deliciously moist. Perfection!
How many people do you think this would serve?
It makes one sheet pan- so the serving just depends on how you choose to cut it. I recommend pulling out your sheet pan and visualizing the size of squares you like! It ranges from 12 large pieces to 24 small.
So my butter milk and butter mixture seems to be kind of congealing on some point, I have clumps from the buttermilk That almost look like egg whites that of been cooked., am I doing something wrong, should I start over?
It sounds like maybe the cold butter seized up. You’ve probably made this already, but you can try warming it up in the microwave. 🙂