This vanilla sheet cake is a moist, vanilla flavoured butter cake that you can cover with delicious tangy-sweet cheese cream frosting. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and then you will need a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm). In the bowl of your electric stand mixer, add butter and beat the butter on medium speed just until it is nice and creamy.
Put in sugar along with pure vanilla extract or you can use the pure vanilla bean paste if you want. Beat on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy for about 3-5 minutes. After that, add room temperature eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a large bowl, with a strainer add flour, baking powder, and salt and then sift it together. Sifting not only mixes the baking powder and the salt into the flour but also aerates the flour which helps to get a nice light cake. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour.
Place the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. The cake should also spring back when pressed lightly in the centre. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool, in the pan, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Frost the top and sides of the cake with frosting. You can put some fruits on top or just sprinkles on top of the cake. The cake can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for about five days which is great. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Ingredients;
Vanilla Cake Recipe:
- 3 cups (355 grams) of all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (11 grams) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
- 1 cup (225 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
- 4 large (200 grams) eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (10 grams) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) room temperature milk (full fat or 2% reduced-fat)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 7 tablespoons (100 grams) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) confectioners’ (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract
- A teaspoon (4 grams) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 12 ounces (340 grams) full fat cream cheese, softened
Instructions;
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) with the oven rack in the centre of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non-stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) cake pan.
- In a bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Into another bowl, beat the butter until smooth then add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat, on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions), beginning and ending with the flour.
- Put the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
- Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the centre.
- Invert the cake on a wire rack to cool, in the pan, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Fit the paddle of a stand mixer and add butter then beat it until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice and beat until incorporated.
- Add the very soft cream cheese in four to five additions, beating until incorporated and the frosting is nice and smooth.
- Frost the top and sides of your cake. The cake can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for about five days.
