Vanilla Sheet Cake with Lemon Frosting slices — Credit:
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Active Time:

1 hr 25 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 35 mins

Servings:

This cake by F&W recipe developer Anna Theoktisto checks the boxes for fabulous and delicious and is surprisingly easier to make than it looks. The one-bowl vanilla cake is ultra-moist with a tender crumb. Baked in a 13- x 9-inch cake pan, the sheet cake serves a crowd and is just as good if made a few days ahead.

The lemon ermine frosting, luscious and buttery, can be tinted any color you wish. Try natural ingredients from spices like turmeric for a bold yellow and dried fruit powders to tint the frosting — or you can go with gel dyes. Add frosting embellishments like dramatic swoops, swirls, and dollops; edible flowers; sprinkles; and fruit for even more whimsy to take this simple sheet cake over the top.

What is ermine frosting?

Ermine frosting is a buttercream that is made with a sweet roux of flour, sugar, and milk that helps stabilize the frosting so that it holds its shape and won’t quickly melt — perfect for decorating (and even transporting) a cake.

The sugar cooked in the roux fully melts for a guaranteed smooth and silky texture. Once the roux is cooled, butter and flavoring are whipped in for a rich and luscious pairing with almost any cake crumb.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

You can tint frosting with freeze dried fruit, spices (like turmeric), or natural or gel food dyes.

To use freeze-dried fruit, pulverize fruit in a spice grinder or food processor until powdery, then sift to remove any large pieces. For blues/purples, use freeze-dried blueberries. For red/pink hues, use freeze-dried raspberries. Approximately 1/2 cup (about 1.5 ounces) of freeze-dried fruit yields about 3 tablespoons of pulverized fruit powder (amounts will vary depending on the fruit). For deep shades, use about 3 tablespoons fruit powder for 2 cups of frosting. For bold yellow, you can use turmeric (about 1/2 teaspoon per 2 cups frosting). Find freeze-dried blueberries and raspberries at most grocery stores or at nuts.com.

Make ahead

The unfrosted cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to two months. Frosting can be prepared through step 5 and stored in an airtight container for up to one day. The frosted cake (without garnishes or flowers) can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Let cake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

1/2x

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Original recipe (1X) yields 24 servings

Cake

Baking spray with flour
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 14 7/8 ounces)
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Frosting

3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 cups whole milk
3 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freeze-dried fruit and/or spices, for tinting frosting (optional)
Edible flowers, assorted sprinkles, and fruit, for decorating and garnish

Directions

Make the cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with baking spray; set aside.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Create a well in center of dry ingredients; add eggs, milk, sour cream, melted butter, oil, and vanilla to the well. Whisk until combined and a smooth batter forms. Transfer batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly using an offset spatula or table knife.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and cool completely, 1 to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the frosting

Whisk together sugar, flour, and salt in a large saucepan until combined. Slowly whisk in milk until no lumps remain. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high until thickened and bubbly, about 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer milk mixture to a large heatproof bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of milk mixture, and refrigerate until mixture is room temperature, about 2 hours.
Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. With mixer on medium, very gradually add cooled milk mixture and lemon zest and juice. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until fluffy and smooth, 10 to 14 minutes. Set aside 4 cups frosting. Tint remaining frosting (about 7 cups) using freeze-dried fruit or spices, if desired.
Cut cake in half horizontally using a large serrated knife to create 2 layers. Place bottom layer on a serving platter. Top with 2 cups tinted frosting, spreading evenly. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread remaining 5 cups tinted frosting over top and sides of cake.
Tint reserved 4 cups of frosting, if desired. Transfer to piping bag fitted with large star or round tip; pipe swirls, swoops, and kiss shapes on the cake top, sides, and borders, if desired. Garnish with edible flowers, sprinkles, and/or fruit, if desired. Serve cake immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.