Only cakes you’ll ever need for entertaining
Someone asks you to bring a dessert to a block party, birthday or barbecue. Or you’re heading out of town for a weekend getaway. Or you just need something to keep all the kids happy on a Saturday night. There’s really only one answer and it’s a thing everyone wants to eat: sheet cake.
Think of these as cakes that are as easy to make as a boxed mix but exponentially better-tasting. First, a classic chocolate number that will end your search for the perfect chocolate cake. It’s moist and cocoa-y enough to win over the adults but not turn off the kids. Next, a buttermilk cake packed with so much lemon your cheeks will twinge: zest in the cake, a lemon syrup to soak into the crumb and add moistness, and a final tart glaze for creaminess. Then there’s my favorite, an old-fashioned vanilla cake with shockingly vibrant pink icing. The color is what my grandmother always stirred into canned frosting to make it feel special, so I can’t omit it.
Pink birthday sheet cake
1 hour. Serves 12 to 16. Inspired by the birthday cake my grandmother made me every year, this is a from-scratch version of boxed cake and frosting that is just as easy as the store-bought version. For the cake:
Nonstick baking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry milk powder 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 4 large eggs
For the frosting:
1/2 cup all-natural vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Red liquid or gel food coloring (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2 -inch metal baking pan with baking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, milk powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, whole milk, oil, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
3. While the cake is in the oven, make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the shortening and butter together with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, slowly spoon the sugar into the fat mixture until completely incorporated and smooth; add two tablespoons cream, the vanilla and salt.
Slowly add drops of food coloring until it’s the shade of pink you want; go light for a baby pink or heavier for a more magenta-like hue. Continue mixing until the color is homogeneous; if the frosting seems too thick, add the remaining one tablespoon cream so that it is spreadable.
4. As soon as the cake is ready, remove the pan from the oven and scrape the frosting onto the cake. Use a rubber spatula to quickly spread it evenly over the top as it melts.
Lemon buttermilk sheet cake
1 hour and 15 minutes, plus cooling. Serves 12 to 16.
This cake, inspired by the great baker Maida Heatter’s recipe, gets hits of lemon three times: zest and juice in the cake; a clear soaking syrup that seeps into the cake; and, finally, a creamy, thick glaze that coats the top. This cake is fluffy, supremely moist and has a grownup vibe about it: not kiddie stuff.
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2 -inch metal baking pan with baking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, buttermilk, lemon zest and juice, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
3. While the cake is in the oven, make the syrup and glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together a quarter cup powdered sugar and three tablespoons lemon juice until they form a thin syrup. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining one cup plus two tablespoons powdered sugar and two teaspoons lemon juice, the butter and milk until they form a thicker, smooth glaze.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for five minutes. Using a toothpick or the tines of a fork, poke the cake all over. Slowly drizzle the syrup evenly over the cake and let the cake cool completely.
5 Scrape the glaze onto the cake and use a spoon to spread it evenly over the top. Scatter more lemon zest over the cake, if you like, to garnish. Let the cake stand for 10 minutes to set the glaze before serving from the pan.
Candy bar sheet cake
1 hour and 20 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling. Serves 12 to 16.
This cake is pure convenience-store kitsch. Fluffy white cake gets poked and drizzled with butterscotch sauce, then covered in whipped cream and sprinkled with chopped Butterfinger or chocolate-covered toffee candy bars. I make my own butterscotch sauce because the jarred kind can be too fake even for my taste, but you can’t shake a stick at the appeal of candy bars, and they provide essential crunch. This is a fridge cake, so keep it cool until you’re ready to serve it or else the whipped cream might melt all over the place.
For the cake:
Nonstick baking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry milk powder 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 5 large egg whites
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2 -inch metal baking pan with baking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, milk powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, whole milk, oil, vanilla and egg whites until smooth. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until pale golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
3. While the cake is in the oven, make the butterscotch sauce: Combine the brown sugar, whole milk, butter and salt in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about eight minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Pour the sauce into a bowl and let cool to room temperature or refrigerate until no longer warm.