Food and Recipes Entertaining Ideas & Tips 46 Party-Perfect Sheet Cake Recipes By Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani is an Assistant Food Editor at Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on February 24, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Kay E Clarke Simple, elegant, and sure to be crowd-pleasers, these quick and easy sheet cakes are the perfect way to feed a crowd without breaking the bank (or breaking a sweat). A 13- by 9-inch sheet cake pan is all you need to transform a drab boxed cake mix into a luxurious birthday cake, a fan-favorite carrot cake, or a festive berry poke cake. Learn the secret ingredient to a perfect chocolate sheet cake (hint: you can find this popular summer vegetable at your local farmers' market) or charm your guests with a rich, nutty Texas sheet cake (believe it or not, this collection includes multiple Texas sheet cake variations). Kids and adults both approve of these playful cakes. Whether you're celebrating a graduation, a birthday, or simply toasting to life, these recipes will be your no-fuss secret to easy, breezy hosting. So ditch the store-bought cake and opt for one of these simple yet impressive sheet cake recipes to wow your crowd this season. 01 of 46 Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Coconut and carrot combine to bring layers of moist, toasty goodness to this unconventional sheet cake. This carrot spice cake is a must-have fall recipe, packed with the warm flavors of walnut and flaked coconut. Feed a Thanksgiving crowd with this quick and sophisticated sheet cake. Plus, you can save the leftovers for days of snacking. Get The Recipe 02 of 46 Lemon-Blueberry Sheet Cake Jessica Furniss Earmark this gorgeous sheet cake for your next springtime gathering. Juicy blueberries are folded into the citrusy batter to add an extra layer of tartness. The light and lemony frosting is naturally hued from a handful of pureed blueberries. Get The Recipe 03 of 46 Wacky Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall As you may have guessed from its name, this cake is unconventional. The ingredients are stirred together in the pan and don't require eggs or milk. This simple chocolate cake uses pantry staples and is straightforward to make. Get The Recipe 04 of 46 Chocolate-Zucchini Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Zucchini may be an unconventional cake ingredient, but it's the key to this super-moist sponge cake. With rich chocolate flavor and Brown Butter-Pistachio Frosting, your kids will never even guess they're eating their vegetables. Make the frosting by browning the butter, a French cooking technique that takes about 10 minutes of melting the butter on medium-high heat and chilling for an hour. Get The Recipe 05 of 46 Cream Soda Confetti Sheet Cake Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox This whimsical cake balances the sugary sweetness of cream soda with the fruity freshness of strawberry icing. Its excellent flavor palate will be a favorite amongst kids and adults alike. This cake gets its pink coloring and tangy-sweet flavor by using freeze-dried strawberries. Get The Recipe 06 of 46 Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake Jennifer Causey This star-spangled sheet cake uses a poke cake technique that helps the sponge soak up all the flavor of the two fruit fillings. You will find bursts of fresh strawberry, blueberry, and cream with every bite. Dollop the rich mascarpone frosting over the cake after chilling. Get The Recipe 07 of 46 Banana Pudding Poke Cake Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox This sheet cake recipe is a fresh take on the traditional banana pudding, perfect for large parties. With fresh cinnamon and vanilla bean flavors, this banana cake stays moist using oil instead of butter. Substitute instant pudding for homemade if you are short on time. Get The Recipe 08 of 46 Classic Birthday Cake Micah A. Leal You can't go wrong with vanilla and rainbow sprinkles. No birthday celebration is complete without family and friends, and this sheet cake can accommodate your largest party crowds. This recipe calls for clear vanilla extract instead of pure vanilla extract, impacting the flavoring. Get The Recipe 09 of 46 Dr. Pepper Texas Sheet Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Dr. Pepper adds fragrant spices to this cake. It reminds you of a traditional Texas Sheet Cake with fragrant aromas like nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Toasted and chopped pecans add the ideal texture to the rich chocolate frosting. Get The Recipe 10 of 46 Fresh Apple Cake Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Thinly sliced apples create rich, moist layers of fruit within the cake. Top with your choice of Browned Butter Frosting, Cream Cheese Frosting, or Dark Chocolate Frosting. The batter will be thick, like cookie dough, so it might be challenging to add the apples. Get The Recipe 11 of 46 Brown-Sugar Rum Cake Southern Living The cake's dark brown sugar caramel flavor balances out the decadent frosting's rum, butter, and powdered sugar combination. To skip the rum, replace it with vanilla extract or cream cheese frosting. Garnish the cake with chopped toasted pecans. Get The Recipe 12 of 46 White Texas Sheet Cake Micah A. Leal Sister to the classic chocolate Texas Sheet Cake and the Blond Texas Sheet Cake, this version is a homemade white cake covered in browned butter and toasted walnut frosting. Buttermilk makes this cake tender while adding vegetable oil moistens the cake. Browning the butter adds a nutty flavoring. Get The Recipe 13 of 46 Sweet Potato Sheet Cake Southern Living No one will know you used a boxed cake mix to start this recipe once they taste the first heavenly bite. Did we mention there are pecans, bacon, and apple pie spice in there too? The brown sugar icing combines the ideal sugar and spice flavors. Get The Recipe 14 of 46 Flag Cake Southern Living Perfectly patriotic and undeniably festive, this cake features a tangy sour cream vanilla frosting with fresh blue and red berries. While the berry placement is optional, this dessert feeds a crowd for large Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or Labor Day summer gatherings. Get The Recipe 15 of 46 Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake Photo: Hector Sanchez Trust us. This simple sheet cake will be a keeper in your recipe box. File it under "springtime crowd-pleaser." With only 35 minutes of hands-on time, this pink-hued cake looks beautiful on any dessert table. Garnish with fresh strawberries. Get The Recipe 16 of 46 Heavenly Angel Food Cake Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas This divine angel food cake's rich, moist texture is unlike any other. Make it from scratch in minutes. It's spread with a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting that's a lemon lover's dream. Get The Recipe 17 of 46 Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing Iain Bagwell Don't mess with Texas! This iconic Texas Sheet Cake is rich in chocolatey, nutty flavors. Pour the signature fudge icing on just after the cake is removed from the oven, leading to a gooey, soft frosting that melts in your mouth. Get The Recipe 18 of 46 Butter Pecan Sheet Cake Southern Living There's nothing better than warm, roasted butter pecans, and this recipe makes this sheet cake perfect for the summer. This sugary cake is moist with a subtle vanilla flavoring. Top with Pecan Frosting. Get The Recipe 19 of 46 Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Mayonnaise is the secret to this chocolate cake's fluffy, light texture. Cool completely, at least an hour, before topping this cake with Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting. It's a decadent frosting that remains incredibly light. Get The Recipe 20 of 46 Blond Texas Sheet Cake Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas A twist on the beloved chocolate Texas Sheet Cake, this blond version maintains the cake's signature nutty richness without any of the cocoa. The addition of buttermilk keeps the cake extra moist and fluffy. It only takes five ingredients to make this delicious treat. Get The Recipe 21 of 46 Mississippi Mud Cake Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas With its fluffy chocolate sponge and marshmallow-pecan topping, this classic cake is a grown-up homage to summer s'mores. With 15 minutes of hands-on time, this sheet cake is s'mores designed to feed a crowd. Top with mini marshmallows or chopped pecans. Get The Recipe 22 of 46 Plum-Berry Cornmeal Sheet Cake Alison Miksch The combination of tart stone fruit, fresh berries, and toasty cornmeal makes this recipe adaptable and suited for any season. Great for brunch or an afternoon snack, take this sheet cake on the go or enjoy it on your front porch. Pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect summertime treat. Get The Recipe 23 of 46 Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake Hector Sanchez This sheet cake combines all the flavors of your favorite Southern beverages into a light, refreshing dessert. Spin this into a tipsy cake by substituting up to two tablespoons of vodka or bourbon for the lemon juice in the frosting. Cool the cake before frosting. Get The Recipe 24 of 46 Coca-Cola Cake Southern Living The carbonation and sweet syrup of Coca-Cola make this cake moist and tender, which everyone is bound to enjoy. Oil and buttermilk add to the velvety texture. Frost this sheet cake with a slightly salty cream cheese frosting. Get The Recipe 25 of 46 Pumpkin Dump Cake Micah A. Leal Make the pumpkin filling (similar to pumpkin pie filling) in a separate bowl and then combine it with yellow cake mix and melted butter before popping this cake into the oven. This cake is buttery and full of spices. Use freshly grated nutmeg and whipped cream as a garnish. Get The Recipe 26 of 46 Nehi Orange Poke Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Nehi orange-flavored soda is the main ingredient in the citrus curd in this recipe, giving the cake a tangy kick. This sheet cake uses a boxed cake mix, assembling with only 40 minutes of hands-on time. Garnish with fresh orange slices. Get The Recipe 27 of 46 Pumpkin Spice-Heath Cake Alison Miksch Pumpkin spice lovers, this one's for you. This cake tastes like fall in every bite, topped with spiced cream cheese frosting, toffee, and almond candy bits. Use a boxed cake mix to save time. Get The Recipe 28 of 46 Key Lime Sheet Cake Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Kay E Clarke Poke holes after adding the gelatin to let it seep into the cake. This sheet cake produces lime-green streaks visible when cutting the cake. Garnish with thin lime slices and mint for an effortless appearance. Get The Recipe 29 of 46 Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless With 30 minutes of active cooking time, strawberry shortcake is easier than ever to enjoy. This cake combines buttery biscuits, juicy berries, and a tangy mascarpone whipped cream. Top with crunchy sugar for a sparkly texture and extra sweetness. Get The Recipe 30 of 46 Hummingbird Sheet Cake Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Transform this classic Southern dessert into a sheet cake to feed a crowd. Cinnamon spice cake, topped with cream cheese frosting, adds delicious tropical flavoring from pineapples and bananas. Decorate with dried pineapple rings for an effortless presentation. Get The Recipe 31 of 46 Peanut Butter Cake Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Combine a few pantry staples to make this sheet cake, with buttermilk being the secret ingredient helping it to be ultra-tender. Top the sheet cake with cream cheese and peanut butter frosting for a light finish. With only 25 minutes of hands-on cooking time, this cake is ideal for when things get busy but large enough to feed a crowd. Get The Recipe 32 of 46 Lemon-Lime Poke Cake Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis Make this poke cake with pantry staples. The citrus-spiked cake uses sweetened condensed milk and buttermilk to make a custardy mixture, similar to Key lime pie. Add a pop of color by garnishing it with lemon and lime slices. Get The Recipe 33 of 46 Pineapple Cherry Dump Cake Micah A. Leal With only five ingredients, this dump cake is as simple as mixing and baking. Make sure to drain the pineapple before adding it to the cherry mixture. Top with sliced almonds and chopped pecans for a crunchy and nutty garnish. Get The Recipe 34 of 46 Chocolate Delight Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely After assembling, chill for at least two hours to set the layers of vanilla and chocolate pudding before enjoying. Pour the pudding mixture over the cream cheese layer before adding the whipped topping. Drizzle with chocolate syrup for the perfect finishing touch. Get The Recipe 35 of 46 Carrot Cake With Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Enjoy this cake filled with raisins, pecans, and shredded carrots. Top with the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting made with softened butter, cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Complete the dessert by topping it with orange candy-coated almonds or green candy sprinkles. Get The Recipe 36 of 46 Death by Chocolate Micah A. Leal Enjoy layers of moist chocolate cake, milky chocolate pudding, and slightly salty chocolate crumbles. Any chocolate lover will love this dessert. Top with freshly whipped cream. Get The Recipe 37 of 46 Zucchini Cake Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Zucchini is the star of this impossibly tender cake. It's shredded and incorporated into the batter along with flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice (among other ingredients), giving it a wonderful depth of flavor. Get The Recipe 38 of 46 Toomer's Lemonade Sheet Cake Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Dailey Lemonade cakes are a dime a dozen, but this is one of the greats. With its tart cake soak (adding in even more lemony flavor) and its decadent cream cheese frosting (with even more lemon), you'll want to keep this recipe close at hand. Get The Recipe 39 of 46 St. Patrick's Day Poke Cake Jessica Furniss Few cake recipes are quite as beloved as a good, old-fashioned poke cake. This one is designed to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, so expect plenty of green. You'll see the cheery hue marbled through the cake and scattered across the top. That's thanks to a box of lime gelatin, one of only four ingredients necessary to make this box-mix-based treat. Get The Recipe 40 of 46 Strawberry Patch Cake Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Jones One bite of this cake, and you'll imagine yourself disappearing into a fragrant strawberry patch. Dreamy, right? The cake is absolutely lovely, thanks in large part to the color pink: you'll see it in every part of the cake, including in the luscious frosting and sliced strawberries used to decorate. Get The Recipe 41 of 46 Chocolate Chick Cake Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Jones When springtime rolls around, Chocolate Chick Cake should be on the dessert table. It's also perfect for Easter thanks to the addition of candy-coated milk chocolate eggs and mini chocolate chicks atop the decadent chocolate cake. Get The Recipe 42 of 46 S'mores Chocolate Sheet Cake Molly Bolton With this cake, you get all the delight of s'mores without the fireside mess. The cake pairs a gooey chocolate base with a layers of chocolate ganache and marshmallow buttercream frosting, and then it gets scattered with the toasted graham cracker topping. We can hear the fire crackling, can't you? Get The Recipe 43 of 46 Pineapple Sunshine Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Everyone could use a dose of sunshine, and this Pineapple Sunshine Cake serves just that. It has a tropical, pineapple-infused batter, which uses yellow cake mix and crushed pineapple. Plus, there's a vanilla pudding and cream cheese frosting that goes on top. Get The Recipe 44 of 46 Elvis Presley Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox This cake, with its milk, pineapple, and yellow cake mix base and its craveable cream cheese frosting, is one even Elvis himself would appreciate. Get The Recipe 45 of 46 Strawberry Poke Cake Photographer: Alison Miksch / Food Stylist: Melissa Gray / Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless If you need yet another poke cake recipe (and of course you do, can you ever have enough?), this one is a real classic. The addition of strawberry gelatin gives the cake mix a wonderful pink-and-yellow marbled effect, and it also adds a delightful bounciness to the texture. Get The Recipe 46 of 46 Banana Cake Micah A. Leal Those who love bananas will go, well, bananas for this cake. Use ripe bananas and top with a decadent cream cheese frosting and plenty of crushed walnuts for one of the most satisfying banana-based desserts you will ever come across. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit