This white Texas sheet cake is the only cake recipe you’ll ever need! My mother-in-law’s famous dessert is requested at just about every grandchild’s birthday party, but it’s also perfect for Easter, summer picnics, and just about any other festive occasion.
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If you love easy cake recipes, try this one-bowl vanilla buttermilk cake, the very popular one-bowl buttermilk chocolate cake, and this Southern Coca Cola cake with cake mix!
This is an awesome recipe! I’ve been making the chocolate version for years, but love this one as well.
– Connie
The first recipe that my mother-in-law ever served me was her Texas sheet cake on Keith’s birthday. While the original chocolate recipe is a classic, this white Texas sheet cake is the true family favorite!
Video: How to Make White Texas Sheet Cake
This White Texas Sheet Cake with Buttermilk and Almond is Truly Special
This single layer cake is iced with just a very thin layer of vanilla buttercream frosting, so it’s the perfect snack cake for just about any occasion. The most iconic part of classic Texas sheet cake is the texture. It’s a decadent cake that’s perfectly moist, a bit dense, yet still light with the perfect tender crumb. So, how does that happen?! It’s thanks to a few simple ingredients.
First, making a mixture of water, shortening, and melted butter packs the perfect amount of moisture into the cake batter. The second key ingredient is buttermilk. It’s creamy and tangy and goes far in flavoring the cake. Mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then slowly combining them, also helps the batter come together perfectly without lumps. Finally, Carole’s white Texas sheet cake recipe has a special flavor from almond extract, which makes it taste like it comes from a professional bakery!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Shortening gives the cake that iconic texture – a light, soft, moist crumb – while the butter adds rich flavor.
- If you don’t like almond flavoring, you can leave it out and just use vanilla extract.
- This cake bakes in a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan. Some recipes call for even larger pans (such as 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheets), so it’s important to make sure that you’re using the correct size pan for this recipe.
- If you’d like to bake the cake in a different size pan, be aware that the texture of the cake will be different. You’ll also need to adjust the baking time. For instance, you can bake the cake in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, but the cake will be thicker so it will require a little bit more time in the oven.
- Slice this cake into 36 individual squares so it serves a lot of people at parties and other gatherings.
Directions
If the thought of baking a cake or making frosting from scratch scares you to death, then don’t worry! This vanilla sheet cake is definitely the place to start. It’s so easy, and it only requires about 15 minutes of prep. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Grease the jelly roll pan with shortening and line with parchment paper if you like.
- Prepare a butter and shortening mixture in a small saucepan on the stovetop.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients slowly with the dry ingredients, while mixing the cake batter on medium speed.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake the cake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack. This is a major difference between decorating a white Texas sheet cake and a chocolate sheet cake! The white cake should be completely cool before adding the frosting. By contrast, for a traditional chocolate Texas sheet cake, the chocolate frosting is poured over the warm cake.
- Prepare the vanilla buttercream frosting. Adjust the consistency of the frosting by adding a little milk to thin, if necessary.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled cake, decorate as desired, and serve.
How to Decorate
Whether you’re preparing a birthday treat for a child, a sweet dish for a school class, or a festive dessert for the next holiday, this easy homemade white sheet cake can be decorated with sprinkles to suit any special occasion! Add black and orange sprinkles for Halloween, red and green sprinkles for Christmas, or rainbow sprinkles for a birthday party! Here are some other toppings to consider for this tasty vanilla sheet cake:
- Sliced almonds complement the almond extract flavoring in the cake.
- Fresh fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or mandarin orange slices add a fresh touch to the cake.
- Crushed nuts like pecans or walnuts.
- White chocolate or milk chocolate shavings.
- Cookie crumbles – try golden Oreos, shortbread cookies, or Chocolate cookies for a chocolate touch.
- Sweetened shredded coconut flakes.
Preparation and Storage Tips
The vanilla sheet cake is great for freezing, even with the frosting on top. Cakes, in general, freeze really well for months! Once frosted, your cake will keep well for 3 days in a cool, dry place at room temperature (covered) or in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can store the cake in the freezer for up to 3 months! I’d suggest cutting the cake into smaller portions for freezing so it’s easier and quicker to defrost.
This is moist, delicious and cut well without crumbling or sticking to the pan. I didn’t have shortening or buttermilk so used butter and 1% milk. I doubled the almond flavoring and thinned the icing a bit more. Easy and fabulous!
– Julie
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
White Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup whole buttermilk, well shaken
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
FOR THE FROSTING
- 1 lb. box of powdered sugar (also called confectioners’ sugar)
- ½ cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional garnish: rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 10×15″ non-stick jelly roll pan with shortening or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Bring the shortening, butter, and water to a boil.
- Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the hot butter mixture over the flour mixture in the bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat for 1 minute on medium speed.
- Slowly add the vanilla, almond extract, buttermilk, and eggs last. Beat for one more minute and then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, prepare the frosting.
- In a large bowl, with a mixer on low speed, combine the powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, or until fluffy and creamy. If desired, add more milk until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Garnish with sprinkles. Slice into small squares and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
More Cake Recipes to Try
Pumpkin Cake with Yellow Cake Mix
2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Watergate Cake
2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins
Lemon Bundt Cake with Cake Mix
2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
Originally published in December 2017, this post was updated in March 2025.
Can you replace shortening with anything? By the way, love your dump and bake meals!
Hi, Amber! Not that I know of. I have never tried the cake without the shortening, so I have no idea what the end result would be if you swapped that out.
Sheet cakes are always a delicious idea! I can totally see why this one is such a hit! Yum
Thanks, Kristy! It’s so great!
Do you have Chi Chi’s recipe for Chocolate Sheet Cake?
Yes! The cake recipe is exactly the same, except you omit the almond extract and you add 4 T of unsweetened cocoa powder to the shortening mix that you boil at the beginning.
For the chocolate sheet cake, you need to frost the cake while it’s still warm. The icing is like a glaze that hardens as it cools. Here’s the chocolate icing recipe:
1/2 cup butter
4 Tbs cocoa
6 Tbs milk
1 lb confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
Bring butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil; remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla. Beat well until smooth. Ice cake while it is still warm.
This cake is amazing! I’ve made something similar in the past, but this has a little more to it, and I will definitely be making it in the near future.
That’s great, Diane! I agree — it’s amazing, and I hope that you get to try this version soon!
This is moist, delicious and cut well without crumbling or sticking to the pan. I didn’t have shortening or buttermilk so used butter and 1% milk. I doubled the almond flavoring and thinned the icing a bit more. Easy and fabulous! The site won’t let me rate but this is 5 stars!
Awesome! Thank you, Julie!
Made this last night and my kiddos were so excited for the cake !!!
Thanks, Keisha!
This is an awesome recipe! I’ve been making the chocolate version for years, but love this one as well. Just wondering, has anyone tried this recipe w no egg yolks, only egg whites for a true white version? I love white cake but have yet to find a true white! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi, Connie! I haven’t experimented with just egg whites in this recipe, so I’m not sure how that would turn out. Glad that you enjoyed it!
Will this fit a half sheet cake pan 11×13
Hi, Latoier! It should fit, but it will be much thicker than a traditional “sheet cake.” You’ll need to extend the baking time, too.
Do you think this would be less moist if I tried it in a 9 x 13 cake pan? I’ve been needing a yellow from scratch cake that is very moist and I’ve yet to master it.
Thanks!
Hi, Robin! I think it would probably work fine in that size pan. My mother-in-law has also used the batter to make cupcakes. You’ll just need to adjust the baking time for the thicker cake. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much! I’ll certainly try it! Looking forward to your blog!