This easy white sheet cake is great for serving to a large crowd. The cake comes out soft, fluffy and moist. It only needs four ingredients. You don’t even need any eggs to make it. The batter takes only five minutes to prepare and then it’s ready to be baked.
I love making this cake when I need a cake to serve to a large group. It’s quick, easy and stress-free. You can also use this cake recipe to make cupcakes or a layered cake.
Ingredients
- Self-rising flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Water
Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is all purpose flour that is already pre-mixed with baking powder and salt. I like to use self-rising flour whenever I can because it saves a few extra preparation steps. You can also make your own self-rising flour by mixing together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
Sugar: This cake is sweetened with granular white sugar. The sugar also adds moisture to the cake
Butter: Butter is melted down before being added to the batter and gives this cake a soft crumb.
Water: Water is the key to this cake being very light and fluffy. Don’t substitute water with milk. Milk actually makes the cake denser.
How to Make White Sheet Cake
The flour and sugar are mixed together. The melted butter and part of the water are then mixed in until no lumps remain in the batter. The final amount of water is then mixed in. The cake batter is then poured into a lined cake pan and ready to be baked.
More Easy Cake Recipes
4 Ingredient White Sheet Cake
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups (450 g) self-rising flour
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups (16oz/473 ml) water see note
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Add in the flour and sugar to mixing bowl of stand mixer and mix on low speed until combined. Add in melted butter and 1 1/2 cups of water. Beat on high speed until no lumps remain. Be careful not to overmix, it shouldn't take very long. Then add in the remaining water and beat on low medium speed until evenly mixed in.
- Bake for about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cake surface will remain pale (it will only brown a little around the edges). If adding frosting, wait until cake is fully cooled before frosting.
Notes
- Homemade self-rising flour: add 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 5 1/4 tsp baking powder and 7/8 tsp salt to a bowl. Whisk until evenly combined.
- When measuring out the flour (for either all purpose flour or self-rising flour), make sure to use the spoon and level method. This means that you should spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Do not directly dip your measuring cup into the flour because this results in too much flour being added.
- Water amount: Depending on the self-rising flour brand you use, you may need to add more liquid. I used Lily's self-rising flour which has 2 grams of protein per 1/4 cup. If your self-rising flour has 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup (or the all purpose flour you are using to make self-rising flour has 3 grams), then you will need to add 5 oz more of water. If you are using the higher protein flour, add the full 2 cups of water initially to the batter (instead of 1 1/2 cups) and then add the remaining 5 oz after you have a smooth batter and no lumps.
- I frosted the cake with a whipped cream frosting. You can also use whatever frosting you prefer.
- Optional Whipped Cream Frosting: Add 2 cups of cold heavy cream and 6 tbsp of sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat on highest speed until soft peaks form. Spread over the surface of the cake. Make sure the cake has already cooled before adding the frosting.
- The estimated nutrition does not include the whipped cream frosting.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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Awesome! It was quick and tasty! I blended your self-rasing flour recipe as I don’t have any of that flour kicking about and I’m vegan so used Earth Balance vegan spread instead of butter. I don’t have a stand mixer but I have an electric hand mixer. This cake was perfect! I will be making it often I’m sure! Oh! I wAnt prepared enough to make my usual vegan whipped cream which is made from coconut milk solidified overnight in the fridge ( use only the white thick part and whip with a bit of sugar! Yum!!) But I did have…..rhubarb jam! I topped our after dinner slices with jam and I know it sounds awful but it was delicious! Had I had patience I’d have waited until cooled and sliced it in half and put the jam between layers of cake but no. This was a dessert EMERGENCY! Hahaha! Thanks for another great quick recipe!
Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad it worked for you
Can you use gluten free flour in this recipe?
Sorry we have not tested with gluten free flour
Extremely simple recipe, but what about some type of flavoring? I’d think the cake would be very bland without it! Okay to add, for example, vanilla?
Thanks! And also for providing instructions on how to make our own self-rising flour. I never have it on hand.
This is meant to be a white cake, but we also have an easy vanilla cake if you want to try that!
Too much sugar
Ok, sounds like it’s not the recipe for you – we have a lot of other cake recipes you might like instead!