31 Party-Perfect Sheet Cake Recipes

Key Lime Sheet Cake
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 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). These playful cakes are approved by kids and adults alike. 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 31

Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream

Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream
Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Recipe: Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream

Coconut and carrot combine to bring layers of moist, toasty goodness to this unconventional sheet cake.

02 of 31

Wacky Cake

Wacky Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Wacky Cake

As you may have guessed from its name, this cake is unconventional. The ingredients are stirred together right in the pan, and doesn't require any eggs or milk.

03 of 31

Coconut Tres Leches Sheet Cake

Coconut Tres Leches Sheet Cake
Alison Miksch

Recipe: Coconut Tres Leches Sheet Cake

This cake's warm yet light flavors are sure to please at any summer party. The toasty coconut and zesty lime toppings will transport you right to the tropics.

04 of 31

Chocolate-Zucchini Cake

Chocolate-Zucchini Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Chocolate-Zucchini Cake

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 that they're eating their vegetables.

05 of 31

Cream Soda Confetti Sheet Cake

Cream Soda Confetti Sheet Cake
Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Cream Soda Confetti Sheet Cake

This whimsical cake balances the sugary sweetness of cream soda with the fruity freshness of strawberry icing. Its cool flavor palate will be a favorite amongst kids and adults alike.

06 of 31

Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake

Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake
Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake

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're sure to find bursts of fresh strawberry, blueberry, and cream in every bite.

07 of 31

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Banana Pudding Poke Cake
Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Banana Pudding Poke Cake

This sheet cake recipe is a fresh take on traditional banana pudding that's perfect for large parties.

08 of 31

Classic Birthday Cake

Classic Birthday Cake
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Classic Birthday Cake

You can't go wrong with vanilla and rainbow sprinkles. No birthday celebration is complete without lots of family and friends, and this sheet cake can accommodate your party crowds.

09 of 31

Dr. Pepper Texas Sheet Cake

Dr Pepper Texas Sheet Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner

Recipe: Dr. Pepper Texas Sheet Cake

Dr. Pepper adds fragrant spices to this cake. It will remind you of a traditional Texas Sheet Cake, but with fragrant aromas like nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.

10 of 31

Fresh Apple Cake

Apple Cake Recipes
Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Recipe: Fresh Apple Cake

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.

11 of 31

SweeTARTS and Smarties Tie-Dye Cake

SweeTARTS and Smarties Tie-Dye Cake
Alison Miksch

Recipe: SweeTARTS and Smarties Tie-Dye Cake

Your favorite childhood candies star in this whimsical and nostalgic sheet cake recipe. Kids will love the playful design and bright colors. Trust us, this cake tastes as good as it looks.

12 of 31

Brown-Sugar Rum Cake

Brown Sugar-Rum Cake
Southern Living

Recipe: Brown-Sugar Rum Cake

The caramel flavor of dark brown sugar balances out the rum in the rich frosting. If you want to skip the rum, try replacing with vanilla extract or a cream cheese frosting.

13 of 31

White Texas Sheet Cake

White Texas Sheet Cake
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: White Texas Sheet Cake

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.

14 of 31

Sweet Potato Sheet Cake

Sweet Potato Sheet Cake
Southern Living

Recipe: Sweet Potato Sheet Cake

No one will know that you used a boxed cake mix to start this recipe off once they taste the first heavenly bite. Did we mention there's pecans, bacon, and apple pie spice in there too?

15 of 31

Flag Cake

Flag Cake
Southern Living

Recipe: Flag Cake

Perfectly patriotic and undeniably festive, this cake features a tangy sour cream vanilla frosting with fresh blue and red berries.

16 of 31

Graduation Sheet Cake

Graduation Sheet Cake
Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Graduation Sheet Cake

Celebrate your grad's accomplishments with this simple crowd-pleasing sheet cake. Adorn with edible wafer cookie "diplomas" and decorate in school colors for a spirited treat.

17 of 31

Mini Confetti Cakes

Mini Confetti Cakes
Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Mini Confetti Cakes

To upgrade and refine your sheet cake, use a small round cutter to construct the layers of these adorable Mini Confetti Cakes. Adorn with edible flowers to complete the perfect miniature dessert for your ladies' luncheon or afternoon tea party.

18 of 31

Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake

Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake
Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake

Trust us. This simple sheet cake will be a keeper in your recipe box. File it under "springtime crowd-pleaser."

19 of 31

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

Heavenly Angel Food Cake
Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Heavenly Angel Food Cake

The rich, moist texture of this divine angel food cake is unlike any other. Made from scratch in minutes, it's spread with frosting that's a lemon lover's dream.

20 of 31

Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing

Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing

Don't mess with Texas! This iconic Texas Sheet Cake is rich in chocolatey, nutty flavors. Its signature fudge icing is poured on just after the cake is removed from the oven, leading to a gooey, soft frosting that melts in your mouth.

21 of 31

Coconut-Butter Pecan Sheet Cake

Coconut-Butter Pecan Sheet Cake
Southern Living

Recipe: Coconut-Butter Pecan Sheet Cake

There's nothing better than warm, roasted butter pecans, and this recipe pairs nuts with light coconut to make this sheet cake perfect for the summer.

22 of 31

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Mayonnaise is the secret to this chocolate cake's fluffy, light texture.

23 of 31

Blond Texas Sheet Cake

Blonde Texas Sheet Cake
Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Blond Texas Sheet Cake

A twist on the beloved chocolate Texas Sheet Cake, this blond version maintains all of the cake's signature nutty richness without any cocoa. The addition of buttermilk keeps the cake extra moist and fluffy.

24 of 31

Mississippi Mud Cake

Mississippi Mud Cake
Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Mississippi Mud Cake

With its fluffy chocolate sponge and marshmallow-pecan topping, this classic cake is a grown-up homage to summer s'mores.

25 of 31

Plum-Berry Cornmeal Sheet Cake

Plum-Berry Cornmeal Sheet Cake
Alison Miksch

Recipe: Plum-Berry Cornmeal Sheet Cake

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, this sheet cake can be taken on the go or enjoyed on your front porch.

26 of 31

Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake

Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake

This sheet cake combines all the flavors of your favorite Southern beverages into a light, refreshing dessert. Feeling rowdy? Spin this into a tipsy cake by substituting up to 2 Tbsp. vodka or bourbon for the lemon juice in the frosting.

27 of 31

Coca-Cola Cake Recipe

Coca-Cola Cake
Southern Living

Recipe: Coca-Cola Cake Recipe

The carbonation and sweet syrup of Coca-Cola is what make this cake moist and tender, and one that everyone is bound to enjoy.

28 of 31

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin Dump Cake
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pumpkin Dump Cake

Make the pumpkin filling (similar to pumpkin pie filling) in a separate bowl and then combine with yellow cake mix and melted butter before popping this cake into the oven.

29 of 31

Nehi Orange Poke Cake

Nehi Orange Poke Cake
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner

Recipe: Nehi Orange Poke Cake

Nehi orange-flavored soda is a main ingredient in the citrus curd in this recipe, giving the cake a tangy kick.

30 of 31

Pumpkin Spice-Heath Cake

Heath Bar Cake
Alison Miksch

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice-Heath Cake

Pumpkin spice lovers, this one's for you. It's topped with spiced cream cheese frosting and toffee and almond candy bits that taste like fall in every bite.

31 of 31

Key Lime Sheet Cake

Key Lime Sheet Cake
Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Kay E Clarke

Recipe: Key Lime Sheet Cake

Poke holes after adding the gelatin to let it seep into the cake. This produces lime-green streaks that can be seen when the cake is cut.

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