Vanilla Sheet Cake with Lemon Frosting

This cake by F&W recipe developer Anna Theoktisto checks the boxes for fabulous and delicious and is surprisingly easier to make than it looks. The one-bowl vanilla cake is ultra-moist with a tender crumb. Baked in a 13- x 9-inch cake pan, the sheet cake serves a crowd and is just as good if made a few days ahead. 

The lemon ermine frosting, luscious and buttery, can be tinted any color you wish. Try natural ingredients from spices like turmeric for a bold yellow and dried fruit powders to tint the frosting — or you can go with gel dyes. Add frosting embellishments like dramatic swoops, swirls, and dollops; edible flowers; sprinkles; and fruit for even more whimsy to take this simple sheet cake over the top.

What is ermine frosting?

Ermine frosting is a buttercream that is made with a sweet roux of flour, sugar, and milk that helps stabilize the frosting so that it holds its shape and won’t quickly melt — perfect for decorating (and even transporting) a cake.

The sugar cooked in the roux fully melts for a guaranteed smooth and silky texture. Once the roux is cooled, butter and flavoring are whipped in for a rich and luscious pairing with almost any cake crumb.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

You can tint frosting with freeze dried fruit, spices (like turmeric), or natural or gel food dyes. 

To use freeze-dried fruit, pulverize fruit in a spice grinder or food processor until powdery, then sift to remove any large pieces. For blues/purples, use freeze-dried blueberries. For red/pink hues, use freeze-dried raspberries. Approximately 1/2 cup (about 1.5 ounces) of freeze-dried fruit yields about 3 tablespoons of pulverized fruit powder (amounts will vary depending on the fruit). For deep shades, use about 3 tablespoons fruit powder for 2 cups of frosting. For bold yellow, you can use turmeric (about 1/2 teaspoon per 2 cups frosting). Find freeze-dried blueberries and raspberries at most grocery stores or at nuts.com.

Make ahead

The unfrosted cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to two months. Frosting can be prepared through step 5 and stored in an airtight container for up to one day. The frosted cake (without garnishes or flowers) can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Let cake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.