Recipe Background
Queen Vanilla Sheet Cake is a delightful celebration cake ideal for celebrating small victories with its rich frosting and delicate berry topping.
On a balmy afternoon, the kind you only really get in the South, I decided to celebrate my tax refund with a little culinary splurge. Nothing extravagant, just a nod to myself for getting through another year of adulting. I settled on a cake because why not? It's versatile, yet there's something undeniably festive about it. As I leafed through my pantry, the usual suspects caught my eye—flour, sugar, and a lonely bottle of vanilla extract that had been patiently waiting its turn to shine. I love using almond extract alongside vanilla. It adds an unexpected twist that elevates the flavors just right.
I remember thinking the Greek yogurt in the fridge wasn’t going to last much longer. Adding it to the cake seemed like an intelligent move for moisture and richness. The berries I spotted earlier that morning from a little market trip were simply waiting for a moment like this. Balancing strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries on the frosting felt like creating a tiny masterpiece. A quick tip: make sure your cream cheese is properly softened before you mix it with the butter for the frosting. It makes everything way smoother.
As the cake emerged from the oven, I let it cool a bit before adding the cream cheese frosting and scattering the berries. Allowing it to rest for ten minutes not only helped the flavors meld beautifully, but it also made slicing it a breeze. Mint leaves crowned each piece, adding that final flourish. Truly, this cake was a little celebration of life—equal parts whimsy and delicious indulgence.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 cup whole milk
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the fruit topping:
- 2 cups strawberries sliced
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries
- 1 1/2 cups raspberries
- fresh mint to taste, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray that includes flour.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, the baking powder, and the salt and whisk to combine.
- In the large bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the sugar and the vegetable oil and mix to combine.
- Add the eggs and the egg whites to the sugar mixture and mix until combined.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the vanilla extract and the almond extract to the sugar mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the Greek yogurt to the sugar mixture and mix well to combine.
- Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and the milk to the sugar mixture, and mix well to combine.
- Add the remaining flour mixture to the sugar mixture, and mix until well-combined.
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking dish and bake until the center is set and a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean, about 25-32 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack before frosting.
- In a large bowl with the electric mixer, add the cream cheese and the butter and mix until creamy.
- Add the confectioners' sugar to the cream cheese mixture and mix until well-combined.
- Add the remaining vanilla to the cream cheese mixture and mix until well-combined.
- Evenly spread the cream cheese frosting on the top of the cooled cake.
- Evenly add the strawberries, the blueberries, and the raspberries to the top of the cream cheese frosting.
- Slice the cake and serve with the fresh mint.
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