Transform a mediocre boxed cake mix into a super moist, bakery-worthy birthday cake that everyone will be asking the recipe for! Bake in a 9x13 pan and top with an easy cream cheese frosting for the best "homemade" doctored sheet cake!
More fun birthday cake ideas: Try my Ice Cream Sandwich Cake or 9×13 Zebra Cake!
Why I Love This Doctored White Cake:
- It's So Moist: This white sheet cake is super moist and has the perfect, dense cake crumb. Unlike a regular cake mix that is fluffy and crumbles when cut, then once slices perfectly!
- It's A Nice Tall Sheet Cake: In my opinion, most box mixes don't produce enough batter for a tall sheet cake. But by adding our secret ingredients, you get a tall, substantial 9x13 cake!
- It's Full of Flavor: The added vanilla and almond extract give this a true white wedding cake flavor that blows any regular boxed mix out of the water!
- Perfect for: Kid's Birthday Cakes, Baby Shower Cakes, Bridal Shower Cake, DIY Wedding Cake, Mother's Day Cake
New! Use this same recipe to make Strawberry Jello Poke Cake!
Yes, start with a cake mix!
I've used this recipe for years but have always been hesitant to post it because the #haters will say that starting with a boxed cake mix is cheating. But guess what, if that's considered cheating then I guess I love cheating.
Because when it tastes this DANG GOOD and better than any from-scratch cake I've ever made, I don't care if it started with a box mix. Besides, in case you didn't know, a lot of real bakeries actually use cake mix as their base (I once saw the backroom of my favorite bakery and lined on the shelves were cake mixes LOL). It's the PERFECT, cheap way to make a bakery-quality cake without spending $20 at the grocery store.
Plus, I am not a fan of most grocery store frosting. This, however, you'll be licking off your finger. I recommend and prefer Pillsbury White "Moist Supreme" but I've also used other brands with a similar result.
Delicious Cream Cheese Frosting
Ditch the canned frosting and top this with a vanilla almond cream cheese frosting to take this cake up a notch! You can also use a traditional buttercream frosting if you want a sturdier, more pipeable frosting but I much prefer the taste of this cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients for the Best Sheet Cake:
- 15.25 ounce White Boxed Cake Mix (I recommend and prefer Pillsbury White Moist Supreme)
- Flour
- Sugar
- Sour Cream
- Egg Whites (save the yolks for tomorrow's scrambled eggs!)
- Vanilla extract
- Water
- Frosting: Cream cheese, powdered, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract
Notice that this recipe requires NO oil, butter or pudding mix! Even without those standard ingredients, this cake transforms into the perfect dense crumb, wedding cake texture and taste. For extra fruity flavor, make my Strawberry Jello Poke Cake.
How to Make White Sheet Cake:
Step 1: Mix Batter
Start by mixing the dry ingredients with a whisk. Once combined, mix in the egg whites, sour cream, and water and continue mixing until combined. You can use an electric mixer, but whisking by hand works well for this recipe.
Step 2: Pour in 9x13 Pan & Bake
Pour batter in greased 9x13 metal pan and bake for 28-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. The edges should look *slightly* brown but you don't want it to darken too much.
If you use the Pillsbury cake mix, the top always bake nice and flat (not domed) which makes it easy to decorate!
Step 3: Cool & Frost
Allow cake to completely cool before frosting.
My personal favorite frosting for this white cake is my delectable cream cheese frosting (recipe below). It's not too sweet and is the perfect pairing with these vanilla cupcakes. If you want a more pipeable frosting, try out a buttercream frosting instead.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What brand of cake mix do you recommend?
I used and prefer Pillsbury White (Moist Supreme) but I've tried it with several other mixes and it works fine.
What's the difference between this recipe and a cake mix straight-out-of-the-box?
You might be thinking, "what's so different about this recipe if you are still using a boxed cake mix?" Well, I will tell you. The secret is sour cream and egg whites. Yes, sour cream ain't just for baked potatoes anymore. It is used to moisten many types of cakes/batters and any time I've used it, the result has always been amazing. And the egg whites? Since you are removing fat content (by taking out the yolk), you need to use the sour cream to balance that back out to produce a soft & moist cake.
Tip: Save the egg yolks in a plastic bowl (covered with saran wrap) and toss into a big batch of scrambled eggs in the morning. Or use the liquid egg whites you can buy in a carton to avoid having leftover egg yolks.
Can I make these into cupcakes?
Yes! If you want to turn these into cupcakes, you can bake them for 18-20 minutes. I have that step-by-step in my White Wedding Cupcake post.
If you're looking for a pipeable frosting for cupcakes, you can use my Buttercream Frosting recipe instead of the cream cheese one (although I personally like the cream cheese better!).
Do I have to refrigerate this cake?
If you're making the cream cheese frosting, you will want to refrigerate the cake if sitting out for more than 1-2 hours.
You can also freeze white cake for up to a month by wrapping in plastic wrap and storing in airtight container. Any longer and your cake might dry out.
What if I don't have almond extract?
I will say that almond extract does give this cake the best flavor but if you don't have it, you could substitute for extra vanilla extract or lemon extract.
The BEST White Sheet Cake (Doctored Cake Mix!)
Ingredients
⭐️ Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor afterwards and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together 1 15.25 ounce box white cake mix, 1 cup all-purpose flour, and ½ cup granulated sugar.
- Once incorporated, add in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ cups water, ¾ cup sour cream, and 4 large egg whites one at a time until combined. Do not whip the cake mix; just mix until everything is incorporated."
- Pour batter into greased 9x13 metal pan and bake for 28-30 minutes or until toothpick or fork come out clean.
- Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened ½ cup unsalted butter and softened 4 ounces cream cheese on medium speed using a hand or stand mixer (with paddle attachment) for 2-3 minutes (until light and creamy).
- Keeping the mixer on medium speed, slowly add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract and 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar. Once incorporated, turn mixer to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until creamy.
- Spread on cooled cake and top with sprinkles!
- If not enjoying immediately or within 1-2 hours, refrigerate cake until serving.
Notes from Melissa
- Looking for a more pipe-able, fluffy frosting? Try my Buttercream Frosting recipe instead!
- If you don't have almond extract you can substitute for extra vanilla or even lemon extract. Although I do think almond extract gives the best flavor!
- You can turn these in cupcakes by baking for 18-20 minutes. Recipe yields 24 standard sized cupcakes.
- I used and prefer Pillsbury White (Moist Supreme) but I've tried it with several other mixes and it works fine.
Did you make this?
I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts! Leave a review & photo of your creation and be sure to mention @DesignEatRepeat or tag #DesignEatRepeat on Instagram!Save this recipe!
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Tried this recipe and the cake was great! Kids loved it:)
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Auntresse!
What do you think would happen if I added vanilla pudding mix to the recipe?
Can you substitute buttermilk for the sour cream?
I haven't tested buttermilk for this recipe but since it's thinner, you might try 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1/4 cup melted butter.
I wanted a smaller, taller cake so I baked in 2 8" round cake pans. I used Betty Crocker canned buttercream frosting because I needed easy & fast. Covered 2-layer cake with multi-colored sprinkles. I will use this recipe again and again.
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
The.cake was very good. It had a.moist texture. The.thing I did was replace water with 2% milk. Now I was hoping for your insite on the water replacement...did I do wrong by adding milk instead of water?
The cake itself seemed a little dense but moist.
So glad you enjoyed the cake! The density you noticed could be from the added fat and protein in the milk. If you prefer a slightly lighter crumb next time, you could try using part water and part milk (although I would still recommend all water).
I have made this recipe countless times with the white cake mix, it’s my go to and is always good. This last time I used a yellow cake mix, cake still appears white, but we all thought it was even better than it normally is!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Katie!
Very good! Moist! Exactly what I was looking for. Added 2 c extra powdered sugar and a little extra almond extract in the frosting to get a thicker layer.
Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Is this cake thick enough to be sliced in half (from the side) to make a double-layered sheet cake, or should I make the recipe twice? I want to make a carved number one cake for a first birthday, so I want a thick double-layered cake.
I think it’s thick enough, yes. But if you’re looking for something really thick, you’d want to double. The photos are accurate if you’re making in a 9x13” pan so each layer would likely end up around 1”.
I loved the white sheet cake and the cream cheese icing. It was dens and moist. I just used a generic white cake mix.It was a hit at my gathering.
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Anna! So glad to hear everyone enjoyed this recipe!
Hello! I am wanting to make a smash cake for my daughters first birthday; would this be a good recipe to use? If so, what size pans do you recommend?
Also wanted to add that I use your cookie cake recipe for my oldest daughter's birthday every year. We love it!!
Hi, sorry I'm just seeing this! If I'm not to late, this might be a bit dense for a smash cake but it would work! If you do use it, I would do 6" rounds and you should be able to get 2 or 3 layers out of it.
Great cake mix upgrade! Made one 8” cake and more than a doz. Cupcakes. Subbed buttermilk for sour cream. I sub one for the other in baking depending what I have on hand.
Cake was fantastic! Great texture and flavor. A definite keeper!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Jennifer!
My husband said this is his favorite! Yum!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Lora!
Hi...I didn't see a section for questions, but I was wondering, could I use this recipe for a round, 2 layer cake?
Yes, you totally could! Just split the batter. I haven't tested baking times for smaller pans but baking time will be less.
This cake was not a great one!
Followed recipe to a tee, turned out super dense, dry and not very flavorful. More floury tasting. Was very disappointed because I made it for a going away party.
Sorry this didn't work for you! What brand of cake mix did you use? I've found that this recipe only works with the specific one I listed, as manufacturers have changed cake mixes a lot the past couple of years to include less mix in the box.
This is a wonderful cake. Easy to make and taste totally homemade, even though it starts with a boxed mix. I baked it for 28 minutes but should have left it in another minute or so. The tester came out clean, but the center didn't spring back as it should have. I should have known better. Will do better next time! I have a grandson who will only eat white cake, so I'm always looking for something with a twist. This passed the test. Definitely a keeper. I also like the ingredients listed again with the instructions. Nice touch!
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much, Tom! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! I really appreciate it!!
If you don't have sour cream,can you sub with applesauce?
I wouldn’t use it for this recipe. It’s a denser crumb and the applesauce hack is typically better for a light and fluffy cake.