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!
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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
9x13 White Cake
- 1 15.25 ounce box white cake mix I prefer Pillsbury Moist Supreme
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 4 large egg whites (equal to ½ cup if using liquid carton egg whites)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar add more for stiffer frosting
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor 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 white cake mix (15.25 ounce), all-purpose flour (1 cup), and granulated sugar (½ cup).
- Once incorporated, add in the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), water (1 ½ cups), sour cream (¾ cup), and egg whites (½ cup, or 4 large eggs) 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.
To Make Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick) and softened cream cheese (4 ounces) 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 vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), almond extract (¼ teaspoon) and powdered sugar (1 ¼ cups). 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.
Last Step! Please 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.
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
Did you make these cookies? Be sure to leave a comment below with how you liked them!
Stacy
"AMAZING" I made this cake with buttermilk instead of sour cream and it is absolutely delicious!! The cake is light and airy. Definitely use the cream cheese icing with the almond extract. This cake was a big hit with my family, they want it at least once week now!!
Melissa
So glad that you and your family loved this cake! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review Stacy, I appreciate it!
Leslie Adkins
Can i just triple this recipe and use a larger pan? I'm baking for a crowd
Melissa
Yes that should work just fine, just watch the baking time if it’s spread thinner!
Sharon
The measurements of butter and cream cheese in the frosting are not correct and there is no liquid.
Melissa
Was your frosting too runny/stiff? If you use softened butter and cream cheese, no liquid should be needed but you’re always welcome to add a splash of milk.
Paulette
This was the best white sheet cake I ever ate. It will be a permanent recipe in my box. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Melissa
Thank you for this kind review Paulette! I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe.
Jennifer Dryden
Can you please provide weights for the added ingredients? there is a huge difference with how people measure "1 cup" of flour
Melissa
I don’t have the resources right now to accurately convert all my recipes but there are many free online charts & websites you can use for converting cups to grams. You can use the base that 1 cup of flour is 120 grams.
Amanda
The cake turned out really dense/heavy and not dry but certainly not more moist than just a regular box cake would have been. Not worth the extra effort.
Melissa
Sorry this didn’t work for you! What brand of cake mix did you use?
Suzie
This cake is yummy! Will definitely save and make again. Followed the directions exactly. I did have to add about 5 minutes cooking time for the center, but the edges were fine.
Melissa
I am glad that you enjoyed the recipe Suzie, thank you for leaving a review!
Marilyn
Sorry but this cake taste like flour and it wasn't light and moist
Melissa
Sorry this didn’t work for you! What brand cold cake mix did you use? Thanks for giving it a try.
Carolyn
Super easy to make. My cake sank in the middle but I do not think that was the fault of the recipe.
Melissa
Hi Carolyn! Was the cake fully baked through when you cut it? Typically a sunken middle in a moist cake like this can happen if it's slightly underbaked and taken out a little too soon. Hope you still enjoyed it, despite the sinking!
Alexis
Can this be used in round cake pans to make a 2 layer cake?
Melissa
That should work just fine! You’ll likely just need to bake a little less time.
Marilyn
Question: can I use gluten free flour?
When mixing cake can I use hand mixer? Please let me know anxious to try.
Melissa
Hi Marilyn! I haven't tried GF flour in this recipe but generally, Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour works well as a direct substitute. As far as mixing, yes you can definitely use a hand mixer.
Marilyn
Thank you Melissa.. I will try it and definitely let you know how it came out.
Melissa
Please do! Thank you Marilyn.
Mary Lewis
.I haven’t made this yet but I want to. Is there almond extract in the cake or just in the frosting? I didn’t see it listed in cake ingredients.
Melissa
Just in the frosting but a splash of it in the cake wouldn't hurt if you like a stronger almond flavor! But I find having it in the frosting is enough.
Alli
YES! YES! YES!
This is a great “doctored cake mix.”
I have struggled with white cake and trying to find a good recipe. I find that scratch white cake has a tendency to be dry or not have the best flavor. This remedies all of those ailments. I feel like this is a bit of a cheat, but why not make it easier on yourself?
This is soooooooo good. I top mine with ermine frosting and they go incredibly well together. You could also add a little almond extract for a nice flavor boost. It’s worth your time if you want an easy and really good white cake. I’m glad I tried it and it will be my go to recipe now.
Melissa
Thank you for taking the time to leave this review Alli! I am so glad that it turned out great and that you enjoyed it!
Holly
Great easy recipe!!
Melissa
Thank you Holly for taking the time to leave a review!
Jammi
Very nice bakery style cake. I made it for cupcakes and it was perfect!
Ruth
Everyone really liked this A LOT! I made it for a family gathering, & then again for Easter two weeks later. My daughter made them into cupcakes, too. Just a very simple but wonderful tasting cake!
Veronica
Does it matter if the ingredients are room temperature?
Melissa
Not really, I usually just use things straight from the fridge for this one!
Tammi
Amazing! Love, love, love this cake. Everything you promised!
Robin Marci
I will just be reading the ingredients and the prep I have not tasted it yet it’s for a birthday celebration tomorrow but I am not a baker so I really enjoyed it it was easy to put together it went in the oven easily and it came out beautifully the frosting looks beautiful I tweaked it a bit I think overall it was a good recipe for a beginner like me
Audra Davidson
Omgosh, this cake is so so good! I love the texture and the icing is just perfect. I’m making this again today with pink sugar dusting for my family for Easter tomorrow! Thank you for the recipe!! And Happy Easter ✝️