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 9×13 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 9×13 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 9×13 Pan & Bake
Pour batter in greased 9×13 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!)
Transform a mediocre boxed cake mix into a tall, super moist, bakery-worthy 9×13 cake that everyone will be asking the recipe for!
Ingredients
9×13 White Cake
- 1 15.25 ounce box white cake mix I prefer Pillsbury Moist Supreme
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 4 large egg whites (equal to 1/2 cup if using liquid carton egg whites)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/4 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
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Preheat oven to 325°F.
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In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together cake mix, flour, and sugar.
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Once incorporated, add in the vanilla, water, sour cream, and egg whites one at a time until combined. Do not whip cake mix, just mix until everything in incorporated.
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Pour batter into greased 9×13 metal pan and bake for 28-30 minutes or until toothpick or fork come out clean.
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Allow to cool completely before frosting.
To Make Cream Cheese Frosting:
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In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed using a hand or stand mixer (with paddle attachment) for 2-3 minutes (until light and creamy).
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Keeping the mixer on medium speed, slowly add in vanilla extract, almond extract and powdered sugar. Once incorporated, turn mixer to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until creamy.
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Spread on cooled cake and top with sprinkles!
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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.
Recipe 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
Nutrition facts per serving (1square)Did you make these cookies? Be sure to leave a comment below with how you liked them!
Amy says
What would happen if I use the 4 whole eggs instead of just the whites? I am not concerned about it turning yellow. Thank you in advance!!
Melissa says
Hi Amy! I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure but it would likely change the texture quite a bit. It would add too much moisture and fat, which would probably cause it to not bake correctly and firm up.
If you did want to use the full eggs, I’d follow the box instructions instead or see if you can find a recipe that uses full eggs + sour cream. I wouldn’t want you to risk it with my recipe and waste ingredients! Hope that helps!
Amy says
Thank you Melissa! 😁. I appreciate your super quick response!
Debbie says
Can I use this recipe for a chocolate cake?
Melissa says
Hi Debbie! I’ve actually tested this same recipe with chocolate and it doesn’t result in the same texture; it’s actually quite dry. I’m working on a doctored chocolate recipe but it’s not quite ready yet, so I’d recommend searching Google for one specifically for chocolate!
Daniel says
Very delicious, dense white cake. I decided to forego the almond extract in the frosting, however, because I was too lazy to go back to the store. That was clearly a mistake as I was left imagining how this cake could have been even better. My roommate loved it.
Melissa says
So glad you loved it! The almond extract does make the cake, so definitely worth it next time!
Karen says
I made this recipe today! Was really good..made a 2 9inch layer cake…I will definitely be baking this recipe again ❤
Melissa says
So glad you loved it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Kathy says
The best white cake recipe I’ve ever made I made it for my girlfriend’s birthday for all of us and they absolutely loved it it’s definitely a keeper
Melissa says
So glad you loved it – it’s my favorite ever!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review – I appreciate it so much!
LuAnn DaRin says
I followed the recipe exactly and it sank in the middle. Does this mean it was under baked somehow? Is it still OK to ear? I’m hoping it is fully baked and I can just cover with extra frosting?
Melissa says
Hi LuAnn! It does sound like it may be underbaked. It should still be good to eat as long as it’s not too raw in the middle!
Nita says
I Love this recipe, and have used it a few times each time turned out great.TY
Melissa says
I’m so glad you love it, Nita! It’s my favorite white cake!
Jeanette says
Baked this cake for my knitting group and it was a huge success. The texture of the cake is wonderful. A question could you flavor the cake? I just saw a recipe for a creamsicle cake, made from scratch, and they used orange jello powder to flavor the cake. Could you do that with this cake?
Melissa says
I’m so glad you all loved it, Jeanette! I’ve never added jello powder into the actual cake but I am currently testing making this into a poke cake (pouring jello on after it’s baked) and it worked great.
I’d have to see the recipe to see how they’re incorporating the powder but I think it would be worth a shot! If the texture isn’t right, you can always turn the cake into cake pops :)
Jan Richey says
Wow! Love this cake! Thanks. I ll make again.
Melissa says
I’m so glad you loved it, Jan! It’s my favorite cake ever. Thanks for taking the time to drop me a message!
Liz says
Can you make this into round pans (round cake)??
Melissa says
Yes, definitely! I think one batch would make two 8-9″ rounds.