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    Published: Jan 12, 2020 • Modified: Mar 20, 2023 • This site generates income via ads and may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy linked in the footer.

    Classic 4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Image of classic 4 egg yellow sheet cake from Beyond the Butter®.

    I'm really excited to share this Classic 4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting recipe with you today because it is a long-time family favorite recipe! It combines a moist, fluffy, thick yellow cake with the best and most decadent homemade chocolate frosting! It's the perfect sheet cake for a family or co-worker's birthday party or celebration!

    Slices of 4 egg yellow sheet cake in blue baking tin | © Beyond the Butter®
    Chocolate frosted yellow sheet cake in a blue baking tin | © Beyond the Butter®
    Jump to:
    • Different Sizes of Sheet Cakes
    • Ingredients Needed
    • How to Make This Recipe
    • Chocolate Frosting Instructions
    • Recommended Baking Tools
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Sheet Cake Recipes from Beyond the Butter®!
    • 📖 Recipe

    Different Sizes of Sheet Cakes

    A sheet cake pan can come in various sizes depending on the manufacturer. The 3 common sheet cake pan sizes are:

    • Full Sheet = 12" x 18"
    • Half Sheet = 11" x 15"
    • Quarter Sheet = 9" x 13"

    Other sizes you might see are 7" x 11", 12" x 16", and 13" x 18". The height of sheet cake pans can range from 1" to 3".

    For this 4-egg yellow sheet cake recipe, I used a 9" x 13" x 2" Nordic Ware® sheet cake pan, which I love because it has a metal cover for the pan that can double as a small cookie sheet!

    Slices of yellow sheet cake frosted with chocolate frosting and topped with rainbow nonpareils | © Beyond the Butter®

    Ingredients Needed

    To make this classic yellow sheet cake recipe, you will need the following ingredients.

    • All-Purpose Flour. It's always best to sift your flour (as well as your other dry ingredients) which will give you the best cake texture and crumb! As a substitute, you can use cake flour.
    • Baking Powder
    • Salt
    • Vegetable Shortening. You can use unsalted butter as a substitute, but note the texture of your cake will change slightly and it may not rise as high.
    • Granulated Sugar. Or you can use organic cane sugar.
    • Vanilla Extract
    • Eggs. You'll need 4 large eggs at room temperature.
    • Milk. You can use any dairy type for this yellow sheet cake recipe.
    Slices of classic 4 egg yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting and rainbow nonpareils on white dessert plates | © Beyond the Butter®

    How to Make This Recipe

    Below is a quick overview of how to make this 4 egg yellow sheet cake. You'll need a 13" x 9" x 2" sheet cake pan, flour-based baking spray, and (optionally) parchment paper (to use as a parchment paper sling to remove the cake for frosting). For the full printable cake recipe, visit the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

    STEP 1. Whisk the dry ingredients together. This includes all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. I also recommend sifting them!

    STEP 2. Beat the sugar and shortening. Mix using either a handheld mixer or stand mixer until light in color and fluffy in texture. It's best to do this in a separate mixing bowl.

    STEP 3. Add in the remaining wet ingredients. This includes vanilla extract and eggs. The milk you'll use in the next step.

    STEP 4. Alternate the dry ingredients with the milk. Repeat until both have just combined with the batter. Be careful not to over mix. Doing so can give you a dense, chewy cake.

    STEP 5. Bake the yellow sheet cake. Recommended baking times are 35-40 minutes at 350ºF. For reference, my oven took the full 40 minutes and my cake cooled completely in about an hour.

    STEP 6. Frost the cake. You can do this with the 4 egg yellow sheet cake still in the pan or you can remove it with either a parchment paper sling or invert it onto a wire cooling rack.

    Sliced chocolate frosted 4 egg yellow sheet cake | © Beyond the Butter®

    Chocolate Frosting Instructions

    For frosting this 4-egg yellow sheet cake recipe, I recommend using this chocolate frosting recipe, adapted from America's Test Kitchen and also used with my Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Chips. It's rich, creamy, and easily spreadable using an offset spatula.

    You'll need a bar of dark chocolate, unsalted butter, confectioners sugar, salt, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract.

    STEP 1. Melt the chocolate. You can do this in the microwave in 3045 increments at 50% power, stirring until melted and smooth.

    STEP 2. Mix the butter and dry ingredients. This includes unsalted butter, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt. It's best to do this on low speed so the dry ingredients don't fly everywhere.

    STEP 3. Add in the rest of the ingredients. This includes light corn syrup and vanilla extract.

    STEP 4. Frost your cooled 4 egg yellow sheet cake! Top with rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils, then enjoy!

    Recommended Baking Tools

    Here a few baking tools I recommend when you are baking a sheet cake recipe.

    KITCHENAID KP26M1XFL Professional 600 Stand Mixers, 6 quart, Matte Fresh Linen
    KitchenAid KHM926CA 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer with Turbo Beater II Accessories and Pro Whisk
    Sprinkle Pop - Romance Sprinkle Mix
    Ateco 1385 Offset Spatula
    Vegetable Shortening
    Lindt Excellence Bar, 70% Cocoa - Pack of 4
    OXO Good Grips 11 Pound Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display
    Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups (1 cup & 2 cup)
    Wilton Icing Spatula Set for Baking, 3-Piece - 13 and 9-Inch Angled and 11-Inch Straight Spatulas
    GIR: Get It Right All Silicone Mini, Skinny & Ultimate Spatula 3 Pc Set
    Pouring Chute
    Anchor Hocking 10pc Glass Mixing Bowl Set
    Joseph Joseph Shake-It Self-Tapping Sieve, Large
    The Smart Baker Half Sheet 13 x 18 inches Perfect Parchment Paper - Pre-Cut Parchment Paper Baking Sheets
    Cooling Rack Stainless Steel Half size - Commercial Grade Steel 11.5" x 16.5" | 1 Piece | Cooking Rack Designed To Fit Perfectly Into Baking Half Sheet Pan | Only From Indigo True Company
    Zassenhaus Magnetic Retro Kitchen Timer
    Baker's Joy Cake Pan Spray
    Nordic Ware 9" x 13" Rectangular Cake Pan with Lid, Silver
    Slices of yellow sheet cake frosted with chocolate frosting and topped with rainbow nonpareils | © Beyond the Butter®

    Recipe FAQs

    What size cake pan is needed?

    You will need a 13" x 9" x 2" cake pan.

    Can I use unsalted butter instead of vegetable shortening?

    Yes. For this 4 egg yellow sheet cake recipe, you can use unsalted butter as a substitute. Please note the texture of your cake will change slightly and it may not rise as high.

    What makes yellow cake yellow?

    The eggs! And the more yellow the yolks are, the yellower your cake will be! Using some kinds of butter (as a substitute for vegetable shortening) can also lend a hand in giving yellow sheet cake its cheery yellow color!

    More Sheet Cake Recipes from Beyond the Butter®!

    • Slices of mini strawberry sheet cake topped with strawberry buttercream frosting and fresh strawberries with one slice on its side.
      Mini Strawberry Sheet Cake
    • Slices of frosted butterscotch krimpet sheet cake with a butterscotch chips filled vintage measuring cup on a parchment paper lined inverted baking sheet with cake server.
      Butterscotch Krimpet Sheet Cake
    • Purple coconut frosted coconut sheet cake with slices removed in cake pan on white wood table.
      Coconut Sheet Cake
    • Hummingbird sheet cake with purple and white chocolate cream cheese frosting on inverted cake pan with dessert plates and forks on table cloth.
      Hummingbird Sheet Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

    📖 Recipe

    Slices of 4 egg yellow sheet cake in blue baking tin.

    Classic 4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake

    Author: Jennifer
    This Classic 4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting recipe combines a moist and fluffy, thick yellow cake with the best, and most decadent, homemade chocolate frosting! It's the perfect sheet cake to make for a family or co-workers birthday party or for any celebration!
    (prevent your screen from going dark while making this recipe)
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 40 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24 servings
    Calories 422 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    4 egg yellow sheet cake

    • 2 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour
    • 3 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 cup Vegetable Shortening
    • 2 cups Granulated Sugar
    • 4 Large Eggs (room temperature)
    • 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 1 cup Milk (any dairy type)

    homemade chocolate frosting

    • 1 ½ cups Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
    • 1 cup Powdered Sugar ( sifted)
    • ¾ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon Salt
    • ¾ cup Light Corn Syrup
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 8 oz Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate (melted and cooled)

    Instructions

    4 egg yellow sheet cake

    • Adjust your oven to the second level position and preheat your oven to 350ºF.
    • Generously spray a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with a flour-based baking spray. If you'd like an easy way to remove the sheet cake for frosting, add a parchment paper sleeve to the inside of the sheet pan. Lightly respray with the baking spray.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set to the side.
      2 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour, 3 teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Salt
    • Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegetable shortening and granulated sugar together on medium high speed until light and fluffy.
      1 cup Vegetable Shortening, 2 cups Granulated Sugar
    • Add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
      4 Large Eggs, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • Reducing the mixer speed, alternate between adding the dry mixture with the milk. Repeat until both have just combined with the batter. Be careful not to over mix!
      1 cup Milk
    • Pour the batter into the prepared 9 x 13 inch cake pan. Gently tap a few times to remove any possible air bubbles.
    • Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350ºF or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
    • Allow the sheet cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
    • Add the chocolate frosting once the cake has cooled.

    homemade chocolate frosting

    • In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate in 30-45 increments at 50% power, stirring until melted and smooth. Set to the side.
      8 oz Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate
    • Using your hand held mixer or stand up mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt on low-medium speed until well-blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
      1 ½ cups Unsalted Butter, 1 cup Powdered Sugar, ¾ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, ⅛ teaspoon Salt
    • Add in the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate and mix until full combined.
      ¾ cup Light Corn Syrup, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • Frost your 4 egg yellow sheet cake using an offset spatula.
    • Serve and enjoy!

    Video

    Recipe Notes

    • This homemade chocolate frosting recipe will make enough for a sheet cake or approximately 30 cupcakes.
    • This recipe can be made as cupcakes as well! Change the oven temp to 375ºF and bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes. Makes approx. 30 cupcakes.
    • Alternatively, you can also make this in a tube pan. Set oven temp at 375ºF and bake for approximately 55-60 minutes.
    • The cake recipe is from the recipe box of my late Grammy.
    • The frosting recipe is adapted from "The Perfect Cake" book by America's Test Kitchen.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritonal information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used.

    Tried this recipe and loved it?Snap a pic and share it with me over on Instagram tagging @beyond.the.butter and #beyondthebutter in your caption or stories!
    « Chocolate Peppermint Swirled Brownies
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