This Classic 4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake recipe combines a soft, fluffy, thick yellow sheet cake with rich, creamy homemade chocolate frosting! It's the perfect year-round treat to bring to a birthday party, book club get-together, or work celebration!
Adjust your oven rack to the middle position, then preheat your oven to 350ºF.
Generously spray a 9-inch 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 or slicing, add a parchment paper sleeve to the inside of the pan, allowing the paper to hang over the sides (crease them to help keep them in place). Lightly respray the parchment paper with the baking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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 tsp Vanilla Extract
Reduce the mixer speed, and alternate between adding the dry mixture and the milk. Repeat until both have just combined with the batter. Be careful not to overmix!
1 cup Milk
Pour the batter into the prepared 9-inch x 13-inch cake pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter 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.
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 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter, 1 cup Powdered Sugar, 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1/8 tsp Salt
Add in the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate, and mix until fully combined.
3/4 cup Light Corn Syrup, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Frost your cooled yellow sheet cake using an offset spatula, top with your favorite sprinkles, then serve and enjoy!
This chocolate-frosted yellow sheet cake is best kept covered at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let any refrigerator frosted cake come to room temperature. To freeze slices of 4-egg yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting, place on a caking sheet and freeze until solid. Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container for up to three months.
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Notes
This homemade chocolate frosting recipewill 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 the oven to 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.