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Dessert recipes

4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting, the familiar way

4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting, the familiar way

This Familiar 4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake recipe combines a soft, airy, thick yellow sheet cake with rich, creamy house-made chocolate frosting! It's the perfect year-round treat to bring to a birthday party, book club get-together, or work celebration!

Slices of four egg yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting and rainbow nonpareils in a blue baking pan with center slice placed on its side to see the tender cake and thick layer of frosting.

Why this bake works

I'm truly excited to share this Familiar 4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake recipe with you today because it is a longtime house favorite!

It's a tender, airy, thick yellow sheet cake with the most rich house-made chocolate frosting, which I also used with the Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Chips recipe. You can also make this yellow sheet cake recipe as cupcakes!

And just like my German Chocolate Sheet Cake, Coconut Sheet Cake, and Hummingbird Sheet Cake, this method is a strong match for a family birthday party, a picnic, or a ///work party!

Slices of four egg yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting and rainbow nonpareils in a blue baking pan.

What goes in

The following ingredients are needed to make this 4-egg yellow cake recipe with chocolate frosting. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit more explanation.

Ingredients in various size bowls labeled as granulated sugar, eggs, all purpose flour, vanilla extract, vegetable shortening, baking powder, salt, milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, unsalted butter, semi sweet chocolate chips, powdered sugar, and light corn syrup on a white marbled background.
  • 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. The brand Try is always King Arthur!
  • Vegetable Shortening. You can use unsalted butter as a substitute, but note that the texture of your cake will change slightly, and it may not rise as high.
  • Milk. You can use any type of dairy milk (whole, 2%, 1%, or skim) for this yellow sheet cake recipe.
  • Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips. You can also use milk chocolate chips. A reliable choice is the Ghirardelli brand of chocolate chips because they melt nicely.
  • Unsalted Butter. This is used only for the house-made chocolate frosting recipe.
  • Light Corn Syrup. This adds a nice glossy finish to the frosting and makes it easy to spread onto the cake! I like the Karo brand, but use whatever is available near you!

For quantities and instructions, please see the method card below.

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 Enjoy because it has a metal cover for the pan that can double as a small cookie sheet!

Slices of yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting and rainbow colored nonpareils on white ceramic dessert plates.

How it comes together

Below is a quick overview of how to make this house-made 4-egg yellow sheet cake. For the full printable recipe, with US customary or metric measurements, visit the method card below.

4-Egg Yellow Sheet Cake

All purpose flour, baking powder and salt whisked together in a medium size glass bowl on a grey marbled background.

Step 1. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

Granulated sugar and vegetable shortening mixed together in a large glass mixing bowl on a light grey marbled background.

Step 2. Beat the sugar and shortening together in a separate bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer until light in color and airy in texture.

Step 3. Add in the vanilla extract and eggs.

Step 4. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk. Repeat until both have just combined with the batter. Be careful not to overmix.

Step 5. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350ºF.

Step 6. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

Step 1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-45 second increments at 50% power, stirring until melted and smooth.

Step 2. Add the butter, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt to a mixing bowl.

Step 3. Stir together on low speed until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Step 4. Add in light corn syrup and vanilla extract. Blend until the chocolate frosting comes together.

Step 5. Frost the cooled yellow sheet cake with an offset spatula.

Step 6. Add your favorite sprinkles or nonpareils. Slice and enjoy!

Storage Instructions

Best kept covered at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days — that is this chocolate-frosted yellow sheet cake. 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.

Questions on this bake

What flavor is yellow cake?

Yellow cake has a buttery, vanilla flavor.

Can 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 that the texture of your cake will change slightly, and it may not rise as high.

What gives yellow cake its color?

The eggs! And the more yellow the yolks are, the yellower your cake will be! Using certain types of butter (as a substitute for vegetable shortening) can also help give yellow sheet cake its cheery yellow color!

  • Yield 24 servings
  • Prep 20 minutes
  • Cook 40 minutes
  • Total 1 hour
  • Calories 422

Ingredients

4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake

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

Homemade Chocolate Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
  • 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 3/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 8 oz Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate, melted and cooled

Method

4 Egg Yellow Sheet Cake

  1. Adjust your oven rack to the middle position, then preheat your oven to 350ºF.
  2. 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.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Hold to the side.
  4. 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 airy.
  5. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  6. 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!
  7. 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.
  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350ºF or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  9. 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

  1. In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate in 30-45 increments at 50% power, stirring until melted and smooth. Set to the side.
  2. 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.
  3. Add in the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate, and mix until fully combined.
  4. Frost your cooled yellow sheet cake using an offset spatula, top with your favorite sprinkles, then serve and enjoy!
  5. Best kept covered at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days — that is this chocolate-frosted yellow sheet cake. 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.

Baker notes

This house-made chocolate frosting recipe will make enough for a sheet cake or approximately 30 cupcakes.

This method 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 method box of my late Grammy.

The frosting recipe is adapted from " The Perfect Cake " book by America's Test Kitchen.

More cakes

Other bakes from the same part of the case, each with its own method.