Spring Birthday Sheet Cake (Printable Version)

Tender vanilla crumb with lemon curd and whipped cream frosting, perfect for spring gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
10 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Lemon Curd Filling

11 - 4 large egg yolks
12 - ½ cup granulated sugar
13 - ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
14 - Zest of 2 lemons
15 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed

→ Whipped Cream Frosting

16 - 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
17 - ½ cup powdered sugar
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

19 - Fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries)
20 - Edible flowers or lemon zest curls

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x13-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon zest until fully combined.
05 - Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture in three alternating batches with the milk. Begin and end with dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a rack.
07 - In a small saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in cubed butter until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and chill until cold.
08 - Whip chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
09 - Once cake is completely cool, carefully slice horizontally to create two layers. Remove the top layer and spread chilled lemon curd evenly over the bottom layer. Replace the top layer.
10 - Spread whipped cream frosting evenly over the assembled cake. Decorate with fresh berries, edible flowers, or lemon zest curls as desired.
11 - Refrigerate assembled cake for at least 1 hour before serving to ensure clean slices.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lemon curd is genuinely homemade and tastes nothing like the jarred version—bright, smooth, and worth every minute of stirring.
  • A sheet cake means no fancy layer-cake skills required, just confident assembly and a good frosting.
  • It's showstopping enough for a celebration but humble enough to feel like something you actually made yourself.
02 -
  • Lemon curd can break if the heat is too high—keep it low and stir constantly; if it does split, strain it through fine mesh and it'll smooth out.
  • Whipped cream frosting is best served cold and eaten within a few hours; it's not as stable as buttercream, so plan your timing accordingly.
03 -
  • For extra lemon intensity, brush the cake layers with a simple lemon syrup (equal parts lemon juice and sugar, heated until sugar dissolves) before assembling.
  • If store-bought lemon curd works for your timeline, it absolutely does the job—this recipe is forgiving enough that shortcuts don't compromise the soul of it.
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