Sheet cake facts for kids
Iced and decorated sheet cake for a student graduation
|
|
| Alternative names | slab cake |
|---|---|
| Type | Cake |
| Course | dessert, on its own |
| Serving temperature | cold |
A sheet cake or slab cake is a cake baked in a large, flat rectangular pan such as a sheet pan or a jelly roll pan. These single-layer cakes are frequently frosted, with decorations and ornamental frosting along the borders and the flat top surface.
Sheet cakes may be made in any flavor, with chocolate and vanilla being the two most common. Commonly made in the home with boxed cake mixes, they can come in a variety of additional flavors, with batter mix-ins such as sprinkles and chocolate chips. By definition, they are made from a single continuous piece of cake. Ingredients such as nuts, chocolate chips, or coconut may be sprinkled over the top.
A layer cake may be made from a sheet cake that has been split, filled with jam or icing, and frosted.
Purchasing
In the United States, these cakes are commonly available in supermarkets and bakeries and tend to be inexpensive due to their simple manufacturing process.
Size
Cake sizes are named after the sheet pan that the cake is baked in. A full-size commercial sheet cake pan is 18x24 or 18x26 inches in size. A half-sheet is half that size, and a quarter-sheet or 9x13-inch pan, which usually results in 16 to 24 servings of cake, is one-quarter the size.
Gallery
-
A man cuts into a slab cake.
-
A large sheet cake, served at an inauguration ceremony.
-
NASA space shuttle astronauts enjoy a cake-cutting event in the Space Station Training Facility at JSC
-
An International Space Station-themed NASA slab cake for students at Kennedy Space Center
.jpg)
