10 Sheet Cake Decorating Ideas

If you’re tired of making the same sheet cake these sheet cake decorating ideas will give you the inspiration you need to get a little more creative.

Sheet Cake Decorating For Special Occasions

There’s a range of sheet cakes you can choose from. It’s an easy dessert to make when the craving for cake hits. Best of all, you can make it throughout the year. These cakes can feed a crowd and they’re beginner-friendly. I could always count on sheet cakes as the chosen dessert for family celebrations. A slice of cake was the dessert of choice to celebrate graduations and it makes for the most delicious birthday cake.

A sheet cake requires little effort. In turn, this gives you enough time to make a cake that looks and tastes great. I used to make sheet cakes topped with buttercream frosting and no decoration. Of course, everyone enjoyed eating them, but they were too simple for my taste. It’s nice to have the option to dress up cakes once in a while. You can use these sheet cake decorating ideas for birthdays, house warmings, and other special occasions!

All About Sheet Cakes

When baking sheet cakes, make sure you’re using the correct pan. A standard sheet cake is made in a a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. This pan size is ideal for baking a cake for your family or friends.

For a large party, you need a quarter sheet cake, which is made in a 9″ x 23″ pan. It can feed up to 20 people – best for serving at parties or large family gatherings. These cakes are the perfect option for celebrations. The number of guests will determine the need for a quarter-sheet, half-sheet, or full-sheet cake pan. To learn more about baking pan sizes for sheet cakes, check out desserts to feed a crowd. 

Instead of making homemade cake batter, you can opt for a box cake mix. It won’t adversely affect the flavor. If you select a quality cake mix, you can infuse that incredible homemade flavor by making your frosting from scratch. This results in a tender cake topped with a light, fluffy buttercream frosting fit for any cake lover.

How to Bake a Sheet Cake

Remember to use the correct baking pan. Always use the size recommended in the recipe. I suggest following a recipe that uses a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. It’s a standard baking pan used for a multitude of recipes.

If you opt for a box cake mix, you can find the necessary pans near the instruction section. Saving time is the main benefit of using cake mix.

To prepare the pan line the baking pan with parchment paper. This method creates an easy release for transferring the cake to a cake board.

First, slide an offset spatula along the edges of the cake. Next, place a cooling rack on top of the cake. Use both hands to flip it over. Finally, gently lift the pan. Remember to remove the parchment paper before placing the cake onto a cake board.

Can I make a two-layer Sheet Cake? 

There are two ways to make a 2-layer cake. First, cut the cake in half for a smaller sheet cake. Apply frosting to the first layer, then add the final coat of frosting to the top layer.

The second method involves baking two sheet cakes and stacking them. Freeze the cakes to lock in moisture.

10 Ideas For Decorating Sheet Cakes

Here are 10 sheet cake decorating ideas. This next section goes from simple methods to more advanced techniques.

Ribbon Border Sheet Cake

A ribbon border is common for decorating sheet cakes. Once the border is complete, you can add edible pearls around the perimeter of the cake. The finishing touches showcase a cake worth celebrating!

Decorate Cakes With Flowers

Another option is to add flowers to your design. Adding flowers to the top left, and bottom right corner is a beautiful way to draw attention to your cake. Florals make a sheet cake look pretty and delicate. Best yet, you can pipe with different color frosting to make the flowers look more realistic.

Add A Topping To Your Sheet Cake

Add a topping that compliments the flavor. For example, if you make a butter pecan cake, sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the frosting. Toss whole pecans into a food processor to chop them into smaller pieces. This improves the texture and makes it easier to eat.

Decorate With Cookies

There is another method for decorating the cake border. Top it all off with crunchy cookies to make it stand out. Oreos are ideal for making delicious cookies and cream cakes. Cookies like Biscoff cookies or Nilla wafers work fine. These classic cookies are perfect for decorating.

Look for a decorating tip for piping swirls. To start, pipe upward swirls along the border of the cake. Place a cookie in between each swirl.

Decorate with Mini Chocolate Bars: Mini chocolate bars are the perfect addition to a custom cake border.

Kit Kat bars: Kit Kat bars are another option. Plus, you can decorate with white chocolate candy bars. Fruits like passionfruit or cherries are a delicious combination with white chocolate.

Advanced Sheet Cake Decorating Techniques

Here are a few more sheet cake decorating ideas. Create a theme based on the cake flavor. For instance, a carrot cake can have carrots piped onto the cake. To take it up a notch you can pipe a rabbit eating a carrot. These decorations are a fun way to make your cakes look more interesting.

Create a custom border: This technique requires several decorating tips. First, you need a star tip, a decorating tip for swirls, and one for roses. Then fill the icing bags. Now, you’re ready to create a custom cake border.

Remember to use two or three different colors if you want the swirls and roses to pop.

Garden design: A garden design gives you a chance to freestyle your own design. You can pipe grass or vines. In addition, you can add a variety of flowers like roses, daisies, sunflowers and more!

Decorating cakes with fresh fruit: Making a design with fresh fruit is a fun way to create various designs. Berries are the best fruits for creating patterns and increasing depth of flavor. Plus, fruit adds complexity to flavor and texture.

In addition, you can drizzle caramel or chocolate sauce before adding fresh strawberries. Use a squeeze bottle for drip cakes. 

Edible printer: Airbrushing was a technique that advanced cake decorators used. Now bakers have shifted to edible printers. These printers use icing sheets to create life-like images that bring your cake to life.

Did these sheet cake decorating ideas inspire you? If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out these cake decorating ideas for beginners.