Sheet Pan Vanilla Cake — My Take on the Classic NZ Beer Box Birthday Cake

Sheet Pan Vanilla Cake — My Take on the Classic NZ Beer Box Birthday Cake

Who remembers having a cake made in a beer box at almost every birthday party growing up?

I had one at nearly every birthday party, and so did my friends, and so did their friends — you get the idea! I remember it as always being vanilla, frosted in my favourite colour at the time, and absolutely layered with sprinkles. Pure childhood joy in cake form.

For the life of me though, I haven't been able to find a proper recipe or instructions for how to actually do it. How big does the cake mix need to be? Does it actually get baked inside the beer box? Surely it needs to be super clean or lined with baking paper? Does the box not burn??

I was kindly sent a recipe a few weeks back and I'm going to figure it out — but I'm a little scared, because I don't particularly want to burn down the oven! So until I've cracked the beer box method, I'm making my version: a beautiful vanilla sheet pan cake using our Vanilla Cake & Cupcake Mix, baked in a square tin and loaded with sprinkles. Same vibe, zero fire risk. 

What You'll Need

• 1 x Flour and Dough Vanilla Cake & Cupcake Mix (nice and big — makes a great size sheet cake!)
• Eggs
• Buttermilk
• Butter
• Water
• Icing sugar
• Extra butter (for the icing)
• Sprinkles — lots of them!

Or grab our complete Cake Kit, which comes with the cake mix, sprinkles, piping bag, nozzle, and a free gift — everything you need in one box!

Equipment

• Mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Mixer
• 20cm x 20cm square baking tin or larger - it will just be thinner
• Baking paper

Method

1. Preheat your oven and grab all your ingredients.
2. Add the Vanilla Cake & Cupcake Mix to your mixing bowl.
3. Whisk your eggs well, then add all the wet ingredients and mix until smooth and combined.
4. Line your tin with baking paper — the last thing you want is this beauty getting stuck!
5. Pour the cake mixture into the lined tin and pop it into the oven.
6. While it's baking, make up your icing — a simple buttercream works perfectly. Beat together softened butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
7. Once the cake is baked and completely cooled, spread the icing generously over the top and finish with a big handful of sprinkles.

That's it. This is my version of the cake in a beer box — and honestly, it might be even better. 

Storage

Storing cake in our house has always been a problem — I have young kids, neighbours, and friends who all know there's always something here to eat! But for those with more willpower:

• Room temperature: 3–5 days in an airtight container.
• Fridge: stretch it an extra day or two.
• Freezer: this cake freezes beautifully! You have two options:
  • Freeze before decorating, or
  • Freeze after decorating

Either way, let it cool completely, then wrap tightly in cling wrap followed by a layer of tin foil. If decorating first, pop it in the fridge for at least an hour before wrapping — this way you won't get dents and smudges in the soft buttercream!

What's Next?

I'm going to try a loaf cake version next — any ideas for flavours? Drop them in the comments or tag us on Instagram #flouranddoughnz — I'd love to hear what you'd like to see!

And if you make this sheet pan cake, please share your photos — seeing your creations genuinely makes my day. Happy baking!