Funfetti Sheet Cake

I had planned on making a cookie cake for opening night of Nunsense but I will say that the cake is more of a thin sheet cake than a cookie cake. I find cookie cakes one of the hardest things to get the way I want it unless you are just altering a store bought cake mix. I have never loved the way a cookie cake I have made turn out enough to go back to that recipe. The day I get it right, I'll share the recipe with you. But this is a good thin sheet cake if you are wanting something in between a full out cake and a cookie cake. 

Ingredients:
3/4 c cold butter or margarine (for this I actually used margarine, I'm normally a butter person, especially with baking, but this is one of those recipes that either or really works fine)
3c + 3/4c flour
1 1/2 c buttermilk (add 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice to milk, if you don't have buttermilk on hand)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
Sprinkles

Icing Ingredients:
2 c powder sugar
1/4 c vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk


Cake Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350* degrees.
2. In a large bowl mix butter, sugar, and 3 c flour into crumbs. I suggest starting with a mixer for a minute or two then going in with one hand and rubbing the butter into the flour. Separate out about a cup of the flour mixture into a separate bowl.
3. Add the baking soda to the milk before adding it to your crumb mixture.
4. Next add in vanilla and eggs and mix well.
5. Then add in the remaining flour.
6. Grease baking dish, you will want on with at least an inch lip because this is a somewhat runny batter and will also expand when baking so you want a good lip on your pan so that the batter does not bake over. I attempted to use a pizza pan and had to pull it out of the oven and take away some of the batter when it almost expanded off the pan. Pour in batter to pan or dish, if you want it even thicker you could use a 9x13 dish.
7. Sprinkle on sprinkles and using either your finger or a spoon mix them into the batter a little. Try to not move the batter too much or touch the bottom of the pan as not to mix in the non-stick spray causing the cake to then stick after it bakes. You can then sprinkle a few extra sprinkles over the top of the cake batter.
8. Bake for anywhere between 20-35 minutes depending on how deep or large your pan is, you want to look for a light golden color around the edges and have a tooth pick come out clean.
9. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before frosting.

Frosting Instructions: 
1. Cream together the sugar and shortening.
2. Then add in milk and vanilla and mix until combined and slightly fluffy.
3. You can then with a spatula spread it over the top of the entire cake or put it in a pastry or just a freezer bag with the tip cut off and pipe out a design or message.


How to make the cake with detailed instructions and pictures -

 Preheat your oven to 350* degrees. In a large bowl mix butter, sugar, and 3 c flour into crumbs. I suggest starting with a mixer for a minute or two then going in with one hand and rubbing the butter into the flour.

 Separate out about a cup of the mixture into another bowl and set aside for later.

 Not all of the mixture will be crumbs, this is what mine looked like at that point.

 If you don't have butter like on hand add 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice to your milk as a substitute. Add the baking soda to the milk before adding it to your crumb mixture.

Next add in vanilla and eggs and mix well. Then add in the remaining flour and mix well. Grease baking dish, you will want on with at least an inch lip because this is a somewhat runny batter and will also expand when baking so you want a good lip on your pan so that the batter does not bake over. I attempted to use a pizza pan and had to pull it out of the oven and take away some of the batter when it almost expanded off the pan.

 Scrap down the sides of the bowl well with a rubber spatula to make sure that there aren't any flour pockets you missed. You don't want to be surprised when you start pouring the batter into your pan to find a clump of flour on the bottom of your bowl. Pour in batter to pan or dish, if you want it even thicker you could use a 9x13 dish. Sprinkle on sprinkles and using either your finger or a spoon mix them into the batter a little. Try to not move the batter too much or touch the bottom of the pan as not to mix in the non-stick spray causing the cake to then stick after it bakes. You can then sprinkle a few extra sprinkles over the top of the cake batter.

Here i was in the process of adding in the sprinkles.

Bake for anywhere between 20-35 minutes depending on how deep or large your pan is, you want to look for a light golden color around the edges and have a tooth pick come out clean. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before frosting. 

For the frosting cream together the sugar and shortening. I'm sorry I don't have process picture of the frosting. Then add in milk and vanilla and mix until combined and slightly fluffy. You can then with a spatula spread it over the top of the entire cake or put it in a pastry or just a freezer bag with the tip cut off and pipe out a design or message.

Enjoy!