36 Simple 9×13 Cake Recipes To Satisfy A Crowd

Throwing parties is a great way to connect with friends and family and celebrate a special occasion.  Many parties and celebrations that we hold involve a cake. 

This can be to celebrate a birthday, a graduation, a promotion, or just to provide a sweet treat for everyone. However, a regular, 10-inch, round cake is likely to be able to feed only some of your guests. 

This is where 9×13 cakes come into play.  Here are 36, simple 9×13 cake recipes that can satisfy your guests.

1. Lemon Sheet Cake With Buttercream Frosting

Lemon cakes are very popular.  The delicious tartness of the lemon helps to ensure that the cake is not overly sweet. 

This sheet cake with beautiful buttercream frosting is the perfect addition to any party. 

If you want to make the cake look a little bit more special, you can add some candied lemon slices as decoration. 

2. Black Magic Cake

This black magic cake is the ultimate sheet cake for chocolate lovers. 

Aside from the fact that the cake itself is amazingly moist and rich, this cake looks striking when it is portioned out. The cake is so chocolatey that it is a stunningly dark color, hence the name. 

In contrast, the frosting for this cake is a pale chocolate color which creates a beautiful effect.  

3. No Bake 9×13 Cherry Cheesecake

Sometimes, a sponge cake isn’t the right vibe for a party or gathering. 

This recipe for a no-bake, 9×13 cherry cheesecake is the perfect recipe for if you don’t have a lot of time, and don’t want to have to bake something. 

This cake can be made in advance and left in your refrigerator to set ready for the party.  

4. Texas Sheet Cake

This Texas sheet cake is one of the most decadent and indulgent chocolate cake recipes that we have come across. 

There are plenty of ways in which you can decorate the frosting on this cake to make it look even more impressive. This cake is sure to have your guests wanting to sneak a second piece.

5. Hummingbird Sheet Cake

This hummingbird sheet cake is one of the most warming and comforting cakes on this list. 

The spices that are used to flavor this cake are perfect for fall or winter celebrations. The use of pineapple in this cake keeps it lighter and more refreshing than many other spiced cake recipes. 

The chopped pecans provide a delicious crunch too. 

6. Blueberry Coffee Cake

This blueberry coffee cake is one of the more unusual cakes on this list but the combination of ingredients just makes sense. 

The blueberries provide a subtle, natural sweetness to the cake, while the coffee adds a tang and a bit of a bite to the flavor. The swirling purple of the blueberries gives this cake a beautiful appearance when it is cut.

7. Zucchini Sheet Cake

This is a great option if you are looking for a cake that is slightly more healthy than an average cake. Despite being a zucchini cake, it doesn’t taste like it is made of vegetables. 

In fact, the flavors of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and walnuts give the cake a warm, spiced flavor. You can top this cake with cream cheese frosting or it is moist enough to leave it plain. 

8. Sour Cream Streusel Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is one of the moistest cake recipes that we have come across. The use of sour cream helps to give this cake all the moisture that it needs to remain light and fluffy without becoming dry. 

The pecans in the recipe provide a beautiful crunch to the cake and make a serving feel more substantial.  

9. Amish Sheet Cake

If you are looking for a super simple 9×13 cake that will impress your guests with ease, this could be the recipe for you. 

The most delicious thing about this cake is the topping that bakes into the cake. 

The topping is made of butter, brown sugar, and crushed nuts which diffuses through the cake as it bakes, creating a delicious, layered flavor. 

10. Easy Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is a popular choice for many people. It is a great option that isn’t overly sweet which makes it the perfect addition to a party.  You can have other sweet dishes without the cake being sickly sweet. 

The delicious cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch to this cake, but you can also add small fondant carrots to make it extra special too. 

11. Vanilla Sheet Cake

If you are looking for a more basic but classic cake, this could be the recipe for you. This vanilla sheet cake is the perfect birthday cake option for any party. 

The best thing about this cake is that you can decorate it in any way that you want. You can also adjust the strength of the vanilla flavor by adjusting the amount of vanilla extract that you add to the cake batter. 

12. Best Chocolate Cake

Because chocolate cake is one of the most popular types of cake for almost any celebration, this sheet cake recipe should be added to your arsenal. 

Many chocolate cake recipes have a tendency to be dry and crumbly when they are baked due to the extra dry ingredients that the recipes contain. 

However, this recipe manages to produce a wonderfully moist cake for your party. 

13. Surprise Banana Cake

Adding fruit to a cake is a great way to increase the moistness of the cake and add some extra natural sweetness to the flavor. 

This surprise banana cake is one of the best uses of fruit in a cake to enhance its flavor. 

This recipe works best with over-ripe bananas, you can increase the ripeness of your bananas by freezing them or microwaving them.  

14. Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet cake is another popular option for celebration cakes. 

They are like a more extravagant version of a standard chocolate cake.  Red velvet cakes are often easier to keep moist than a standard chocolate cake. 

Decorating the red velvet sheet cake with a silky, cooked frosting makes this cake extra special. 

15. Wacky Sheet Cake

The name of this cake alone makes it a great option for a fun celebration. This wacky sheet cake is the perfect way to cater to a large group of people that may have different dietary requirements. 

This cake is egg and dairy free and amazingly, no mixer is needed for this cake.  Great for a last-minute cake emergency.  

16. Ice Cream Sheet Cake

This is another unusual sheet cake recipe that can make your celebration even more special. 

This ice cream sheet cake is perfect for any celebrations that happen in the summer or for people who don’t really like cake. 

Best of all, you can use any ice cream flavor that you want for this cake. The hardest part of this recipe is finding room in your freezer for a 9×13 cake tin. 

17. Strawberry Sheet Cake

We mentioned above how great it can be to add fresh fruit to a cake. 

The fruit adds moisture and sweetness to the cake. This strawberry sheet cake is not only super sweet and moist, but it also has a beautiful pinky-red color from the fresh strawberries and the strawberry yogurt. 

18. Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Angel food cake is a great option if you want to put a little bit more effort into your cake. 

An angel food cake is made with only the whites of the eggs and it includes a whipping agent such as cream of tartar. This gives it an unmistakably light and fluffy texture. 

The pineapple in this cake adds sweetness and extra moisture. 

19. Buttermilk Marble Cake

Marble cakes are always a great option for a celebration with lots of people. 

This is mostly because the cake remains looking beautiful even when it has been cut. 

The marble effect also provides you with mouthfuls of different flavors that complement each other really well.  It can also be a good compromise between vanilla and chocolate cake.  

20. Aunt Ann’s Coffee Cake

This coffee cake recipe by Aunt Ann is super moist and light. 

The cake features a streusel topping that adds a beautiful extra texture to the cake. 

Despite what the name suggests, this isn’t a cake that is flavored with coffee, instead, it is a cake that is designed to be enjoyed alongside coffee.  

21. Vanilla Sheet Cake With Whipped Frosting

This is another beautiful vanilla sheet cake but this one has a stunning whipped frosting that really makes this cake special. 

You can make this beautiful frosting create delicate peaks on the top of your cake which adds depth to the appearance of the cake.  

22. Apple Sheet Cake

Another beautiful cake that uses fresh fruit to help enhance the flavor and moistness is this apple sheet cake. 

Apples are a sweet fruit anyway, but when you bake them into a cake, all the natural sugars are released and they become even sweeter. 

23. Jello Poke Cake

This Jello poke cake is one of the most interesting recipes on this list. 

The cake itself is super creamy and you can use any flavor of Jello that you like to tailor this cake to your preferences. The marbled effect in this cake makes each slice look super beautiful and super interesting.  

24. German Chocolate Sheet Cake

Another great option for a chocolate sheet cake is this german chocolate cake recipe. Although there have been a few chocolate cake recipes on this list, this one has a unique feature that makes this cake stand out. 

The frosting for this cake contains pecans and coconut, giving it a great flavor and interesting texture. 

25. Pig Pickin’ Cake

One of the best things about this cake is the name, but this cake is much more than just a funny name. 

The fresh and light flavors of the mandarins and the whipped cream topping make this cake perfect for summer gatherings. Adding canned mandarin segments to the topping provides the perfect decoration for this cake. 

26. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Sticking with the theme of adding fruit to a cake for flavor and decoration, this pineapple upside-down sheet cake can be a beautiful addition to your celebration. 

Placing the cherries into the pineapple rings makes them look like flowers in full bloom. 

27. Easy Coconut Sheet Cake

Another popular cake flavor that isn’t too sickly sweet is coconut. 

Not only does this cake taste amazing, but it also looks beautiful too. The use of flaked coconut makes this sheet cake look like it has been covered in a fresh snowfall. 

This is the perfect cake for a winter celebration.  

28. Cheesecake Brownie Cake

Two extremely popular desserts are cheesecake and brownies. This wonderful sheet cake combines both of these desserts to create cheesecake brownies. 

This is sure to be a hit with all of your guests at your next celebration. You can use different food colorings to make the top of this cake even more beautiful.  

29. Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

If you are looking for an unusual cake for your gathering, this recipe for a chocolate mayonnaise cake could be what you have been looking for. 

This is a great way to break the ice at a party that has people who haven’t met before. Despite the trepidation that you might feel because of the name, this case is actually delicious and moist. 

30. Old Fashioned Yellow Cake

Sometimes it is the old, classic recipes that are the sure-fire winners for your parties and get-togethers. 

This recipe for old-fashioned yellow cake could be just what you are looking for. The thick, chocolate frosting that accompanies this cake makes it feel decadent and perfect for a celebration with friends and family. 

31. Philadelphia New York Cheesecake Bars

We have mentioned cheesecake recipes a couple of times on this list, but this recipe has to be one of the best. 

This recipe for Philadelphia New York cheesecake bars is the perfect show-stopper for your celebration. 

The most eye-catching element of this recipe is the stunning red cherries on the top. It is this component that makes this recipe perfect for a celebration or party. 

32. Coconut Cream Cake

If you are on a time limit or are not very confident with your baking skills, this could be the recipe that you are looking for. 

This recipe is super simple and yet the resulting cake is light, fluffy, and bursting with flavor. The best thing about this cake for novice bakers is that it uses a box mix for the main base of the cake. 

33. Easy Pumpkin Coffee Cake

This is a cake that has a unique and interesting flavor to it. 

It is sure to have your guests asking for the recipe and going back for second helpings. Again, this isn’t a cake with coffee flavor, it is designed to be enjoyed with coffee instead. 

Rather, the flavor comes from pumpkin puree and warm spices.  Best of all, this is another cake that begins with a box cake mix.  

34. Gingerbread Sheet Cake

Another deliciously warming cake option is this stunning gingerbread sheet cake. 

This cake is perfect for celebrations that take place during the fall and winter seasons. The gingerbread spices that make this cake so flavorful are just the right amount of warming and sweet. 

35. Strawberry Shortcake From Scratch

If you are planning a summer celebration, this strawberry shortcake recipe is perfect for a party or celebration in the park or your backyard. 

The best thing about this recipe is that although it is made completely from scratch, it is super easy to follow.  This is a surefire way to impress your friends and family. 

36. Cookies And Cream Sheet Cake

Finally, this cookie and cream sheet cake is one of the most decadent and indulgent cakes on this list. 

This cake is sure to be one of the main talking points of your celebration. 

Not only do the Oreo cookies create a delicious flavor in this cake, but the thick icing also adds an extra layer to the cake that makes it incredibly rich and delicious. 

Frequently Asked Question

Final Thoughts

There are so many different recipes that you can follow to make delicious 9×13 cakes that are able to feed a crowd of people at any celebration or special occasion.