Mandarin Orange Sheet Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

This Mandarin Orange Sheet Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting has the most delicious and satisfying texture you’ll ever want to experience in a cake. It’s light and airy and quite possibly will be the only cake you’ll make again and again.

Mandarin orange Sheet Cake

Ahhhh…sheet cake…why is it always just what I need to eat? If I’m being honest, any cake is just what I need to be eating in that moment. In fact, when it comes to that one very important question in life…cake or pie….it’s always, always cake for me. Always.

There are definitely things I would be more willing to do, knowing there is a slice of cake waiting for me on the other side. This Gooey Root Beer Chocolate Cake is also one of my favorites!

Have you eve been to a wedding where you somehow missed the slice of cake that was delivered to your table? It’s seriously the worst thing in the whole world, especially for me. I want the cake…need the cake…every time.

My newest revelation about cake comes from my seventeen year old son. The lover of sleep who never gets out of bed until the last possible second; running out the door, missing breakfast to get to where he needs to be on time. However, if I have homemade cake in the house, he is up early and wanting a slice along with his breakfast. I am not even joking.

And you know what? I let him have it (the cake). I get him. I know what it is to love cake so much and how elusive homemade cake can be. I know in the scheme of life a few slices of cake and bacon are not going to make or break anything. He’s growing and hungry all of the time. And soon he will be off to college, away from home, living his cake free life. Until he visits. Sigh.

I will say there are certain cakes, more than others that REALLY get my son up quickly. It includes this Mandarin Orange Sheet Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting, my Sheet Pan Banana Cake with Cream Cheese-Sour Cream Frosting or my Buttery Almond Pound Cake with Almond Glaze. He seems to hear his morning alarm when those cakes are in the house. Again, I understand him.

When it comes to baking from scratch, it makes a difference when you weigh your ingredients, especially your flour. Having a baking scale in the kitchen is a must and will have your baked goods tasting so much more light and airy. Too much flour makes them dense…even an ounce too much can make a difference.

This cake is made in a half sheet pan or a large rimmed baking tray. They are the handiest things to have around the kitchen.

In order to use whipped cream on cake and have it not get weepy and runny, you have to stabilize it with gelatin. It keeps for days this way. Don’t worry, it’s easy to do.

Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? I want to see you there!