Celebrate birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and much more with the Swans Down Celebration Cake. Also known as the Happy Day Cake, it’s a simple sheet cake recipe that’s easy to make and perfect for any gathering. Get creative with frostings, sprinkles and decorations to dress this classic cake up for any occasion. This recipe can also be used for cupcakes!
CAKE
- 2 ½ cups Sifted Swans Down® Cake Flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- Sprinkles, for topping
FROSTING
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
- 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and lightly flour 2 (9×13-inch) rectangular layer pans.
- Make Cake: Sift flour once; measure and add baking powder, salt and sugar and sift once more.
- Mix softened butter, flour mixture, 3/4 of the milk and vanilla at low speed for 2 minutes.
- Add eggs and remaining milk and beat 1 minute more.
- Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
- Make Frosting: Cream butter and 2 cups powdered sugar in small bowl. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate.
- Add remaining powdered sugar gradually, beating well after each addition.
- Thin with milk to reach desired consistency; fill layers with frosting or your favorite preserve and frost cake and top with festive sprinkles if desired.
View Comments
Found this recipe in an old cookbook about back of box recipes. It called for shortening in the recipe and two 9inch layers. I found it to be dry and lacking flavor. Might try again with butter
Hi Jo, Butter makes everything taste better! Happy baking!
How many cupcakes will this recipe make? Thanks.
Hi Carolyn, The Celebration Cake recipe should yield approximately 20 standard size cupcakes. Happy baking!
Can I add chopped pecans and or blueberries or raspberries or chopped strawberries to the cake batter?
Hi Josie, You can fold about 1 cup into the batter. Just make sure that if the fruit has juice that you drain them well or offset the liquid in the recipe. Happy baking!
I love the recipe, but was wondering if you could make it easier to print out.
Hi Chris, We will definitely pass this request on to our web development team. Happy baking!
I thank you for your feedback on the questions below
Can l leave egg yolks out to make a true white cake?
Can this cake be baked in a 9x3 round baking pan?
Hi Debra, Great question! You can use 3 - 9 inch for the Celebration Cake, pans but your layers will be thin. And you will have to reduce the bake time. You may do better using only 2 if you'd prefer taller layers. Be careful not to fill the pans more than 2/3 of the way full though. Happy baking!
This was a favorite cake while we were growing up%. My Mom used a 7 minute frosting with coconut on it. Do you have recipe for 7 minute frosting..?.
Hi Carol, This the Celebration Cake, or Happy Day as it was originally named is certainly a Swans Down favorite. Out 1955 Cakes Secret recipe booklet has the recipe for both the Happy Day Cake and 7 Minute Frosting and Coconut! Here's a link: https://swansdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SD_1955-cake-secrets.pdf Happy baking!
It seems odd that the recipe calls for TWO (9x13) pans, as the ingredient quantities are typical for ONE (9x13). Also, the frosting directions make no mention of two layers. Is the recipe supposed to be for one (9x13) cake? Thanks for clarifying!
Hi Susan, Sorry for the confusion. The recipe is to make a 9x13 2-layer cake. You can fill the layers with frosting or your favorite preserve. You could also use only 1 9x13 pan and make a 1-layer cake. Happy baking!
Do u gave a yellow cake recipe my daughter loves yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting
Plz help me
Hi Betty, We would recommend the 1-2-3-4 cake on the back of the box. Or the Celebration (Happy Day). happy baking!
https://swansdown.com/recipes/1-2-3-4-layer-cake-back-of-the-box-cake/
https://swansdown.com/recipes/celebration-cake/