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Cortadillo Mexicano (Mexican Pink Cake)

A soft Mexican vanilla sheet cake made with cake flour, butter, oil, eggs, and buttermilk, then topped with bright pink vanilla glaze and rainbow sprinkles.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling and Setting Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Latin American, Mexican Food

Equipment

  • 9-by-13-inch baking pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Cooling rack

Ingredients
  

Cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour not boxed cake mix
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Mexican vanilla

Pink Glaze:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk added gradually
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pink food coloring as needed
  • Rainbow sprinkles as needed

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
  • Beat the softened butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  • Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the Mexican vanilla.
  • Add half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined, then remove the bowl from the mixer and gently finish mixing by hand. Do not overmix.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the cake, peel away the parchment paper, and let it cool completely.
  • Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and pink food coloring until smooth. Use less milk for a thicker glaze.
  • Pour the pink glaze over the completely cooled cake and spread it evenly across the top.
  • Immediately add the rainbow sprinkles while the glaze is still wet.
  • Let the glaze set before cutting the cortadillo into pieces and serving.

Notes

Use cake flour, not boxed cake mix.
Bring the butter, eggs, and buttermilk to room temperature before mixing.
Begin the glaze with 3 tablespoons of milk and add more only as needed.
Store airtight at cool room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the unglazed cake for up to 2 months for best quality.
Keyword cake, celebration, cortadillo mexicano, cortadillo recipe, Mexican bakery cake, Mexican pink cake, pan cortadillo, pastel cortadillo, pink cake with sprinkles, sweet, vanilla
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