Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Lots of sweet chocolate flavor without being overwhelming.
Texture: The cake is tender and moist and the frosting is thick and fudgy.
Ease: One of my easiest homemade cake recipes! Simple to bake, frost, transport, and serve.
Pros: This chocolate sheet cake is a super simple crowd pleasing recipe.
Cons: None!!
Would I make this again? Definitely.
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I’ve been in a cake kind of mood this month! Last week I shared my Best Birthday Cake recipe which has been a favorite for years.
This week I’m coming at you with this super quick and easy Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe!
It’s all in celebration of my TEN YEAR blog birthday. Handle the Heat turned 10 this month! Can you believe it?
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I wish we could all have a piece of cake together!
Anyways, this recipe is perfect for when you need to whip something together stat but don’t want to use a box mix.
Both the cake batter and the frosting in this recipe are made without an electric mixer. The cake comes together super quickly and easily.
Some sprinkles make easy work of decorating and let’s face it, sprinkles make everything better! No assembling or piping tips or special equipment. Easy easy easy.
This recipe is also super easy to transport and serve. So it’s perfect for any potluck, BBQ, or birthday parties at the park. I added some make ahead instructions below as well to save even more time!
If you plan to serve this chocolate cake recipe outside in hot weather or sun, just keep it in the fridge until the party starts. That way it won’t melt as quickly.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Chocolate Sheet Cake
I Can’t Find Espresso Powder. Can I Omit It?
The espresso powder simply enhances the chocolate flavor, you don’t really taste it. You can now find it at many grocery stores, I see it at Target all the time. Or even easier, order it online.
However, if you’d like to omit or if you can’t find any, then feel free to leave it out entirely. You can also replace the the boiling water + espresso powder with really strong hot coffee instead to get the same effect.
Why Does This Recipe Use Vegetable Oil? Can I Use Something Else?
Oil-based cakes create the sensation of moistness better than butter based cakes. They also stay moist for longer! The key is to be sure to use high-quality, fresh vegetable oil. Give the oil a sniff before adding it to the batter. If it has any off aroma then you need to toss and get a new bottle. You can replace the vegetable oil with coconut oil if you’d prefer.
Do I Have to Use Buttermilk?
The buttermilk helps to add a richer flavor and create a more tender texture in this recipe. You can learn more about the science of buttermilk here. This recipe is pretty forgiving, so you can use whole milk in place of the buttermilk if you’d prefer. Or even sour cream or plain yogurt.
Which Cocoa Powder is Best to Use in Chocolate Sheet Cake?
This recipe uses unsweetened cocoa powder since this sheet cake recipe calls for baking soda. Dutch process cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder can only be used interchangeably if there is NO baking soda or baking powder called for in the recipe.
Learn more about the differences between Dutch Process vs. Natural Cocoa Powder in this article.
Chocolate Sheet Cake Baking Tip: Measure Your Ingredients Correctly!
To avoid dry, dense, or crumbly cakes, it’s crucial to measure flour and cocoa powder accurately. Weighing your ingredients using a digital scale and ditching the baking cups is the #1 way to forever improve your baking. Check out my article for the step-by-step of How to Measure Ingredients the *right* way here.
What’s the Difference Between Sheet Cake and Regular Cake?
The main difference between these two types of cakes is the type of pan used. For most regular layer cake recipes, a round cake pan is used. Sheet cake recipes usually call for a 9 by 13-inch pan, jellyroll pan, or even a sheet pan.
What Pan For a Chocolate Sheet Cake?
I used a 9 by 13-inch metal baking pan to test this recipe. If you use glass or ceramic, your cake may take slightly longer to finish baking. Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans here.
The Chocolate Fudge Frosting
This chocolate frosting recipe is super simple and doesn’t even require an electric mixer. Allow the frosting to cool slightly before pouring on the cake, but don’t let it cool too much that it’s not pourable anymore. If this happens, just reheat it briefly until it can be smoothed over the cake. If you like a lot of frosting, feel free to double the amount.
Topping ideas for Chocolate Sheet Cake:
- Sprinkles
- Nuts – chop pecans or walnuts and sprinkle over the top!
- Vanilla ice cream
How to Make Chocolate Sheet Cake Ahead of Time
This cake is made with oil so it stays moist for longer. Wrap unfrosted un-cut cooled cake completely in several layers of plastic wrap. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge (do not defrost at room temperature or you will end up with mushy cake).
How to Store Chocolate Sheet Cake
The frosted cake can also be covered and stored at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to one week. Be sure to keep well sealed to keep moist.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
Chocolate Sheet Cake
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Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup (57 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, measured correctly
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 3/4 (222 grams) cups all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or coconut oil
- 3 large eggs plus one egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the fudge frosting:
- 4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (250 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons (11 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1/2 cup milk
- Sprinkles, if desired
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper then spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium heatproof bowl add the chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Pour hot water over mixture. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk mixture gently until smooth then set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, salt, and baking soda.
- Whisk the buttermilk, oil, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until smooth, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Don't overbake or your cake will be dry.
- Let cool completely.
Make the frosting:
- In a large glass bowl, microwave the chocolate and butter in 30 second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted and smooth. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and half the milk and whisk until smooth. Gradually add remaining milk until the mixture is smooth and thickened to a batter like consistency. Pour all over cake. Allow to set before slicing and serving. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
This was rated my best cake yet by my family for my son’s 4th birthday party! I doubled it and stacked them to serve a crowd. Soooo good, thank you!
So happy to hear this was such a hit, Trude! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Is this frosting enough for two 9″ rounds? Or would I have to double it? I want to make Tessa’s other chocolate cake but want to use this frosting.
Hello, what baking chocolate do you normally use? Can I use semi-sweet chocolate chips?
Hi Gwena! Tessa typically uses Ghirardelli baking chocolate bars. Feel free to experiment with chocolate chips but we recommend baking chocolate for best results.
I love love this cake. Can I bake it as a birthday cake in 2 9-inch pans?
Hi Justyna! We haven’t tried that, but feel free to experiment – or give Tessa’s Best Chocolate Cake recipe here a try – it’s a super similar recipe that’s already written for two 8-inch cake pans. You should be able to use your 9-inch pans and shave a little time off the bake time, but it might take some experimenting. I hope that helps! 🙂
Hi, is it possible to half the recipe, if so, what size pan should be used for it?
Hi Janubi! We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not! Use an 8×8-inch square pan (light-colored metal is best) and shave a few minutes off the bake time. Let us know how it goes 🙂
Made this today for my mom’s birthday and it was an absolute smash! The process isn’t too complex, the ingredients are all staples, and the texture of the frosting was to die for. Follow the directions and you have a no fail cake. Family members already requested it for their birthday!
Hi there! I plan on making this cake this week using a 12x18x3 pan. I plan to double the recipe to have enough batter. Would you recommend adjusting the baking temperature and/or the bake time for this size pan? Thank you so much!
Hi Anoush! We haven’t tested doubling this recipe or using that size pan, so I cannot say for sure how long to bake! Try starting for about the same time as the recipe states, and bake only until a cake tester comes out clean. Let us know what you think of this recipe once you’ve given it a try! 🙂
How long does this cake last?
Should it be refrigerated? can it sit out? if so, how long can it stay out of fridge?
Hi Umar! You can find the answers to all your questions, along with lots of other helpful tips and info, in the pink tip box above the recipe 🙂 Happy baking!
Made this yesterday for my birthday. It’s too good. Everyone loved it. The proportions are correct too. Icing portion was perfect for the cake and no excess amount that will not be used again.
Thank you for such a crowd pleaser recipe.