Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake

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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?

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.

How to Make

Chocolate Sheet Cake

By: Tessa Arias

4.89 from 35 votes

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Review Print

EASY Chocolate Sheet Cake with simple fudge frosting takes just minutes to prepare and doesn’t even require an electric mixer. Such a crowd pleaser perfect for any party or BBQ!

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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 fine sea 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.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe Notes

*Be sure to use a digital kitchen scale or the spoon and level method to measure the flour & cocoa powder.

Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.