A chocolate sheet cake is perfect when you’re looking for a decadent, rich, and chocolatey dessert that is easy to make, feeds a crowd and is loved by everyone.
- Prep Time:
20 mins - Cook Time:
30 mins - Total Time:
50 mins
This chocolate sheet cake recipe is what I call a “back pocket” recipe. It’s something to keep handy to pull out whenever you need an easy chocolate cake recipe that doesn’t require a lot of time to put together (because sometimes you just don’t have time for Salted Caramel and Pecan Chocolate Cake or Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake).
It bakes in a large half-sheet pan so it’s great for parties or any large gathering. You can garnish it with confetti sprinkles for a birthday party, top it with chocolate curls if you’re feeling fancy, sprinkle it with chopped pecans for a variation, or keep things simple and leave the chocolate icing plain in all its fudgy glory.
Tips for Making Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Use a half-sheet pan
As the name implies this cake is baked in a sheet pan. A sheet pan (also known as a baking sheet) isn’t as deep as a typical cake pan, resulting in thinner slices. It basically looks like a cookie sheet with a raised rim all the way around.
Sheet pans come in different sizes; this recipe was developed for what’s known as a half-sheet pan and measures 18x13x1 inch. You may find a similar pan called a jelly roll pan that measures approximately 15x10x1 inch. I don’t recommend using a jelly roll pan for this recipe as you’ll end up with too much cake batter for the pan. Taste of Home has a great article explaining the difference between the different types of baking pans.
However, you could use a 9x13x2 inch cake pan rather than a half-sheet pan for this recipe. Be sure to increase the baking time by 10-15 minutes. Also, keep in mind that you will probably have extra icing as a cake pan won’t be as big as a half-sheet pan.
- Cool the cake slightly but not completely before icing.
The icing and the cake need to be just warm enough so that the icing slowly spreads across the cake as it is poured. If it’s too hot the icing will just run off the sides of the pan.
Mocha Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Icing
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 half sheet pan 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
A chocolate sheet cake is perfect when you’re looking for a decadent, rich, and chocolatey dessert that is easy to make, feeds a crowd and is loved by everyone.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 teaspoons instant coffee
- 1 1/4 cups hot water
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the icing
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 tablespoons milk
- 5 cups powdered (icing) sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Chopped toasted pecans or chocolate curls, optional
Instructions
For the cake
- Prep oven and pan. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly butter a half-sheet pan (18 x 13 x 1 inch). Set aside.
- Prep coffee and cocoa. In a small bowl, stir together instant coffee powder and hot water together until coffee is dissolved. In a small saucepan, stir butter, coffee mixture, cocoa powder and vegetable oil together over medium heat. Cook until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt until blended.
- Add cocoa mixture. To the dry ingredients, whisk in cocoa mixture and mix until blended. Set aside.
- Mix in wet ingredients. Whisk buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in medium bowl until blended. Add to flour mixture and stir until blended.
- Bake. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake to rack to cool.
For the icing
- Prep cocoa mixture. As cake cools, stir milk, butter and cocoa in large saucepan over medium heat until smooth. Bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Add in. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until icing is relatively smooth. Let icing cool until it is warm and pourable but not hot.
- Spread. Pour icing over warm cake and spread. You want the icing and cake to be warm enough so that icing will spread and even out but not so hot that it immediately runs off the sides of the cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the icing where necessary.
- Garnish. If you’re using chopped pecans, sprinkle the pecans on top while the icing is still warm so they will stick. If using chocolate curls, let cake cool almost completely before sprinkling chocolate curls on top.
- Serve. Cool cake completely before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit, Dec 1995
Sarah says
I’ve made this for a few friends’ birthdays and it’s always a hit. It’s great for any large gathering or if you want leftover cake to yourself for a week.
Nguyet Vo says
Leftover cake to yourself for a week sounds like a win to me. I’m so happy this recipe has been a hit with everyone.