This chocolate sheet cake is super rich & moist, yet simple and easy to make. Made up of a soft, decadent chocolate cake that is packed with chocolate flavor and topped with a ridiculously good (yet easy to make) chocolate fudge frosting, I guarantee this chocolate sheet cake will become a family favorite!
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Sheet Cake
When it comes to chocolate cake, it needs to be rich and super chocolatey, moist in texture and paired with a delicious frosting. This chocolate sheet cake has all those elements (like my popular rich chocolate cake recipe – except this one is easier to make)! Let’s dive a little deeper into each element 🙂
Rich Chocolate Flavor
I wanted this sheet cake to be easy to make without compromising on flavor. I made sure to use heaps of cocoa powder to pack in the chocolate flavor, and balanced it out with both soft light brown sugar and regular granulated sugar. Brown sugar adds additional moisture and flavor to the cake which is why I love using it in this recipe.
To amplify the cocoa flavor, I also used hot coffee in this recipe. Coffee is used in chocolate flavored recipes to amp up the chocolate flavor (without it tasting like coffee). It really takes the rich flavor of this cake to another level!
Super Moist
This chocolate sheet cake is SUPER soft and moist due to a few key ingredients. Firstly, I opted to use a combination of oil and butter (oil for moisture, butter for additional flavor), and they both contribute to how moist the cake is. Some other notable ingredients are soft light brown sugar, eggs and milk.
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Sticking to the theme of ‘easy’, I wanted to use a rich frosting that didn’t take too long to make. I originally tried a simple chocolate buttercream, but wanted something with more of rich and decadent feel to it.
I then thought of using my original chocolate fudge frosting recipe (which is probably one of my favorite frostings of all time!), but it requires a few hours to set. I then decided to try a more simple version of a chocolate fudge frosting where the frosting is whipped to cool it down quicker. It worked like a charm and was the perfect frosting for this cake. It really takes the cake to another level – a chocolate lovers dream dessert!
How to Make Chocolate Sheet Cake
Chocolate Cake
Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) conventional (see note 2 in recipe card below if using a convection oven with a fan) and lightly grease a 9×13 inch cake pan (I use my homemade cake release). Line the bottom long ways with parchment paper (this will make it easier to take the cake out when it’s done).
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined and set aside for now.
In a large bowl add in brown sugar, white sugar, milk, melted butter, unflavored vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla. Using a whisk, stir until well combined.
Add in the flour mixture from earlier to the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.
Add in hot coffee (make sure to boil the water used to make the coffee close to when it needs to go into the batter) and mix with a whisk until well combined. The mixture should be smooth, but avoid overmixing.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan from earlier. Drop the cake pan lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles and bake for 27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
Allow the cake to cool in the cake pan for 20 minutes, before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Once cooled, carefully invert onto a serving plate (see video for demonstration if unsure of the best way to do this) and frost with chocolate fudge frosting (recipe below).
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Place saucepan over a low-medium heat and add in butter. Allow it to melt, keeping a close eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn. Once it starts to gently bubble, add in cocoa powder and mix with a spatula until smooth. Once smooth, mix for a further 10 seconds (make sure the heat isn’t too high – make it lower if it feels like the mixture is catching too quickly on the bottom of the pan) and then transfer the mixture to a large heatproof bowl.
To the mixture add in powdered sugar, milk (make sure it’s room temperature NOT cold), vanilla and salt. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on a low speed until everything is combined and then turn up the speed to a medium-high and whip for anywhere between 2-5 minutes, until the frosting thickens up and is a smooth spreadable consistency (but still a little loose – see note 3). Mixing time will vary depending on how cold the temperature is 🙂
Spread over the cake using an offset spatula or the back of a tablespoon. Enjoy!
How to Store Chocolate Sheet Cake
This chocolate sheet cake can be left at room temperature in an airtight container for two days, after which it’s best to store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Moist Chocolate Sheet Cake
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1¾ cups (210 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (75 g) cocoa powder - Dutch processed preferred (see note 1)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt - only use 1/2 tsp if using salted butter in this recipe
- 1 cup (200 g) soft light brown sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (180 g) milk - room temperature, whole milk
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter - melted
- ½ cup (105 g) unflavored vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 2½ tsps vanilla extract/essence
- ¾ cup (180 g) strong hot coffee - I use 1 tbsp instant coffee powder in 180g (¾ cup) hot water, but you can use espresso as well.
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup (66 g) cocoa powder - Dutch processed preferred (see note 1)
- 2½ cups (315 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 g) milk - room temperature, whole milk
- 1½ tsps vanilla
- ⅛ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter, though I do recommend using unsalted 🙂
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F) conventional (see note 2 if using a convection oven with a fan) and lightly grease a 9x13 inch cake pan (I use my homemade cake release). Line the bottom long ways with parchment paper (this will make it easier to take the cake out when it's done).
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined and set aside for now.
- In a large bowl add in brown sugar, white sugar, milk, melted butter, unflavored vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla. Using a whisk, mix until well combined.
- Add in presifted dry ingredients from earlier to the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add in hot coffee and mix with a whisk until well combined. The mixture should be smooth, but avoid overmixing.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan from earlier. Drop the cake pan lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles and bake for 27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
- Allow the cake to cool in the cake pan for 20 minutes, before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Once cooled, carefully invert onto a serving plate (see video for demonstration if unsure of the best way to do this) and frost with chocolate fudge frosting (recipe below).
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- Place saucepan over a low-medium heat and add in butter. Allow it to melt, keeping a close eye on it to ensure it doesn't burn.
- Once it starts to gently bubble, add in cocoa powder and mix with a spatula until smooth. Once smooth, mix for a further 10 seconds (make sure the heat isn't too high otherwise the cocoa will burn - make it lower if it feels like the mixture is catching too quickly on the bottom of the pan) and then transfer the mixture to a large heatproof bowl.
- To the mixture add in powdered sugar, milk (make sure it's room temperature NOT cold), vanilla and salt. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on a low speed until everything is combined and then turn up the speed to a medium-high and whip for anywhere between 2-5 minutes, until the frosting thickens up and is a smooth spreadable consistency (but still a little loose - see note 3). Mixing time will vary depending on how cold the temperature is 🙂
- Spread over the cake using an offset spatula or the back of a tablespoon. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
112 Comments
Hello!
I made this for my father’s birthday and it was amazing!
The cake was so moist and rich. My family loved it!
All your recipes are always a hit
Thank you for sharing them <3
Hi Maryam, I made this recipe in a 8 inch round pan for my daughter’s birthday gathering. Since I forgot the party and had no time. I made the cake on previous day, same measurements and baked it for 55 mins. In fact, it came out soooo well, moist and spongy. And the dark chocolate ganache next day morning. The kids enjoyed very well. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. This place is for all my cake recipes. Love to you.
Hi Pughana! Aww yay I’m so glad the cake turned out awesome 😀
Really appreciate the wonderful feedback 🙂
I made this last night, I downsized to 3/4 of the recipe as I need smaller size. It comes out so moist! I love it so much, it didn’t take much time to prepare as well. I replaced the frosting with 1:1 choc ganache and it pairs beautifully.
Aww yay! So glad the recipe turned out great Atiqa 😀
Assamualaikum Very good I loved I it so much. Love you maryam. ❤️
Wassalaam Layla! So happy to hear you loved the recipe 😀
OMGOODNESS! Chocolate lovers…This is the cake for you. I made this cake for a friend who was celebrating his 50th Birthday. He loves Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Chips w/ Chocolate Whipping Cream Frosting. I needed a sheet cake, so I search google, and found this recipe. Everyone at the party thought the cake was store-bought, and because it tasted so good, they wanted to know where I bought it. When I told them that I made it, everyone thought I was the bomb. Thank you MK for sharing your delicious recipe. I did add Chocolate chips and it was a huge hit. The Birthday boy is still telling me how much he loved his cake.
Aww yay this makes me so happy to hear Robin! So glad everyone loved the cake 😀
Absolutely amazing so yummy 😋
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Mariam 🙂