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
How many cupcakes do you think this would make? I made this as a sheet cake and it was nice!
Hi Beena! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 😀
I think you would get around 24 cupcakes if using 1x this recipe 🙂
I really enjoyed this cake. It was easy to make, but also the most flavorful and MOIST chocolate sheet cake I have ever had. A very delicious cake! Thank you and great work!
By the way, if you take requests, I would love to see an OVERNIGHT Cinnamon Rolls Recipe that is both gooey and moist with a delicious cream cheese frosting. There have been too many disappointments with other recipes online and are difficult to follow. I know your recipe would be fantastic! I look forward to trying many more of them.
So so happy to hear you loved the recipe Rob 😀
I have a cinnamon roll recipe on my to-do list, and hope to make it as simple as possible so keep an eye for that – hope to share it relatively soon!
Thanks again for the wonderful feedback 🙂
Salam, Sister MK. I love your recipes so much! I’ve made your chocolate cake before, and it was absolutely delicious. For this recipe, I would like to ask how tall the cake will be, as I plan to slice it in half to use as the base for a dessert box. Could you let me know? Thank you so much
Wassalaam Diana! So happy to hear you’re loving the recipes 😀
So the height of this cake is about the same as a single layer for my layer cake recipes – about 1.5inches high 🙂
It may be a little hard to torte, but still possible if you want thin cake layers 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
I’ve put the cake in for the required time now with extra 5 min and it’s still raw. How much longer should I try bake this for? Did anyone bake for a longer tile period.
Hi Simone! 🙂 Sorry to hear you’re having some trouble with the cake baking.
Firstly, if the baking tin you’re using is slightly smaller than mine, then the cake is likely to take longer to bake. Secondly, it could be that your oven doesn’t run as hot as mine, and so a little extra baking time is required. I would also recommend checking the right oven settings are on. If baking using a conventional oven, the temperature should be 180C/350F.
If you find the cake is still raw and hasn’t set (slightly jiggles in the centre), then bake for an additional 10 mins then check again. If you find its just slightly underbaked when you check it, then I would bake it for a few extra minutes and then check if it’s ready (to ensure it doesn’t overbake). Hope that helps and hope it all turned out okay once it was baked 🙂
Hey MK that recipe looks amazing i will try it out asap! One question: can i reduce the sugar without loosing the moist? And how much do you recommend? Thank you!
Thanks Clara 😀
You can reduce the sugar slightly, but I wouldn’t recommend any more than 1/4 cup otherwise it will affect the texture and moisture of the cake significantly. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe 😀
I have made this cake before and it’s absolutely amazing! Actually I have another one in the oven right now at 8:30 in the evening. Was craving chocolate cake and didn’t want to take the time for a layer cake. This is my go to snack cake!! I love your recipes! I have made several. Keep creating and I’ll keep trying and eating.
Thank you ❤️
That is so awesome to hear Lorie! 😀
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes, particularly this chocolate sheet cake – it’s one of my fav recipes!
Really appreciate the wonderful feedback 🙂
Hi! This recipe looks divine and I’m hoping to make it for my daughter’s first birthday, however, can I omit the coffee? Is there something I can substitute it with? I understand it won’t be quite the same without the depth of the coffee but I’d like to omit it for the kids attending the party 🙂
Hi Jessica! Thanks so much 😀
Yes you can omit the coffee if you like but you would want to replace it with 3/4s of a cup (180g) of hot water to help bloom the cocoa and ensure the cake is nice and moist once baked 😀
You would just add it in at the end in replacement of the hot coffee.
Hope that helps and hope your daughter has a wonderful birthday! 🙂
@cakesbymk.nz , this chocolate sheet cake is the best chocolate I’ve eaten. Its packed with flavour, moist and super easy to make. The frosting was delicious too. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t need a mixer. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks for sharing
Aww yay! So glad you loved the recipe Azgeri 😀
Hi Maryam! I tried this recently and it’s an amazing chocolate cake recipe👌💖 I didn’t have a 9×13 inch pan, so I baked one batch of this in two 9 inch round cake tins, and it came out soooo incredibly moist and soft. That addition of coffee also really helped give a deeper and richer chocolate flavor to the cake. This was my first time baking a cake and I was so pleased with how it turned out :)) Planning to make this again in a week or so for my brother to try when he’s home from college hahaa, it’s just that good!😋 Thank you so much for developing and sharing this recipe. I would also like to let you know how appreciative I am (and MANY others are I’m sure) that the ingredients are written in cups and grams, and that in your videos you take the time to mention the cups and grams measurement for everything! Super helpful and is an added convenience for those watching. Once again thank you Maryam! keep up the great work😊I’ll be trying out more of your recipes in the future insyAllah.
Hi Elisya! So so happy to hear you loved the chocolate sheet cake recipe and that it turned out great in two 9 inch pans too 😀
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, it’s great to hear you’re finding both the cups and gram measurements helpful 🙂
Hope your brother loves the cake too 😀
Would halving this recipe fit a 8inch square pan
Hi Debbie! 🙂 Yes that should work fine, you may just need to adjust the cooking time slightly 🙂
Enjoy!
Saw your recipe ang going to try it for brother’s birthday. Can I use a bundt pan instead?
Hi Maria! 🙂 I haven’t tried this recipe in a bundt pan myself so I am not too sure if it will rise well sorry! The cake is quite soft and usually for a bundt cake a sturdier cake will work better. Would love to hear how it goes if you do decide to try it out 🙂