Easy & Moist Chocolate Sheet Cake (video)
This incredible chocolate sheet cake is just as easy to make as a boxed cake mix. It’s crazy moist and super delicious. The luscious chocolate frosting is silky-smooth and creamy. It’s the ultimate chocolate lover’s dream!
Why this recipe is so great:
- Super easy to make – All you have to do is toss together your dry ingredient, then mix in your wet ingredients, and you’ve got this thin luscious cake batter just like a cake mix (but without all the preservatives!)
- Very adaptable – You can use this recipe to make chocolate cupcakes, a layer cake, or even a bundt cake. A quarter sheet cake is my go-to because it’s so easy. All you have to do is pour the whole batter into one baking pan and then slather some frosting on it. There’s no need to evenly divide the batter or get fancy with piping the frosting and it feeds a crowd which is great for the holiday season coming up.
- Simple to serve – Because you can easily cut them into any size piece of cake you want. They’re great for kid parties, office parties, potlucks, or any occasion where there are lots of guests and you want an uncomplicated yet delicious dessert to serve.Â
- Here are some reviews:
“This recipe is so easy and taste amazing!!!! So moist! Probably one of the best sheet cakes I’ve ever had! Definitely a crowd pleaser!!” – Hollie
“I made this cake last weekend – it is everything you say AND MORE! I will definitely be making it again. Thank you!” – Gina
How to make chocolate sheet cake:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- You start by tossing together all your dry ingredients in a large bowl (a.k.a. cake mix).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until combined.
- Whisk in one cup of hot water.
- Pour the batter into your baking pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350F.
- For the frosting: you start by beating the butter for about a minute until light and creamy.
- Mix in the powdered sugar and milk/cream.
- Lastly, mix in the unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla until smooth.
FAQ:
How do you store chocolate sheet cake?
Tightly cover or place in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or for up to a week in the fridge.
Can you freeze chocolate sheet cake?
Yes, but it’s best to freeze the cake unfrosted. Once the cake is completely cooled, tightly cover in a double layer of saran wrap and a layer of foil. Date and freeze for up to 1 month. When preparing to serve, thaw the cake at room temperature for about 4 hours or overnight in the fridge, and prepare the frosting as instructed.
What is the purpose of the hot water?
The hot water is added at the very end because the flour is effectively coated with fat (the oil and eggs), thereby reducing the amount of gluten that can form (flour + liquid). The reason the water is hot is because hot liquid helps bloom the cocoa powder, creating a deeper, more rich chocolate flavor. (source: Reddit)
You might also like:
- German Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Homemade Black Forest Cake
- Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Triple Chocolate Cake
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
PrintEasy & Moist Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12-24
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This incredible chocolate cake recipe is just as easy to make as a boxed cake mix. It’s crazy moist and super delicious. The luscious chocolate frosting is silky-smooth and creamy.
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 1 3/4 cups (228g) all purpose flour
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) hot water
Chocolate buttercream
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (500g) powdered sugar
- 4–6 tbsp milk or cream
- 1/2 cup (57g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9×13″ baking pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined with a rubber spatula.
- Add in the hot water and whisk until smooth.
- Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
To prepare the buttercream:
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute until creamy. Mix in 1 cup of powder sugar and with 1 tbsp of milk/cream at a time, mixing well in between.
- Mix in the cocoa powder and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk/cream if necessary for a spreadable consistency.
Notes
Leftovers can be stored tightly covered or placed in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or for up to a week in the fridge.
Unfrosted cake can be stored in the freezer for up to a month. Once the cake is completely cooled, tightly cover in a double layer of saran wrap and a layer of foil. Date and place in freezer. When preparing to serve, thaw the cake at room temperature for about 4 hours or overnight in the fridge, and prepare the frosting as instructed.
For two 8″ round pans, bake for 30–35 minutes.
For two 9″ round pans, bake for 25–30 minutes.
For cupcakes (makes 24), bake for 15-20 minutes.
For a bundt pan, bake for 40-45 minutes.
Recipe adapted from Life, Love & Sugar
this has become my go to recipe when i want to make chocolate cake! it is so unbelievably good i wanna cry lol! i never thought i would ever be able to bake such delicious cake!Â
Aww, thank you for your kind words, Merve! I’m so happy to hear that and much appreciated. xoxo
This is sooo delicious! Nostalgic from my childhood! So moist and light and fluffy and beautifully paired with the icing! My kids love it, but honestly I’ll keep making it for myself. 😃
Thank you and you deserve it!
This cake is my top cake recipe ever every time I have made it for visitors I always receive a positive comment!
This cake was super easy and incredibly delicious! I had some cute valentines themed sprinkles I really wanted to use. I found this recipe and I’m so glad I did!Â
I made this using a quart sheet pan and it overflowed tremendously around the edges and dropped all over my oven! I even thought I may have made a mistake and went to double check if I doubled the recipe, but no. The taste was quite good so I’m going to try it again in two quarter sheet pans…I want I make a two layer cake with this. Do you think this would work?
I’m glad it still tasted great and yes, you can divide the batter into pans to make a layer cake. Enjoy!
This cake was so yummy! It did not last long in my house. I did sub a cup of coffee for the cup of water but I believe it would have been just as good without the coffee. I’ll be baking this again soon! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re very welcome, Stacia! So glad you enjoyed it and happy holidays!
Made this for my last day at work – absolute hit! Had to leave it in the oven longer than the recipe suggested for a knife to come out clean (it’s an old, unreliable fan one!), but it ended up lovely and moist. Perfect sugar boost for tired teachers at the end of term!
i’ve tried numerous chocolate cake recipes and this one has become my all time favourite. Instead of hot water I use coffee and I love that I can use non-dairy milk. For some reason or another this is way more moist than the recipes that uses sour cream or buttermilk. thanks for sharing
You’re very welcome, Dee! So glad you like it:)
Made 2 of these cakes and joined together with chocolate buttercream for a big celebration. This is so quick and easy to make but super moist and great chocolate flavour! Everyone loved it! Will definitely be cooking this again! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
You’re very welcome, Michelle! I’m so happy to hear everyone loved it:)
I have made this twice and it is absolutely delicious!!! The problem is it puffs up around the edges but doesn’t rise properly in the middle?? I baked the cakes in a fan oven at 160C. Do you think the oven could be too cold/hot?? Please help – I really want this recipe to work for me!!!
Hi Jane, Thank you for your kind words. Try baking it without the fan setting and that should help:)
Delicious! Buttercream adds just the right amount of sweetness to this delectable dessert!
I tried this recipe last weekend for a friend’s party and oh my gosh I did not expect it to live up to all the reviews! I used a half sheet pan (13″x18″) so I doubled the recipe and it worked perfectly. I was a little afraid of the hot water but my batter didn’t curdle or anything. If I could give 100/5 stars I would!
Thank you for your rave review, Sari – much appreciated!
Thanks for posting, Sari! Â This is exactly what I want to do – same sized pan. Â I’ll be making this for the first time and I’m nervous about the cook time. Â How long did you bake it?
Made this cake for a special birthday, and substituted hot coffee for the hot water, which really highlighted the hocolate flavor. It was a huge hit! Been handli g recipe requests all day today!
This is the recipe that my mom used to use when I was a kid!!  I had a big sweet tooth and my friend and I would sneak pieces constantly. I remember trying to make this once when we found her recipe, we were about 10. We added in the hot water at the end and thought “nope, too runny “ so we kept adding flour until we thought it was right. Needless to say, our attempt at making this was a huge failure!
I’ve made your recipe about 10 times since I found it (a few years ago) and it never disappoints!  It’s in the oven now and I can’t wait until my childhood friend comes for dinner tonight and sees it!  It smells exactly like I remember, thanks!
Aww, what great memories. I hope your friend enjoys it too. You’re welcome and thank you for your lovely comment.
My boss asked me to make a chocolate cake last minute for a coworker who is going off to college.
I’ll admit, I was a little scared when I read “add 1 cup of hot water” and especially when I saw the consistency after adding it. I’ve been baking a long time and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cake batter so thin.
Curious to see how it actually tastes.
Hi Katrina, the batter is supposed to be thin, similar like a cake mix batter. Let me know how you and your co-workers liked it:)