This Chocolate Sheet Cake is rich and chocolatey and so easy to make! Topped with a simple frosting made of melted butter, cocoa and sugar. It’s sure to be a hit at any potluck!
Looking for more desserts for a crowd? Try my Lemon Sheet Cake, The Best Homemade Brownies, this BEST Easy Cheesecake Recipe or make a batch of these Easy Cheesecake Cupcakes.
Whenever we’re hosting people for dinner, I do my best to keep the menu really simple. I’m always turning to a handful of our favorites that are easy to put together and everyone loves — this Chocolate Sheet Cake is one of them!
We love this chocolate cake because it is rich and moist and fudgy, but it’s also easy to make (no mixer required!) and can serve a crowd.
It also freezes perfectly and keeps for a long time.
Really, it’s the answer to almost everything 😉
What people are saying:
“I made this today and the sheet cake was terrific! It is fudgy and moist inside but not overly sweet. My whole family especially my kids loved this.” Natasha
The frosting on this Chocolate Sheet Cake is one of my favorite frostings because it doesn’t require a mixer at all. It’s made with melted butter, so it comes together with just a whisk and is spread over the cake while warm so there’s really no spreading!
The prep time on this cake is so little, and it’s such a favorite that we make it often.
Texas Sheet Cake v. Chocolate Sheet Cake
Texas Sheet Cake is a chocolate cake the size of Texas!
Essentially, a Texas Sheet Cake and a Chocolate Sheet Cake are the same thing, but the purists will say that a Texas Sheet Cake has a different type of frosting.
Me?
Well I’m the Recipe Rebel so I’m obviously not much of a purist with regards to any recipe 😉
Its large size makes it perfect for gatherings, parties and potlucks, or just an after dinner treat for a few chocolate lovers 😉
I use an 11×17″ 12 cup rimmed baking sheet for this sheet cake. You can use a slightly larger one, but it will be a little thinner and you may want to reduce the bake time slightly.
Sheet cake variations:
- Make it orange: add some orange zest to the cake and the frosting for a chocolatey-orange twist.
- Add nuts: sprinkle some chopped, toasted nuts onto the cake before adding the frosting for a fun “bumpy” cake.
- Add sprinkles and fun garnishes: this cake is simple in its decorations, but that just means you have more room to jazz it up!
- Make it mocha: the coffee in here doesn’t add coffee flavor, but you can increase it by adding an extra spoonful of instant coffee powder to the cake and some to the frosting as well.
Can You Freeze Chocolate Sheet Cake?
This sheet cake freezes incredibly well, with or without frosting!
When I’m freezing with frosting, I like to refrigerate the cake until the frosting has set completely, then layer the pieces in a container with wax or parchment paper in between for easy removal.
You can also freeze the cake as a whole, but I find that cutting into pieces is really convenient when you just want a bite of something sweet!
More Chocolate Dessert Recipes!
- No Bake Chocolate Crunch Bars
- German Chocolate Cake
- Frozen Hot Chocolate
- No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
Chocolate Sheet Cake
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter melted, let cool to room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup hot coffee, or water
Frosting
- 3½ cups powdered icing sugar
- ½ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ and grease a 11×17″ sheet pan with non stick spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together sugar and butter with a whisk. Add eggs one at a time and whisk until smooth.
- Add milk, cocoa, baking soda and vanilla and whisk until combined.
- Stir in flour. Add coffee and stir slowly until combined.
- Spread into prepared baking sheet and and bake for 16-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
Frosting:
- In a medium bowl, combine sugar, butter, milk, cocoa and vanilla and whisk until combined. Spread over cooled cake and let set before slicing. You can also toss them in the refrigerator to speed up the process!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Chloe says
This looks delish! Just so you know, in your frosting instructions you said to spread the frosting over the brownies, and that might be where since people were confused. 😁 I’m very excited to try this!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Chloe! Thanks for letting me know, I’ve updated that.
judith judge says
is this a cake or brownies and can i bake it in 9×13 pan
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Judith, as you see in the title this is a sheet cake. If you use a 9X13 you’ll have to adjust the cooking time. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes.
Natasha says
I made this today and the sheet cake was terrific! It is fudgy and moist inside but not overly sweet. My whole family especially my kids loved this.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Natasha!
Allison says
A new family favorite! Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
THanks Allison! I’m so glad!
Stephanie says
Absolutely fantastic! The cake was so delicious and perfectly moist!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Stephanie!
Johanna says
This is the EASIEST and BEST chocolate sheet cake. We added some festive sprinkles for my daughter’s birthday. Everyone wanted seconds. Thanks for such a yummy recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
That is such a great idea! Thanks Johanna!
Megan says
Delicious! Whole family loved it!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Megan!
fiona menzies says
was anyone elses like chocolate milk going into the oven?
Ashley Fehr says
It sounds like a significant portion of the dry ingredients were missing