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Our best-loved chocolate sheet cake topped with smooth chocolate frosting is simply delicious and feeds a crowd!
best-ever Sheet Cake
We think it’s pretty hard NOT to like cake – especially chocolate cake.
It happens to be a personal favorite, but more than ANY other recipe on the website, this chocolate sheet cake recipe is my favorite. No joke – I crave it fortnightly and can never stop eating it because it’s so MOIST and DELICIOUS!!
This also happens to be one of our top desserts we make when company comes over, because it’s easy, it’s delicious and it feeds a crowd (another favorite is our White Texas Sheet Cake).
It’s perfect for gatherings, holidays, parties, BBQs and anything else you can imagine. And it’s especially addicting served with vanilla ice cream. We can’t have this cake lying around at the house, because we will literally eat the whole pan. It’s just so soft, has the best chocolate flavor and is SO addicting!!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- For sharing! This sheet pan cake is great for feeding a crowd. It makes around 24 servings.
- No fuss. This is one EASY cake. There is little prep and it bakes up in only 20 minutes. No layers, just a soft, chocolatey cake!
- Our best-loved sheet cake! This is a top-requested recipe and one we often bring to events and potlucks.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour – see how to Measure Flour Correctly
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder – use natural cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs – room temperature eggs incorporate better
- 1 cup buttermilk – see how to Make Your Own Buttermilk (buttermilk subs can be used, but we highly recommend real buttermilk for best results) 😉
- 1 cup hot water
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil – or canola oil or melted coconut oil
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- toppings (optional) – chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts, milk or white chocolate chips, chopped toffee, or toasted coconut
How to Make Chocolate Sheet Cake
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 11×15 cake pan and set aside.
- BATTER. Stir 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, ½ cup cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 2 eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup hot water, and ⅔ cup oil to the dry ingredients. Beat with a hand mixer until combined and smooth (it should be runny). Pour the chocolate mixture into a greased 11×15-inch baking dish.
- BAKE. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- FROSTING. Melt ½ cup butter in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 5 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add 3½ cups powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
- Remove from the heat and pour over the warm cake. Spread frosting quickly and add nuts right away, since frosting sets up quickly.
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Chocolate Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot water
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- chopped nuts, sprinkles for topping (optional)
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- To make the cake, mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, hot water, and oil and beat together with a hand mixer until combined and smooth (it should be runny). Pour into a greased 11×15-inch baking dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Frosting
- To make the frosting, melt butter in a medium pot over low heat. Add cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
- Remove from the heat and pour over the warm cake. Spread frosting quickly and add nuts or sprinkles right away, since frosting sets up quickly.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Wedding-sized pieces: 1×2 inches
Party-sized pieces: 2×2 inches
Dessert-size pieces: 3×2.5 inches
Make the cake as instructed, but do not add frosting. Once cool, cover with plastic wrap and store on the counter for up to 24 hours, or freeze for 2 months. When ready to serve, make frosting and add it to the cake.
Store leftovers, covered, at room temperature for 2-3 days or in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 1-2 months.
If I don’t have a jelly roll pan, can I still make this?
Would this cake be okay to cool, flip out of the pan, freeze and decorate with buttercream instead?
You could definitely do that! We also have a yummy chocolate cake recipe. You could bake in rounds or in a rectangular pan. https://lilluna.com/easy-chocolate-cake/
My favorite go to dessert! The texture always comes out perfect. Easy for a crowd and tastes sooooo good!
Just made this yum! Is the frosting suppose to come to a boil or no?
I just made this recipe today and sadly, it was a hot mess. It raised as it baked and spilled over the sheet pan, falling to the bottom of the oven. The cake was a mess and my cleanup was even worse. I can not recommend this recipe and obviously will not use it again. The chocolate flavor was not very strong, from the little bits I ate from the pan. I’m very disappointed.
Hi Lee! So sorry to hear you didn’t have a great experience with the recipe. Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
This cake is amazing!!!! I have made several treats from Lil Luna and every recipe is SO good! It is my go-to when I want to try something new. You won’t be disappointed in any of the recipes!!
We’ve made this cake a handful of times now and it’s a favorite! Can’t leave off the sprinkles, ever!
This is the best sheet cake! I have even done it with Bob Red Mill GF flour 1:1 and turned out amazing.
Oh that’s good to know it turns out great with GF flour too. Thanks for sharing! So glad you enjoy the sheet cake.
Best chocolate sheet cake hands down!! Crowd pleaser for sure!
Oh. My. Goodness!! This cake is absolutely amazing. I am mind blown! I am replacing this recipe with my old one!!
Oh yay!! So glad you loved the cake recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely positively my favorite chocolate cake! Amazingly moist and flavorful!
I’m so glad you have a new favorite chocolate cake! Thanks for sharing!
Best sheet cake ever! I have made this twice in the last week.
That makes me so happy! Thank you so much!
Cake is not normally a go to in our home, but this recipe is amazing! We can’t stop eating it and it’s so simple to make.
Made this after my friend brought this to our church activity day group! Its so incredible. Moist but not too heavy and super easy to
Throw together for a quick dessert!
This is the best chocolates cake! It is so easy to make and so yummy! We love it!
Hands down the best and easiest chocolate cake I have ever made. So moist and yummy!! Thanks for the recipe.
I made mine in a 13 x 9, but cooked it a bit longer, close to 30 minutes. I always test with a toothpick. This is the second time I have made it and it was wonderful. This time I made the icing as well which was nice a simple and tasty. Since I used a smaller pan, I made a bit less icing.
This is my second go-to recipe from this site. The red enchilada sauce it excellent as well. I made the cake as I had buttermilk I was going have to toss, it was a hit all around!
Awe, thanks so much for sharing that!! Hope you find more to try & like 🙂
I never knew all those hacks for buttermilk! Can’t wait to try this.
I didn’t either! Glad you found this!
Hi! if I wanted to make cupcakes what would you RECOMMEND for baking time?
I haven’t made these into cupcakes, but the time would be less. I would start checking them at 12-15 min. Hope that helps!
Can I freeze this cake with the frosting on?
You can freeze sheet cake, but we recommend not frosting it. Wrap the cake with aluminum foil making sure none of the cake is exposed. Be sure to roll the foil seam slowly and press all the ends together to preserve its freshness, then place in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Absolutely the best chocolate cake I have ever made. Very moist. Using oil in the cake instead of butter or shortening makes this cake so light & fluffy 🙂 I used my 17 inch by 11 inch jelly roll pan (1 Inch deep) and it just fit. Baked at 350 F for 20 minutes. I increased the Cocoa & milk a bit in the frosting as we prefer a deep rich chocolate flavor. Turned out fantastic! Will definitely be making this one again and again in the future. Another awesome Lil’ Luna recipe added to my growing collection of regular & favorite recipes in this house. Thank so much Kristyn & family.
wow! Very nice Recipe Kristyn… Thanks for sharing amazing cake..
Thank you! Glad to share 🙂
Looks delish! Can i Use this fir a roll up ice cream log?
I personally have not tried, so I can’t say for sure, but that would be good!
Hi! I have a question…i swear i made this cake and loved it, especially the FROSTING but i don’t remember adding the VEGETABLE oIl. Is this a recebt change? Thanks!
No, but I do have another chocolate cake on the site, that doesn’t have the veg oil. Could you have tried the other one?
Made this cake today to take to family dinner and it’s great. Very quick to put together too. I’ll definitely make this recipe again.
Happy to hear that! Thanks so much for trying it!!
I decided to be cautious because my oven runs a little hot so i baked my cake at 350F for 20 min and when I checked on it it was still entirely liquid. So i bumped the heat up to 375F. I’m hoping it still turns our alright, ive never made a sheet cake before (but plenty of others with a hich success rate) so im just hoPing it was a temperature problem. The frosting is already done and tastes delicious.
How did it turn out? I hope it was baked all the way through & you liked it!
Wow buddy!!! In this lock down period you helped me a lot… Thanks buddy.. I would like to try this tomorrow 🙂
Glad I could help! Hope you like this!
how much is a cube of butter?
8 Tablespoons 🙂
Hi Kristyn, I am having problems with this recipe and I don’t know what I am doing wrong. First, I use the ingredients on the back of the lemon cake mix box, which is 1 cup water, 3 eggs, and 1/3 cup oil. Then I add the cup of but5termilk and other ingredients. I put in a 350 degree oven and bake, and bake and bake. It took almost 45 minutes in a 9 x 13 pan. May I should have used glass. At any rate, while it’s cooling, it just flops down to about an inch height, making me think that it fell. Then I make the icing, and when it’s done, it has a grainy texture which I attribute to the dry 2 tbsp of lemon jello mix. My friend loves this cake but I am always embarrassed to take it to her because I think it has fallen, but she says it’s so good and begs me to make it for her. With the info I’ve given you, can you tell me why the cake ends up an inch high when it comes out of the oven to the top of a sheet pan, about 2 inches? Help!
Is this comment for the chocolate sheet cake? I’m thinking you meant it for another recipe..let me know, so I can see if I can help 🙂
When I was making this cake the batter came out a little watery.
Is that typical? not sure if I did it right. hoping to impress my friends for a Valentine get together.
Thanks I love the website.
Awe, thank you!! It isn’t a thick, batter, but It’s not completely runny either. It’s in between. Did it turn out ok? I hope so!!
I have an urgent question!! I’ve made this cake numerous times with complete success. I would like to make it tonight but I’m out of vegetable oil. could I use unflavored coconut oil instead?
So, sorry I did not respond sooner! Did you try the coconut oil? I personally have not tried & would love to know what you thought. Thank you!
Had a lot of trouble. First…what was a cube of butter? We thought about 2 tablespoons off a 1/4 pound stick. But I wondered if that was enough for the frosting. Googled it. No, it’s 1/4 pound stick. Then the oven temperature. A 25º range, 350º to 375º What??? Then 4-6 Tablespoons cocoa and milk for the frosting. From 4 to 6 is a 50% difference. It was a frustrating mess. Didn’t focus in on the frosting recipe until the cake was in the oven.
Hi there! Is this made in a normal 13×9 pan? Did I miss the pan size? Thanks, Tina
It’s in a paragraph above the recipe. You can use an 11×14 or a jelly roll pan. Hope that helps 🙂 Enjoy!!
I love Chocolate Cake. This looks so delicious and the recipe is wonderful. I will try it for sure. Thanks.
I have 6 siblings all who live within 10 miles of each other and Sunday dinners can be quite the production. I LOVE THIS CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE Because not onLy Is it easy to maKe and feeds everyone its also yummy!!!
Looks tasty but Would liek to ask i have half sheet cake pan with 2 inchs deep, so i think i should double the cakeningrs
Is that right, thank you
That is a good question?? I haven’t tried before. Since, it’s half the size, you probably don’t need to double it.
We love texas sheet cake. to make everyone happy, we do half the cake with nuts and half without. this is such a delicious moist cake an EVERYONE loves it!
My most favorite chocolate cake recipe! You cant beat the moistness and chocolatey goodness of this cake. Everyone in my family loves this cake.
I made this cake today and it was delicious !!!!!!
Thank you for trying it! I am glad you like it!
I love this cake!! It makes plenty to feed a crowd & everyone always loves it! It is super moist!
How far in advance can this cake be made? looks great! thanks.
I would personally just make it, no more than a day in advanced. This is really so good..I hope you try it!
great, thanks. going to make it tomorrow. i am worried about it sticking to the pan, do you grease it?
I usually will grease it a little 🙂 Enjoy!
made it. was fantastic for my daughter’s 5th bday. thanks so much for answering my questions!
You are so welcome!! I am so happy to hear that 🙂
Such an easy recipe to make, so excited about how well it Turned out??
I am glad to hear that!! It’s one of my favs! Thank you!
Hey there! I need a little help. In the recipe it calls for 1 cube of butter. How much is that translated to tablespoons?
8 tablespoons equals 1 cube of butter 🙂
The frosting calls for a cube of butter; is that a stick of butter?
Yes 🙂 Hope you like it!!
How much is 1 “cube” of butter in the recipe for the Texas sheet cake?
1 cube equals 1/2 cup 🙂
Hi can you tell me what one cube of butter means in the chocolate sheet cake recipe?
One cube is 1/2 cup 🙂 Enjoy!!
Does this cake/icing require refrigeration? Yummy by the way, thank you for this gem!!
If I’m making two half sheet cakes, can I still use this recipe and divide the batter in half? I’m making two half ones for a party and would love to use this recipe!
I think it would be fine if you have sheet cake pans that are about half the size of a regular pan. I don’t have any so I’m not sure of the measurements. :/
On the chocolate sheet cake recipe…..I was reading how to make the icing. What is one “cube” of butter? Is that a stick (1/2 cup)?
Thanks,
Anna
Yes – 1 cube of butter is 1/2 cup. 😉
Can’t wait to try this – will probably halve the recipe for enjoying at home
I made this cake the other day, and I must say it was REALLY GOOD. It was soft and tasty. Will make it again. Thanks.
Thanks for stopping by, Yolanda. Glad to hear it was good… it’s one of our favorites to make for events because it makes a ton! 😉
what is a jelly roll pan?
It’s a large baking pan that is about 18″ x 13″ and only 1″ deep. 🙂
How many cups is a box of powdered sugar? They don’t sell “boxes of powdered sugar” in my area of Canada and I want to get the correct consistency.
It’s about 3 1/2 – 3 3/4 cups. 🙂
the white chocolate sheet cake sounds yummie! can you use buttermilk to make this cake?
Yes, the recipe calls for buttermilk, but if you don’t have buttermillk you can use milk + 1 tsp. lemon juice – works great too. 🙂
Just wondering if 3 tsps baking soda is a lot in ratio 2 cups of flour?
How much butter is a “cube” for the frosting? Thanks!
1/2 cup or 1 stick. 🙂
Your site is lovely!. I tried the choco. sheet cake it was fab! My family loved it. thank you for sharing the recipe.Please visit my site when you are free. http://ruwiskitchen.blogspot.com
Thanks again for this. I keep coming back to your site for this recipe.
I love your blog so much! yesterday was my birthday and I am going to make myself that cake today! Thanks!
That cake looks seriously amazing. I have a major sweet tooth and will be baking it soon!
I love your site! I am gonna make that cake tonight! YUMMAY! my mouth is watering!
BAKING THE CAKE NOW!
YUM! That cake does look de-LISH! I am going to try that this week. Thanks!