Name: Chocolate Sheet Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour; 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder; 1 tsp Baking Powder; 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda; 1 tsp Salt; 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil; 3/4 cup Milk; 3/4 cup Hot Coffee; 1 3/4 cups Sugar; 2 Eggs; 1/2 cup Butter (softened); 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder; 2 cups Powdered Sugar; 2 tbsp Milk; 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Sheet Cake – Moist and delicious rich chocolate cake with creamy homemade chocolate frosting. This is the perfect easy homemade birthday cake recipe!

Chocolate sheet cake made in a 8″x 8″ square baking dish is the perfect cake for a smaller celebration serving about 16 people. This will give each person a slice about 2″x2″. If your guests have a larger appetite, this will serve about 12 people.

I love to top my cake with a big scoop of ice cold vanilla ice cream. You can serve this cake with your favorite ice cream or simply a tall glass of cold milk. Either way you will not be disappointed!

This cake will last stored on the counter covered in plastic wrap for about 3-4 days. If you store the cake in the fridge, it will last about 5-7 days. But, keep in mind, the sooner you eat it, the better it will taste!

Tools to have on hand for this recipe:

Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer – To mix your cake batter and to make the frosting.
Measuring Spoons + Cups – To properly measure all of your ingredients.
8″ x 8″ Baking Dish – To bake your cake in.
Parchment Paper – To line the baking dish. You can also use vegetable oil or butter to lightly oil dish.
Mixing Bowls – To mix the dry ingredients.

Ingredients you need to make homemade Chocolate Cake:

All-Purpose Flour – Very versatile flour perfect for making cake.
Cocoa Powder – I prefer to use a good quality cocoa powder. This will give your cake a delicious rich chocolate flavor.
Baking Powder – For a light & fluffy cake.
Baking Soda – For a light & fluffy cake.
Salt – I use sea salt in almost all of my recipes but you can use any salt you have on hand.
Vanilla Extract – A good quality pure vanilla extract is best.
Vegetable Oil – You may use vegetable oil or canola oil.
Milk – I used whole vitamin D milk in this recipe, but you can use low fat milk as well.
Hot Coffee – A strong very hot coffee. You’ll need 3/4 cup.
Sugar – Granulated white sugar.
Eggs – You’ll need two eggs. Adds a delicious richness and texture to the cake.
Butter – Salted or unsalted butter both work great in this recipe.
Powdered Sugar – This will give your frosting a beautiful fluffy consistency.

How to make Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the cake: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, add vegetable oil, milk, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat over medium speed with paddle attachment to combine. Pour flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Finally, pour in hot coffee and mix to combine (batter will be slightly runny).

Next, pour cake batter into a parchment paper lined or lightly oiled 8″x 8″ baking dish. Place cake in the oven and bake for 30-33 minutes until a toothpick runs through the cake and comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven and let cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the chocolate frosting:

In the bowl of your stand mixer add butter, vanilla extract, 1 cup powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Mix over medium-high speed with paddle attachment until powders are well combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until you have a nice creamy chocolate frosting.

Once the cake is completely cooled, frost the cake with a pastry spatula or knife. Slice and serve!

If you enjoyed this recipe, here are a few more of my favorite chocolate recipes I think you’ll love:

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes – Moist and delicious chocolate cupcakes made in one bowl. These cupcakes are not only delicious and easy to make but clean up is a breeze!
Classic Brownie Recipe – Delicious chocolate fudgey brownies baked with chopped nuts. This classic brownie recipe is the perfect dessert to fix your chocolate cravings. Top a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream for absolute perfection!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies – My soft and chewy chocolate peanut butter cookies add a delicious twist to the classic peanut butter cookie.
White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies – Scrumptious chewy chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips have made it to the top of my cookie craving list.

How to store homemade cake with frosting:

Cover completely cooled cake in plastic wrap on the counter for up to 3-4 days. You can also store homemade cake in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap. If you store the cake in the fridge, the frosting will lightly harden.