Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake & Chocolate Frosting (GF)

Sheet cakes are the simplest desserts to make and always a popular choice. This Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting is a real crowd pleaser. Everyone will be asking you for the recipe! So chocolatey and luscious, you won’t be able to resist a second serving!

Whenever I have guests coming over, the first dessert that comes to mind is a sheet cake because it is so easy and quick to make. Maybe not as impressive as a layer cake or a bundt, but it is still a welcome ending to any meal!

Top: Freshly frosted cake; Bottom: Added festive sprinkles

This recipe calls for brewed coffee which enhances the chocolate flavor but I used hot water instead. I didn’t have access to coffee today and the water works just as well. If you are avoiding coffee or caffeine, just use hot water!

Because of the buttermilk and coffee/water combination, the cake batter is very thin. It is slightly deceptive because how could anything not be mixed in something with so much liquid? There can still be thicker batter stuck in the bottom of the bowl so be sure you scrape the bowl thoroughly before pouring it into the prepared baking pan.

Don’t be surprised if the center sinks a bit as it cools, this is normal and gives you almost a fudgy texture to the center pieces, kind of like brownies.

This is the simplest cake to make – perfect to have your kids help you. They can combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the liquids in another. Then pour the liquids into the dry and mix until smooth and silky. That’s it!

The frosting is just about as easy. It is a little backwards from traditional buttercream. Mix together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the butter a piece or two at a time, beating until creamy. Mix in the melted chocolate and beat again. Scrape the bowl well. If the frosting doesn’t hold swirls, refrigerate to firm up the butter.

Then use an offset spatula to spread the frosting on the cooled cake. The bend in the blade helps keep your knuckles out of the frosting! The set is really doable and indispensable in the kitchen. I use mine all the time and have several in the drawer. A link to them is found below.

If you want to make larger swirls in the top of the frosting you can use a larger offset or straight spatula. Even the back of a spoon makes pretty designs in the frosting.

And of course sprinkles make everything more fun and festive! Customize them to suit your mood, event, holiday, or the season.

I made my cake over two days – baked the cake on day one and let it cool completely. Covered it with the pan’s lid and left it on the counter. The following day I made the frosting and spread it over the cake. It made it much easier and was still so tender and moist!

This Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting is a luscious cake, so tender and chocolatey – pure indulgence in every bite! And the frosting takes it over the top. I could eat this cake every day and twice on Sundays, LOL.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!

Ingredients needed for Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting:

• Dry Ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt
• Liquid Ingredients: vegetable oil, eggs, coffee or water, buttermilk
• Frosting: chopped chocolate, powdered sugar, whole milk, butter

PRO Tip:

When cracking eggs, break them into a small bowl before adding them to the large bowl with all the other ingredients. This lets you check to see if they are fresh and fish out any shards of shell that may be in the bowl. Transfer to the large bowl and repeat with the second egg.

How to make Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting:

1. Make the Cake: Whisk the dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl and mix another minute. 
2. Pour the batter into a buttered and parchment-lined 9×13-inch (23x33cm) baking pan. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.
3. Prepare the Frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring often until smooth and creamy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
4. Whisk the powdered sugar to break up any clumps and mix in the milk. Beat in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes on medium. Add the melted chocolate and salt, then beat until blended and fluffy, another minute or two. Scrape the bowl well and mix again if needed. 
5. Frost and Serve: If the frosting is too soft, place the bowl in the refrigerator and stir occasionally. When it is the right consistency, spread over the top of the cooled cake using an offset spatula. Slice into squares and serve. Store, covered, at room temperature.

PRO Tip:

When melting the chocolate for the frosting, hold the bowl sitting on the saucepan with a hot pad to protect yourself from the steam and stabilize the bowl as you stir.

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Kitchen scale
• Chef’s knife
• 9×13-inch (23x33cm) baking pan with a lid
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Mixing bowls
• Medium saucepan
• Offset spatula

Gluten-Free Tips:

* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.

You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

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Yield: about 10 servings

Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake & Chocolate Frosting (GF)

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Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting is a real crowd pleaser. Everyone will be asking you for the recipe. So chocolatey and luscious, you won’t be able to resist a second slice!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1-2/3 cups (200g*) gluten-free flour blend* or regular all-purpose flour like Gold Medal brand
• 3/4 cup (63g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups (426g) firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt**

Liquid Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (99g) vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (227g) brewed coffee or hot water
• 1 cup (227g) buttermilk

Frosting

• 6 oz (170g) dark or milk chocolate, chopped
• 2-2/3 cups (302g) powdered sugar
• 6 tbsp (85g) whole milk
• 5 oz (141g; 1 stick + 2 tbsp) butter, sliced and softened to cool room temperature
• Pinch kosher salt**

Instructions

1. Butter a 9x13-inch (23x33cm) baking pan and line with a sheet of parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Make the Cake: Whisk together the dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer or whisk.
3. In an another bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat with the mixer until smooth. The batter will be very liquid and thin. Scrape the bowl thoroughtly and mix again to incorporate any solids.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350°F (180°C) until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool completely. You should be able to comfortably hold the bottom of the pan in the palm of your hand and not feel any heat in the center.
5. Prepare the Frosting: Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water – the water should be about 1-inch deep, do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Melt the chopped chocolate, stirring often, until smooth and creamy. Remove from the heat and set the chocolate aside to cool on a wire rack so it won’t melt the butter in the next step.
6. Whisk the powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer to break up clumps. Mix in the whole milk. With the mixer running, beat in the butter, a piece or two at a time, until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the slightly cooled melted chocolate and salt, then beat until blended and fluffy, another minute or so. Scrape the bowl well and mix again for another minute.
7. Frost and Serve: If it is too soft to hold swirls, firm up the butter in the frosting by placing the bowl in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. When it reaches the right spreading consistency, frost the top of the cooled cake using an offset spatula. Make decorative designs if desired and scatter the sprinkles on top if using. Slice into squares and serve. Store, covered, at room temperature.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com

Notes

* You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.

** My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal. If you use Morton’s or another brand you will likely not need as much.

You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

Recipe originally from Chef Emily Luchetti

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1058Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 524mgCarbohydrates: 184gFiber: 4gSugar: 111gProtein: 14g

The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

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