Chocolate Sheet Cake
This rich, tender Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe never fails to please. Plus it’s a simple way to provide dessert for a crowd. A double dose of chocolate in this chocolate cake from scratch will get rave reviews!
With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years’ approaching and all the gatherings in between, we’re all looking for easy holiday entertaining recipes. This Texas Sheet Cake serves 24 without a lot of effort!
Why You Must Make this Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
- A sheet cake is always an excellent selection for serving a group of chocolate lovers. There are lots of servings when you bake a cake in a half sheet pan.
- The batter is poured into a half-sheet pan, baked and then a glossy, fudgy icing is poured over the warm cake for the crowning glory. The frosting to cake ratio is greater than with a typical cake since the cake layer is thin!
- The motto at our house is that “frosting makes any dessert even better.”
Texas Sheet Cake for a Crowd
With only 3 of us living in our house except for college breaks, the desserts around here don’t disappear very fast. But I know which friends and neighbors love what. They are delighted to receive my surplus of sweets.
Steve across the street gets samples of my cheesecakes and Mark around the corner has volunteered to take any chocolate cast-offs. I packaged up about 4 slices of this chocolate sheet cake for Mark and his wife. When they had some unexpected company that night, Jeanne plated the slices of the cake and served her guests. She graciously thanked them when they praised her wonderful recipe.
It was only the next day when she received a phone call requesting a copy of the recipe, that she fessed up. Now it’s available for all of you to try–your taste testers will want the recipe, too! Save this recipe for chocolate sheet cake for when you have casual entertaining needs, and share any leftovers with friends and family! If you’re a chocoholic, you might also enjoy this Chocolate Earthquake Cake.
More Recipes for Easy Holiday Entertaining:
- Pomegranate Sangria by The Redhead Baker
- Hot Crab Dip by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
- Kir Royal
- French 75 Cocktail
- Caramel Baked Brie
- Glazed Cocktail Meatballs
- Spinach Feta Pinwheels
- Fig Gruyere Crostini
- Cheesy Spinach Dip
- Chocolate Dessert Board
- Mini Margarita Cheesecakes
- Pecan Tassies
- Recipes for Entertaining
Chocolate Sheet Cake
The perfect way to serve chocolate cake to a crowd!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick/2 ounces) butter
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup hot water
- ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
For the icing:
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons/4 ounces) butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Grease 18- by 13-inch (half-sheet cake-sized) rimmed baking sheet.
- Put flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk eggs and yolks, vanilla, and sour cream in another bowl until smooth.
- Microwave chocolate, butter, oil, water, and cocoa in a large Pyrex measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl till the chocolate is soft. Whisk till smooth...microwave a little longer if all chocolate is not melted.
- Whisk chocolate mixture into flour mixture until well combined. Whisk the egg mixture into the batter, then pour it into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- About 5 minutes before the cake is done, heat butter, cream, cocoa, and corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Take off the heat and, whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread warm icing over hot cake.
- Let cake cool to room temperature on a wire rack, for about 1 hour, then refrigerate until icing is set, about 1 hour. Cut and serve.
Notes
Adapted from Cook's Country.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 312Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 3g
23 Comments on “Chocolate Sheet Cake”
This cake is definitely a crowd pleaser!! Never fails to amaze my family! It is always a huge hit every time I make it! Thanks for the recipe!
Beautiful and delicious cake 🙂
Would be a hit with my family!
My dessert loving crew will arrive next month and this will be perfect. I may have to make two!
Lizzy,
I hadn’t seen this post but I made this very same cake from the Pioneer Woman today. I’m having my family over for my Sister’s birthday tomorrow. How funny is that?!? 🙂
Annamaria
I never pass up chocolate cake and this one looks amazing. Since it’s a sheet cake…. it’s not two layer so I don’t have to feel so guilty eating a piece. 🙂 Then again, I would probably want two pieces. 😉
def a crowd pleaser!! Esp for this chocoholic!
I love sheet cakes they are great for feeding a crowd, but like you I live in a small household and cakes this size would linger if I didn’t have friends and family to give it all away to, that or I would over eat it, especially if it was this chocolate cake 😀
Frosting does make any dessert better! I’d love a nice big square of this sheet cake to get me through Monday afternoon :).
I wish I lived across the street from you. I really need a slice of this cake.
Lovely, Liz! I’m ready for a big piece!
What a perfect and simple dessert for the holidays! Great to feed a large party.
I love how nice and fast sheet cakes bake up Liz! They are always a welcome dessert:@)
I know how it is having an entourage who loves to eat our extras. If I lived closer I’d have you save me some cake too! 🙂
Chocolate cake is always a crowd pleaser, and this one looks good.
So easy to make this a low-carb dessert too. Looks wonderful, Liz. I wish I could have chocolate!!
Chocolate and coffee are such a great combo. The cake looks utterly delicious!
Sheet cakes are one of my favorite desserts and yours looks fabulous. I love giving desserts to my neighbors. And when all else fails, my dad takes things to work and they are gone in a flash.
Those are some beautiful photos. I’m not usually much of a cake person, but your photos have me adding this to my to-try list!
Oh it looks like a crowd pleaser indeed!
Frosting sure does make any dessert even better!!
This is a perfect way to serve dessert to a large group. I can always count on chocolate being something everyone will like. It’s hard to believe the holidays are right around the corner.
I’ve never made a sheet cake but I’ve certainly devoured them time and again. However my 85 yo (cake loving mom-in-law) just moved in (yikes!) and I’m going to have to keep her in sweets that are easy to make. It’s amazing how much cake one tiny woman can eat! GREG
What a fabulous way to feed a crowd a delicious dessert! Specially this chocolate lover Liz! Thanks you for a new recipe.