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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!

Chocolate Sheet Cake slice on a square white plate with raspberries

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.”
Chocolate Sheet Cake slices on a square white plates with raspberries

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:

Fudgy Chocolate Sheet Cake with Cocoa Icing | A delectable, ultra-chocolate dessert that feeds a crowd! #sheetcake #chocolate
The Recipe:

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield 24 servings

The perfect way to serve chocolate cake to a crowd!

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/2 ounces) butter
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup hot water
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

For the icing:

  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons/4 ounces) butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease 18- by 13-inch (half-sheet cake sized) rimmed baking sheet. Put flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk eggs and yolks, vanilla, and sour cream in another bowl until smooth.
  2. Microwave chocolate, butter, oil, water, and cocoa in a large Pyrex measuring cup or microwave safe bowl till chocolate is soft. Whisk till smooth...microwave a little longer if all chocolate is not melted.
  3. Whisk chocolate mixture into flour mixture until well combined. Whisk egg mixture into batter, then pour into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  4. About 5 minutes before cake is done, heat butter, cream, cocoa, and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Take off heat and, whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread warm icing over hot cake.
  5. Let cake cool to room temperature on wire rack, 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:

24

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 312Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 3g

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes