Description
A rich and ultra-moist chocolate sheet cake topped with warm, fudgy frosting that seeps into every bite. Quick to make and perfect for serving a crowd at potlucks or parties.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
½ cup buttermilk (or ¼ cup sour cream + ¼ cup water)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup unsalted butter (for frosting)
½ cup plus 6 tablespoons milk
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder (for frosting)
1 pound powdered sugar (about 4½ cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F and grease a 15×10″ sheet pan or 9×13″ pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- In a saucepan, combine 1 cup butter, 4 tbsp cocoa powder, and boiling water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
- Stir chocolate mixture into dry ingredients until well combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir into the batter.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 15–25 minutes, depending on pan size, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
- While cake bakes, melt ½ cup butter, 4 tbsp cocoa, and milk in a saucepan. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in pecans if using.
- Pour warm frosting over warm cake, spreading evenly. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Use sour cream + water if you don’t have buttermilk.
Substitute hot coffee for boiling water for richer flavor.
Omit pecans for a nut-free version or use chocolate chips instead.
Cool completely before freezing unfrosted slices.
Use a plastic or heated metal knife for clean slices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg