Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake
Author Notes: This simple, and delicious, chocolate cake recipe uses a neat one-bowl technique that makes it fast and no fuss to mix up at the merest hint of a chocolate craving. I've adapted it from an old Parkay margarine recipe. —Posie Harwood
Makes one 9" x 13" cake
For the cake
-
1
cup water
-
1/2
cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
-
1 1/2
ounces unsweetened chocolate
-
2
cups (8 1/2 ounces) flour
-
2
cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
-
2
eggs
-
1/2
cup sour cream
-
3/4
teaspoon espresso powder (optional, but enhances chocolate flavor)
-
1
teaspoon baking soda
-
1/2
teaspoon salt
For the frosting
-
1
cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
-
6
tablespoons milk
-
1 1/2
ounces unsweetened chocolate
-
4 1/2
cups (About 16 ounces) sifted confectioners' sugar (start with less and add as needed)
-
1
teaspoon vanilla
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9" x 13" pan.
- To make the cake: In a large saucepan, combine the water, butter, and chocolate. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder (if using) to the saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs and sour cream and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and springs back when touched lightly.
- To make the frosting: Add butter, milk, and chocolate to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to melt the chocolate.
- Remove from the heat and add the sugar -- you may not need all the sugar so start with half or so and add to get to the right consistency. Beat with a handheld mixer (or transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer) until the frosting is smooth. If it is too liquidy, refrigerate the frosting for a bit and then try beating again. It'll thicken up as it cools and become nicely spreadable. Mix in the vanilla once the consistency is right.
- Spread the frosting over the cake, then cut into squares and serve.
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6 months ago Barbara Sunday
Is the 1.5 oz of chocolate hard chocolate or powdered chocolate? Thank you!
6 months ago Barbara Sunday
Is the 1.5 oz of chocolate hard chocolate or powdered chocolate? Thank you!
10 months ago nanci
Thought there was too much butter in frosting.
BTW-I added extra oz of chocolate in cake and frosting
11 months ago Alexis
Perfect! Never made it with less.
11 months ago Shelley Lawrence
How did it come out?
11 months ago Alexis
I added twice the amount.
11 months ago Shelley Lawrence
I made it Friday and thought the Sam thing. My people liked it but I might add more chocolate next time
11 months ago Pam Pershan Hochman
It seems like such a small amount of chocolate. Has anyone added more?
11 months ago Shelley Lawrence
Do you take the cake out of the pan before frosting it?
11 months ago Posie Harwood
I don't -- it's simpler to just frost and serve from the pan!
11 months ago Jessica
Can it be done with regular cream instead of sour cream?
11 months ago Posie Harwood
Hm, not sure how that would affect the texture because it would make the batter much looser.
11 months ago Jessica
Then I will try to make my own sour cream and see how that works. Thanks for your reply!
11 months ago Alexis
While still recuperating from wrist surgery, I made this cake with my non-dominant hand and added chopped bittersweet chocolate pieces. Didn't frost yet still a huge success!
11 months ago witloof
Just to let you know that everyone loved this cake and I received many compliments and many requests for the recipe. I topped it with cream cheese frosting. It went so fast that I didn't actually get to taste it myself! I'm contemplating replacing half a cup of flour with a half cup of cocoa powder next time I make it.
11 months ago Susanne
There are 6 1/2 cups of sugar in this recipe? Am I reading that right?
11 months ago Posie Harwood
That includes the frosting! And it's 4 1/2 cups of sifted confectioners sugar in the frosting -- meaning sifted before measuring so pretty much a standard buttercream sugar amount :)
11 months ago Susanne
Thanks for the response! :-)
11 months ago Therese
For what it's worth, I cut back the sugar in the cake by 1/2 cup and it turned out fine.
11 months ago witloof
I have this in the oven now after looking for a recipe for a chocolate cake that would feed a crowd, transport easily, and come together quickly. Thanks!
Showing 20 out of 20 comments