Perfectly Rich & Moist Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe

June 6, 2025 Rebecca Firth

Welcome to your new, go-to Rich & Moist Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe!

We’ve taken my favorite, Granny Pete’s Chocolate Cake, and given it a serious upgrade. Picture this: a simpler one-bowl method, the rich, nuanced sweetness of brown sugar for extra depth and hot milk plus espresso to bloom the cocoa powder for an intense, decadent rich chocolate flavor.

This cake isn’t just moist; it’s exquisitely fluffy, beautifully bouncy and develops even better flavor the next day. Best of all, it comes together quickly. With just 15 minutes of hands-on prep, and less than an hour from start to finish, you can satisfy your chocolate cravings quickly!

This is the perfect celebration cake, birthday cake (I used it for mine this year!) or anytime cake, and is next-level fabulous with this Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting!

I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Rebecca Firth

Top-down view of delectable chocolate dessert bars topped with luscious dark chocolate icing, brightly colored sprinkles, and a sprinkle of gourmet sea salt, arranged on a cooling rack, with one piece showing a bite taken, highlighting a perfect homemade sweet treat.

Why You Need to Make This Perfect Chocolate Cake STAT!

The texture of this cake is BEYOND! Light, moist, fluffy, bouncy
Packed with rich chocolate flavor that’s amplified by the brown sugar, ample vanilla extract and hot espresso or fresh-brewed strong coffee
It’s one bowl (yay!) and mixed + baked in just under an hour. This cake is so simple and easy, but so incredibly decadent!
It’s the perfect cake base for any frosting, from my favorite Chocolate Frosting (as seen in the photos) and Malted Chocolate Buttercream to Marshmallow Frosting
The perfect celebration cake! I made it for my birthday cake this year, but would also make it to satisfy a midweek chocolate craving!
Great as is or topped with sprinkles…or, my favorite, flaky sea salt

Single slice of moist dark chocolate cake beautifully topped with generous swirls of homemade chocolate frosting and festive rainbow confetti sprinkles, presented on a rustic metal serving plate, perfect for an individual sweet treat or birthday celebration

The Baker’s Guide to Measuring Flour

One of the biggest (and most common) mistakes in baking is how we measure flour. If you find yourself without a scale, see my top tips on how to properly measure flour for the perfect amount every time!

Overhead grid of decadent chocolate homemade cake, generously coated with a luscious dark chocolate glaze, some adorned with playful colorful sprinkles, others with elegant flaky finishing salt, showcasing a delicious homemade treat for any occasion.

My Favorite Baking Pro Tips for Making
The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe

Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. The sugar and butter will cream to the creamiest heights if your butter is at room temperature. Additionally, if the eggs and sour cream aren’t at room temp, your cake batter will likely curdle.
Add the eggs to the cake slowly. It’s tempting to just throw them all in, but along with throwing cold ingredients into your cake batter, adding too much liquid too quickly to your cake batter will curdle it as well. Mix them in slowly.
Use a whisk to mix in the hot espresso and milk. The cake batter will be quite thick at this point. To make sure the liquid is well mixed into the batter, use a whisk. Take care to mix until *just* combined, as over-mixing will result in a tough, dense cake.

A delectable slice of homemade chocolate sheet cake generously topped with rich chocolate buttercream frosting and vibrant rainbow sprinkles, served on a rustic fluted metal plate with a chocolate-smeared fork, embodying a perfect party dessert or easy sweet treat recipe.

Pro Tip: Line your baking pan with parchment paper on all four sides when baking sheet cakes. Not only will it make it easier to remove the cake from the pan, but the parchment paper will add a layer of protection from the heat of the oven so that the edges of the cake stay soft.

Overhead shot of moist, fudgy chocolate dessert bars generously topped with a rich, velvety chocolate frosting, some decorated with cheerful multi-colored confetti sprinkles, others with glistening sea salt flakes, arranged on a wire cooling rack, perfect for a delightful homemade treat or celebration.

Step-by-Step Instructions for
Perfect Moist Chocolate Snacking Cake

Overhead flat lay of chocolate sheet cake ingredients including unsalted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, eggs, sour cream, milk, espresso, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, displayed for a homemade cake recipe. — **Gather your ingredients**: Butter, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, sour cream, eggs, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, all-purpose flour, hot espresso (you can substitute with coffee or hot water) and hot milk.

Creamed butter and sugars being mixed in a clear glass bowl with a white spatula, an early step in preparing the wet ingredients for a rich homemade chocolate sheet cake recipe. — **STEP ONE**: Cream the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Raw egg yolk and white added to creamed butter and sugar mixture in a clear glass bowl with a spatula, a key step in preparing the cake batter for a homemade chocolate sheet cake recipe. — **STEP TWO**: Slowly add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is well blended before adding in the next.

Sour cream being added to the creamed butter, sugar, and egg mixture in a clear glass bowl with a white spatula, a step in making moist cake batter for a homemade chocolate sheet cake recipe. — **STEP THREE**: Mix in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl periodically to make sure everything is combined.

Unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt added on top of wet cake batter ingredients in a clear glass bowl with a spatula, a key step in preparing the chocolate mixture for a homemade sheet cake. — **STEP FOUR**: Stir in the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well blended.

Partially mixed chocolate cake batter with visible streaks of cocoa powder and flour and lighter wet ingredients in a clear glass mixing bowl with a white spatula, illustrating a key step in preparing a homemade chocolate sheet cake. — **STEP FIVE**: Fold in the flour until just barely combined and you see some small streaks.

Liquid ingredients like milk and espresso being added to the thick chocolate cake batter in a clear glass mixing bowl with a white spatula, a crucial step for achieving a smooth consistency in a homemade chocolate sheet cake recipe. — **STEP SIX**: Mix in the hot milk and espresso/coffee/water. If mixing by hand, a whisk can make this easier.

Smooth, glossy chocolate sheet cake batter evenly spread in a parchment paper-lined rectangular baking pan, ready for baking in a homemade chocolate cake recipe. — **STEP SEVEN:** Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 40 to 43 minutes.

Freshly baked homemade chocolate sheet cake cooling in a parchment paper-lined rectangular baking pan, ready to be frosted, from an easy chocolate cake recipe. — **STEP EIGHT**: Your chocolate sheet cake will look like this when done! Let cool in the pan for 60 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Thick, creamy chocolate buttercream frosting being spread onto a cool, freshly baked chocolate sheet cake in a parchment-lined pan, demonstrating a key step in a homemade cake recipe. — For my birthday, I topped this cake with my favorite **Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting** that uses both butter and cream cheese (plus cocoa powder!) for a perfect, chocolatey chocolate frosting that is not too sweet and spreads like a dream!

Overhead close-up of multiple slices of rich chocolate sheet cake, generously frosted with creamy chocolate buttercream, some squares adorned with vibrant rainbow sprinkles, others with flaky sea salt, showcasing a delicious homemade dessert recipe.

Single slice of moist chocolate sheet cake on a rustic metal plate, generously frosted with chocolate buttercream and topped with colorful rainbow sprinkles, with a chocolate-smeared fork nearby, ready to enjoy from a homemade cake recipe.

More Delicious Cake Recipes!

I hope you’ll also check out my favorite Brownie Meringue Cake, Pineapple-Coconut Cake or browse all of the Cake Recipes.

I hope you love this delicious Chocolate Sheet Cake!!

Overhead view of homemade chocolate sheet cake squares generously frosted with rich chocolate buttercream, adorned with vibrant rainbow sprinkles and a touch of flaky sea salt, perfect for a festive party dessert.

Perfectly Rich & Moist Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe

Welcome to the perfect Rich & Moist Chocolate Sheet Cake of your dreams. Fluffy, moist and bouncy, this cake tastes even better the next day! Loaded with chocolate flavor, this one-bowl recipe can be mixed and baked in an hour and is perfect for any celebration or chocolate craving!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Sheet Cake, Snacking Cake, Sour Cream Cake, Brithday Cake, Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 43 minutes

Total Time 58 minutes

Servings 12 Servings

Author Rebecca Firth

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Sheet Cake

1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (110 g) light brown sugar packed
16 tablespoons (226 g) unsalted butter room temperature, cut into 16 pieces
1 tablespoon (13 g) real vanilla extract
2/3 cup (160 g) sour cream room temperature
3 large eggs room temperature
1 cup (85 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour how to measure flour
½ cup (120 g) whole milk hot
½ cup (112 g) hot, fresh-brewed espresso or strong hot coffee or hot water

For the Chocolate Frosting

1 batch Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting see note in instructions regarding using 1 vs 2 batches of chocolate frosting

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and place a rack in the center of the oven.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment*, add the sugar, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the sour cream and mix for 1 minute more until light, fluffy and fabulous. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well blended.
*This is a mixer optional recipe; feel free to use a large bowl + spatula!
With the mixer on low, slowly add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure that each is well blended before adding in the next.
Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low for about 1 minute to blend completely. Finally, add the flour and mix on low until almost (but not quite) blended.
Pour in the hot milk and espresso (or coffee) and mix on low for 30 seconds or until mostly combined.* Take the bowl out of the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is blended. Gently mix the batter enough so that everything is combined while being cautious not to overmix as we don't want a tough cake. Set aside.
*If mixing the cake batter by hand, use a whisk at this stage to help the liquid blend in.
Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (23 x 33–cm) and line with parchment paper on all four sides, taking care that it lays flat against the pan and let the excess hang over the sides of the pan (you'll use these to pull the cake out of the pan). Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Tap on the counter several times to settle the cake batter and release any trapped bubbles. Use a spatula to smooth and even out the top of the cake batter.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 40-43 minutes. Use a toothpick or cake tester to test for doneness. Some moisture and crumbs are fine, but if it's coated in cake batter, bake it for several minutes more. Another way to test for doneness: press the center part of the cake gently and it should spring back when your finger lifts.
Let the cake cool for about 60 minutes before gently using the parchment to lift the cake out of the pan and onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.

For the Chocolate Frosting

Make 1 batch of Rich & Creamy Chocolate Frosting for a modest layer of frosting over the cake or make 2 batches for ample frosting. See the Chocolate Frosting Notes section just below the recipe for instructions on doubling the recipe.
If you don't have an offset spatula, use the back of a spoon to make swoops and swirls over the top of the cake (it's fun!). I like to leave a wee edge showing the cake below the frosting. If you make 2 batches of frosting, there is enough to frost the sides of the cake, if that's your vibe!
Add sprinkles or flaky sea salt just prior to serving!

Notes

Fully Lining Your Cake Pan

I like to line all four sides of the pan when baking this cake. To do this, cut a large piece of parchment that’s several inches larger than the base of the pan.

Set the parchment over the pan and cut diagonal slits several inches in, at each corner of the parchment.

Press the parchment into the pan, letting the flaps at the edges fold along the sides of the pan. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Press to make sure the parchment fits into the corners and sides of the pan to make sure it’s snug in there.

Spray non-stick baking spray onto the pan before placing the parchment to help it stay in place.

Storing Chocolate Sheet Cake

This cake will last for several days wrapped tightly and stored on the counter at room temperature. If it’s especially humid or warm out, consider storing in the refrigerator.

To freeze the unfrosted cake, set it on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for about 2 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then store in an airtight container for up to several months.

Defrost in the fridge overnight before bringing it onto the counter to come back to room temperature. Leave the cake wrapped while it defrosts, only taking the plastic wrap off once it’s close to room temperature.

Serving Size

The serving size is listed as 12, but frankly, I think it could serve double. This cake bakes up high and fluffy. I love sweets (obviously!) and my mom and I shared a slice on my birthday because even when cut into 12 slices, they are huge slices!

We serve this chocolate sheet cake with vanilla ice cream and it is perfection. Enjoy!

The post Perfectly Rich & Moist Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe appeared first on DisplacedHousewife.

Bye!

Perfectly Rich & Moist Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe