chocolatecoffeebaked
Chocolate Sheet Cake
This crowd-sized chocolate sheet cake uses buttermilk, sour cream, oil and hot coffee for an especially moist, fudgy texture.
From YouTube · Mar 19, 2026
This crowd-sized chocolate sheet cake uses buttermilk, sour cream, oil and hot coffee for an especially moist, fudgy texture.
10 min
Prep time
50 min
Cook time
2 hrs
Total time
15–20 servings
Yield
Ingredients
19 ingredients- CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 2/3 cups (530 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (50 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole or low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) hot coffee or boiling water
- CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- 1 1/2 cups (340 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (25 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 lb (450 g) powdered sugar
- 1–3 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream
- 1/3 cup (100 g) hot fudge sauce or chocolate ganache
- Sprinkles, chopped nuts or shaved chocolate, optional
Method
16 steps- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Line it with a parchment sling if you plan to remove the cake from the pan.
- Sift the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla.
- Slowly whisk the hot coffee or boiling water into the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until no streaks of flour remain.
- Pour the thin batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the centre springs back when lightly pressed and the edges begin to pull away from the pan.
- Cool the cake completely in the pan.
- For the frosting, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Mix in the cocoa powder and salt.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the bowl occasionally.
- Mix in the hot fudge sauce or ganache.
- Beat in enough milk or cream to make the frosting smooth, fluffy and spreadable.
- Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake.
- Decorate with optional sprinkles, nuts or shaved chocolate.
Recipe notes
Helpful tips
- Weigh the flour where possible to avoid a dry cake.
- The cake batter should be thin and pourable.
- Use hot coffee for a deeper chocolate flavour, or boiling water if preferred.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting it.
- Use a light-coloured metal pan for the most even baking.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- 9-by-13-inch cake pan
- Electric mixer
- Whisk
- Offset spatula
Storage
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze well wrapped for up to 1 month.
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