Chocolatey Chocolate Sheet Cake

A slice of this Chocolatey Chocolate Sheet Cake will satisfy your chocolate craving in no time. Moist cake with a fluffy semi-sweet chocolate frosting. Simple, but just perfect! 

Chocolate cake is a dessert that is very dear to my heart! I want nothing fancy, but just a simple chocolatey cake with a fluffy chocolatey frosting.

A couple years ago, I remember Bryan and I was watching TV. We saw an advertisement from El Pollo Loco (like this one, but not with dulce de leche). It looked soooo incredible and I couldn’t resist! We got dinner from El Pollo Loco that night. Unfortunately, that chocolate cake was a HUGE disappointment. Bland and sad….. We didn’t even finish it. That crushed my heart! Later that week, Bryan bought a slice of old fashion chocolate cake from our favorite bakery, SusieCakes. So rich and so moist! That satisfying cake helped to erase the sad memory of the El Pollo Loco cake.

Although I really love the chocolate cake from SusieCakes, I would like to make something similar and easy at home. You know sometimes, I may want to have more than just one slice. This Chocolatey Chocolate Sheet Cake is everything that you want in a chocolate cake. Chocolatey, moist and easy to make. The cake doesn’t require a mixer. There is no creaming the butter. Instead, you boil water with butter and chocolate. Then mix in all the dry ingredients. Add sour cream and eggs. Everything is mixed by hand. Very quick and easy.

For the frosting, I have tried 3 recipes. This buttercream from Patty over at The PKP Way is the winner! It used real chocolate, not cocoa powder. It’s very fluffy, buttery, rich and chocolatey. Finger-licking good! I know it would go well with any cake, especially this moist chocolate sheet cake.

Also, I love that the whole cake can also be made ahead. Decorate the cake with some pearls, chocolate shaving or sprinkles. Take it to a dinner party and your guests will thank you!

Let’s eat chocolate cake! Shall we? Do you have a chocolate cake story to share?

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5 from 1 vote

Chocolatey Chocolate Sheet Cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword american, buttercream, cake, chocolate, dessert, sheet cake

Servings 1 (9 x 13 inches) cake

Author Lokness

Ingredients

Sheet Cake:

• 240 grams all-purpose flour
• 396 grams sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoons espresso powder or instant coffee
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan (8 tablespoons)
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (coarsely chopped)
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)

Chocolate Buttercream:

• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (coarsely chopped)
• 1 cup unsalted butter (16 tablespoons, at room temperature)
• 1½ cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream (room temperature)
• chocolate pearls, chocolate crisps or chocolate shaving (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Grease 9 x 13 inches baking pan with unsalted butter. Dust with flour to cover the pan and remove excess flour. 
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan, combine water, butter and chopped chocolate. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Add the sour cream and mix well. Add eggs and whisk to combine.
• Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touch lightly. Remove from oven and cool completely.
• When the cake is cooled, work on the buttercream. Set a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Add the chocolate into the bowl and let them sit untouched for 4 minutes. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from heat and let the chocolate cool to nearly room temperature.
• Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add extract, salt and 1/3 of the heavy cream. Mix on medium-low speed until just combined. Scrape down the side. Add half of the remaining cream. Mix at medium-low speed until smooth.
• Remove the bowl from mixer. Use a spatula to make a large well in the mixture. Add the cooled chocolate into the well. Try to prevent the chocolate from touching the sides of the bowl. Fold in the chocolate until almost combined. Add the rest of the heavy cream. Mix with the spatula until combined.
• Return the bowl to the electric mixer. Mix on medium-low speed until smooth and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Spread the buttercream over the cake. Buttercream will thicken up as it cools. Decorate with chocolate pearls, chocolate crisps, or chocolate shaving if desired. 

Notes

1. For the buttercream, I used 60% semi-sweet chocolate. The sweetness is perfect.
2. This cake can easily feed 12 people, or even more.
3. The cake can be kept at room temperature with a cover for a few days.

(Cake adapted from Food52)

(Frosting adapted from The PKP Way)

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