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Chocolate Sheet Cake (A Cake Worth Sharing)

Chocolate Sheet Cake - a slice sits on top of a cream plate with a textured scroll detail around the rim. The plate sits on a wood table top.

There are some recipes that feel like more than food.

They carry memories. People. Moments you didn’t know would stay with you.

This easy chocolate sheet cake is one of those.

Chocolate Sheet Cake - a slice sits on top of a cream plate with a textured scroll detail around the rim. The plate sits on a wood table top.

The first cake I ever made was a Texas chocolate sheet cake. I was seven years old, standing in the kitchen making it for my dad’s birthday, with my mom right there beside me, talking me through each step.

I remember how proud I felt when it came out of the oven.

And I remember how amazed I was that I could make this moist chocolate sheet cake myself!

That recipe didn’t make it through the years, but somehow the feeling of it did.

I still have the pan that I made it in, and I think of that cake every time I use it. Every time.

metal baking pan, with cover that slides on/off
This pan is sooooo old! But I love that it has a cover that slides on and off, and the memories attached to it are precious. You can get a pan similar to this here or here. Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Years later, after my mom passed, a friend of my parents brought dinner to my parents' apartment. Along with it came this cake. One bite in, and I knew. It tasted just like the one I remembered making all those years ago.

I asked for the recipe and thankfully, she said yes. (THANK YOU Barbara!!!)

And now I’m sharing it with you, Charli, so you can have it too.

Because this is the kind of cake that shows up when it matters. And the kind you make just because.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake

  • Rich, chocolatey, and incredibly moist
  • Made in one pan, no fuss or layering
  • Feeds a crowd (or gives you leftovers worth having)
  • Perfect for birthdays, potlucks, or quiet nights at home
  • Easy to adapt into cupcakes
  • People LOVE IT (I've made it many times in the last few years and it is a crowd-pleaser!)

And maybe most importantly, it’s meant to be shared.

A Note About the Pecans

The original recipe calls for pecans, and they are delicious here.

But I almost always leave part of the cake without them because your father / my husband insists they ruin everything (he’s wrong, but I love him anyway).

If you’re serving a group, you can easily do half with pecans and half without.

How to Turn This Into Cupcakes

Yes, you can absolutely do this.

  • Use the same batter and bake in cupcake tins
  • Adjust baking time to about 12–15 minutes
  • For the icing: reduce the milk slightly and let it cool a bit before spreading so it thickens

You’ll still get that same rich, chocolatey bite, just in a smaller form.

When to Make This Cake

Make it for birthdays.
Make it when someone needs comfort.
Make it when you don’t have a reason at all.

But if you can, don’t just make it.

Share it.

Because sometimes the act of sharing something simple like a slice of cake is what people remember most.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Cooking Method:
Courses:
Difficulty: Beginner
Cooking Temp: 400  F
Servings: 20
Description

This chocolate sheet cake tastes like the one I remember making as a child, guided by my mom and full of excitement. It is simple, dependable, and the kind of cake that shows up for birthdays, neighbors, and ordinary days that need something sweet.

Ingredients
    Cake:
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 US stick)
  • 1/2 cup Crisco
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa
  • 2 cups flour, sifted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs (large)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Icing:
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 US stick)
  • 4-6 tablespoons milk
  • 1 lb box powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 - 1 cup pecans (coarsely chopped)
Instructions
  1. 1
    To make cake:
  2. 2
    Combine butter, shortening (Crisco), water and cocoa in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to keep from sticking.
  3. 3
    Combine flour, sugar, soda and cinnamon together in a bowl.
  4. 4
    When the butter mixture is boiling, remove from the heat and pour in the flour / sugar mixture all at once and stir with a spoon (no whisk!).
  5. 5
    In a measuring cup, put buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Beat with a fork and add to the cake batter. Stir well until completely combined.
  6. 6
    Pour into a greased and floured 9x12 pan (or larger). Bake at 400 degrees (375 F if it is a dark pan) for 20 - 40 minutes. Check at 20 minutes for doneness and bake longer if needed, checking every 5-10 minutes). Cake will pull slightly away from the side of the pan when done, and check center with a toothpick (if it comes out clean, it is done).
  7. 7
    To make icing:
  8. 8
    Whle cake is cooking, wash the saucepan, then melt the butter, cocoa and milk together in the saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and add powdered sugar, canilla and nuts.
  9. 9
    Let the cake coolk about 5 minutes (not longer as it still needs to be hot) and then spread the icing carefully and evenly over the hot cake. That's it!
Note

You can easily convert this into cupcakes.

Just pour batter into cupcake tin (each well 3/4 full) and bake approximately 12 - 15 minutes.

Decrease the milk in the icing and let the cake cool before icing the cupcakes so that it is thicker (and will not spill over the sides).

Read it online: https://homeletters.net/recipes/chocolate-sheet-cake-recipe/