Chocolate Sheet Cake with Fudge Frosting
Desserts · Serves 16 · Prep 20 min · Cook 35 min · Total 55 min
A soft, tender chocolate cake made in one pan, with a warm fudge frosting poured on while the cake is still hot so it sets into a thin, glossy layer. It comes together on the stovetop in minutes and cuts into neat squares for a crowd.
Ingredients
The Cake
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup water or brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
The Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 3 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans (optional)
Steps
The Cake
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
- Bring the butter, water and cocoa to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until smooth. Pour it over the flour mixture and whisk until combined.
- Whisk the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl, then whisk them into the batter until smooth. The batter will be thin.
- Pour into the pan and bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
The Frosting
- About 5 minutes before the cake is done, melt the butter with the cocoa and milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until it just bubbles. Take off the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth, then stir in the pecans if using.
- Pour the warm frosting over the hot cake and spread it to the edges right away. Let cool at least 1 hour so the frosting sets before cutting into squares.