Frosted Chocolate Sheet Cake
This rich chocolate cake is great for any special occasion. The entire cake is coated with a sweet ganache. It is a moist, fluffy frosted chocolate sheet cake that is perfect for birthdays, celebrations, and more!
As a cake decorator, I’ve made countless cakes for birthdays, weddings, and special events, but sometimes, the most meaningful cakes are the ones baked just to say thank you. That’s exactly what happened when I made this Chocolate Sheet Cake with Ganache for a birthday at a local gathering —a way to show our gratitude for everything the event had done for our little girl.
It was a beautiful evening, full of laughter and celebration. When it was time for cake, we sang, cut the slices, and shared desserts with everyone. But then, something funny happened—while the other cakes were served right away, my chocolate sheet cake mysteriously disappeared. My friend and his wife, the hosts, later confessed—they had taken it home for their family celebration instead! They loved my cakes and knew that this one was at a different level, so they wanted to keep it for themselves and enjoy it properly.
Honestly? I took it as the biggest compliment. This cake, with its rich, moist chocolate base and silky smooth ganache, is one of those simple yet indulgent, unforgettable desserts. And the fact that someone chose to save it for a special moment with their family just proved what I’ve always believed—good cake isn’t just dessert, it’s an experience.
Why make this frosted sheet cake
- As you can see in the video, this is a very simple and easy cake.
- The batter takes only 10 minutes to combine, and you don’t need any special equipment like an electric mixer or stand mixer.
- And most of the ingredients in this recipe are simple pantry staples or easy to find.
- I baked this into one 9 x 13 sheet pan for a sheet cake, but you can also make 2 x 7-inch round cake pans to make a layer cake, one 9 x 4 loaf pan for a chocolate loaf cake, or a 12-cup bundt pan to make a rich chocolate bundt cake.
- This sheet cake has two main components:
- The cake Is a light and airy cake with cocoa powder as a base.
- Frosting – I then whipped the remaining ganache to frost the top and sides. The heavy whipping cream in the ganache gives volume and lightness to the frosting when whipped.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chocolate – The chocolate you use will determine the ultimate experience you get from this cake. So, always use good-quality chocolate that you can eat on its own. You can use any percentage you want. And if you use dark or bittersweet chocolate, the cake will have a rich chocolate flavor. I prefer to use 60% Callebaut chocolate for my ganache, but you can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips for this chocolate ganache frosting.
- Flour – I use regular all-purpose flour, plain flour, for most of my cakes. It is easily available and usually on hand in most households.
- Oil – While most cakes use unsalted butter, this cake works best with cooking oil. Use flavorless cooking oil like canola, sunflower, or grapeseed.
- Sugar – I’ve used both white and brown sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar contributes to the soft texture, as well as a rich flavor.
- Cocoa powder – I use Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder for this batter. But you can also use regular cocoa powder.
- Eggs – Always use large-size eggs when baking unless specified.
- Buttermilk – You can also use store-bought buttermilk, but you can also make your own at home in just five minutes. Yogurt is also a great substitute for buttermilk or sour cream.
- Vanilla – A good quality vanilla goes a long way. I have used vanilla bean paste, but vanilla extract works just as well. You can even replace some of the sugar with vanilla sugar.
- Hot water or brewed hot coffee – This melts the cocoa powder and gives this cake that deep, almost black color when baked. I used instant coffee powder, but you can also use espresso powder for a stronger flavor.
Step-by-step: Frosted chocolate sheet cake recipe
Cake
- Preheat Oven to 350°F/177 °C/ Gas Mark 4
- Prep pan – Grease and dust a 9 x 13 sheet cake pan with softened butter or cooking spray and cocoa powder.
- Coffee – In a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water and coffee. And set aside.
- Dry ingredients – Combine white sugar, brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Wet ingredients – In a medium bowl, whip the eggs with buttermilk, cooking oil, and vanilla extract. Then, add the oil, followed by the eggs and vanilla. Combine well, making sure to break the eggs and incorporate well.
- Wet to dry ingredients – Pour the mixture of liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients (flour mixture) and combine well. Then, add the hot coffee and combine until you have a smooth batter with no lumps.
Pro tip – Use a whisk to ensure you have no lumps and do not overmix. - Bake – Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the center rack for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool – Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
Chocolate ganache frosting
- Microwave – Chop the chocolate into smaller, similar-sized pieces and place them in a large bowl or measuring cup. Pour the whipping cream over the chocolate. Next, add the butter and vanilla extract. Combine well. Then, heat in the microwave for a minute or more until all the chocolate is melted and smooth. Use a whisk to ensure it is smooth.
Double boiler – Alternatively, you can heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to an almost boil. Then, pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for 2 minutes. Stir with a spatula until it is smooth. - Cover the ganache with plastic. Leave to set in the fridge for 2 hours or on the counter for 4 hours until it’s about the consistency of peanut butter.
Pro tip – In summer, you may need to place the ganache in the fridge to set it. If it gets hard, place it in the microwave for no more than 10 seconds until you have a spreadable consistency. - Whip – When cooled to peanut butter consistency, whip the ganache until it is light and fluffy.
Pro tip – Don’t overwhip, as it can be difficult to smooth. If you do happen to overwhip, add a few tablespoons of hot milk and whip some more.
Assemble
- Syrup – Prepare simple syrup – Cool completely before using.
Pro tip – Simple syrup is just sugar water that has been boiled and cooled. Used to keep cake layers moist. - Level – Using a bread knife or cake leveler, cut the domes off the sheet cake and brush with the cooled simple syrup.
- Frost – Place a sheet cake on the cake board or cake stand. Spread the whipped ganache on top or sides of the cake. Using a paddle motion when spreading will help smooth the ganache better. Place the cake in the fridge to chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
Pro tip – A straight-edge spatula for the top, an offset spatula, and a bench scraper for the sides work better. - Border – Place some ganache in the piping bag with a star tip and pipe a border all around the top edge of the cake. I also piped the no 50 on the cake using the star tip.
Pro tip – You can also pipe a border on the bottom edge of the cake. - Flowers – I transferred the remaining ganache to a piping bag with Russian piping tips. Hold the bag at a right angle – squeeze and release, until you have piped enough flowers over the cake.
- Decorate – I used dragees to dot the flower centers. I also used gold luster dust paint to paint the edges of some of the flowers. This will help create highlights on the cake.
Pro tip – 1 tsp of gold luster dust with 1 tsp of vodka or alcohol will create a paint consistency.
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- See all chocolate cakes or see all layer cakes
Frequently asked questions
How long will this chocolate ganache cake keep?
If properly stored, this cake will last for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 or 6 days.
Can I make this an eggless chocolate ganache cake?
No, I have not replaced the egg in this cake, so I’m not sure how it will work. But I do have an eggless chocolate cake recipe that is moist and fudgy, similar to a mud cake.
What other pans can I use for this recipe?
If you don’t want to make a sheet cake like this, you can also pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted bundt pan for a ‘Chocolate Ganache Bundt Cake’.
This recipe can also be baked into 24 beautiful chocolate cupcakes.
What other frostings can I use instead of chocolate ganache?
There are so many other frosting options. Such as:
Swiss or Italian Meringue Buttercream
French or German Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
I have over 30+ frosting recipes on this blog. And I highly recommend checking them out.
Frosted Chocolate Sheet Cake
This rich chocolate cake is great for any special occasion. The entire cake is coated with a sweet ganache. It is a moist, fluffy frosted chocolate sheet cake that is perfect for birthdays, celebrations, and more!
Video
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups (250 g) All-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (165 g) Brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) White sugar
- ½ cup (43 g) Cocoa Powder
- ¾ tsp Baking powder
- ¾ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 3 large Eggs
- ½ cup (120 ml) Buttermilk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Brewed coffee or hot water
- ½ cup (120 ml) Cooking oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
Plus
- ½ cup (120 ml) Simple syrup
Method
Cake
- Preheat Oven to 350°F/177°C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and dust a 9 x 13 sheet cake pan with softened butter or cooking spray and cocoa powder.
- Coffee – In a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water and coffee. And set aside.¼ cup Brewed coffee
- Dry ingredients – Combine white sugar, brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 cups All-purpose flour, ¾ cup Brown sugar, ½ cup White sugar, ½ cup Cocoa Powder, ¾ tsp Baking powder, ¾ tsp Baking soda, ½ tsp Salt
- Wet ingredients – In a medium bowl, whip the eggs with buttermilk, cooking oil, and vanilla extract. Then, add the oil followed by the eggs and vanilla. Combine well making sure to break the eggs and incorporate well.3 large Eggs, ½ cup Buttermilk, ½ cup Cooking oil , 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- Wet to dry ingredients – Pour the mixture of liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients (flour mixture) and combine well. Then, add the hot coffee and combine until you have a smooth batter with no lumps.
- Bake – Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake in the center rack for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool – Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
Chocolate ganache
- Microwave – Chop the chocolate into smaller similar size pieces and place it in a large bowl or measuring cup. Pour the whipping cream over the chocolate. Add the butter and vanilla extract. Combine well. Heat in the microwave for a minute or more until all the chocolate is melted and smooth. Use a whisk to ensure it is smooth. Double boiler – Alternatively, you can heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to an almost boil. Then, pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes. Combine with a spatula until it is smooth.1 lb Chocolate , 1½ cup Heavy cream, 2 tbsp Butter, 1 tsp Vanilla
- Chill – Cover the ganache with plastic. Leave to set in the fridge for 2 hours or on the counter for 4 hours until it’s about peanut butter consistency.
- Whip – When cooled to peanut butter consistency whip the ganache using a paddle attachment until it is light and fluffy.
Assemble
- Syrup – Prepare simple syrup – Cool completely before using. Simple syrup is just sugar water that has been boiled and cooled. Used to keep cake layers moist.½ cup Simple syrup
- Level – Using a bread knife or cake leveler, cut the domes off the sheet cake and brush with the cooled simple syrup.
- Frost – Place a sheet cake on the cake board or cake stand. Spread the whipped ganache on top or sides of the cake. Using a paddle motion when spreading will help smooth the ganache better. Place the cake in the fridge to chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Border – Place some ganache in the piping bag with a star tip and pipe a border all around the top edge of the cake. I also piped the no 50 on the cake using the star tip.
- Flowers – I transferred the remaining ganache to a piping bag with Russian piping tips. Hold the bag at a right angle – squeeze and release, until you have piped enough flowers over the cake.
- Decorate – I used dragees to dot the flower centers. I also used gold luster dust paint to paint the edges of some of the flowers. This will help create highlights on the cake.
Notes
- The cake will stay fresh for up to 3 days at cool room temperature, and longer if kept in the fridge. It can also be frozen for a month.
- Always wrap cakes well especially after cutting them to prevent them from getting dry.
- When keeping it in the refrigerator, place it in sealed silicon or ziplock bag or wrap it in plastic wrap.
- If stored in the freezer – first wrap it in parchment paper, then place it in a freezer-safe bag. Lastly, wrap it in foil to prevent it from catching any freezer smells from other food. Always, thaw in the fridge overnight. The parchment paper keeps the condensation on the paper, not the cake.
- If you do not want to bake this as a chocolate layer cake you can also
- Make 2 x 7-inch round cake pan. For a taller layer cake use 3 x 6-inch round cakes.
- You can also make an 8-inch chocolate bundt cake, or
- This batter would also make 15 to 18 cupcakes
Variations
- Raspberry chocolate ganache cake – Add 7 oz (200 grams) of fresh raspberries to the batter and top with raspberry fruit filling as a sauce.
- Strawberry chocolate ganache cake – Drop dollops of strawberry fruit filling in between the chocolate cake batter in the bundt pan (or 8-inch cake pan).
- Baileys chocolate ganache cake – Substitute the coffee in the recipe with bailey’s Irish cream or butterscotch Irish cream.
- Chocolate chip cake – Add 1 cup of dark or white chocolate chips to the batter before pouring it into the cake pan to make a chocolate chip layer cake.
- Chocolate ganache cake with sour cream – Substitute buttermilk or yogurt in the recipe with sour cream.
- Chocolate cake with white chocolate ganache – Use chocolate ganache or white chocolate ganache as a glaze.
- Chocolate cake with Creme Anglaise – My favorite way to serve a slice of chocolate cake is with Creme Anglaise sauce.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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This cake has my mouth watering! I don’t even think you need a celebration as an excuse to make this cake! Thanks for the recipe share!
This is the perfect recipe for when those chocolate cake cravings hit. Thanks for sharing!
My husband’s birthday is coming up next month and he LOVES chocolate cake (plus it’s a big one). I’m saving this recipe to make and I might even go a step further and try your design. Thank you for all the great cake baking and decorating tips.
I feel like I need more practice using a piping bag. You make it look so easy. Might just give this recipe a try just to put myself to practice more. lol.
This frosted sheet cake recipe was incredibly comprehensive that even a beginner could make it and have it turn out better than store brought. Party perfect!
This looks so beautiful! What a stunning cake- love that it’s a sheet cake for simplicity. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Mum always bought me a cake like this for my birthday when I was small. You cake brought back such lovely memories
I am really enjoying this recipe. I find this cake lighter than most cakes and delicious.
My piping skills are not as good as yours, but it didn’t detract from how delicious this cake is. Very moist, rich, not overly sweet – just how we like our chocolate cake!
Thank you Leva.
that chocolate ganache looks so decadent! love the recipe!