This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

Kicking off the first Friday of February with this easy One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting.

One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday

Does anyone else feel like this week just flew by? I spent the first half of the week traveling to Austin, Texas for a fun shoot with Camille Styles. From there I flew over to LA for a quick taping of Hallmark Home and Family (which aired yesterday, but you can watch the replay here). I flew home Wednesday night, photographed new recipes for HBH on Thursday, and today will be spent filming new videos. Such a jam pack week, but I loved every minute of it.

While in LA I was lucky enough to get to hang with my brother Red for a bit too. I wasn’t there very long, but it was awesome to get to see him before he flies to South Korea today with the US Team. I almost never see that kid, so even if it’s just a quick, “hey” it’s still always fun. Red always knows how to get a smile glued to my face and made my quick trip just that much better.

The next few days will be spent cramming in all the work I possibly can before heading off to Korea for the Olympics on the seventh. I still can’t believe we are going to Korea, but it’s happening, and I can’t wait!

One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday
One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday
One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday

As you can probably guess, I’m also very excited to be sharing this chocolate cake with you guys today, and for a few reasons.

One, because everyone knows February is the month of all things chocolatey. Two, because it happens to be my brother Brendan’s birthday, and celebrating with chocolate cake is just something we do. And three, because this cake is beyond good and you all need it in your life sometime soon.

I’ve wanted to make a sheet cake for the longest time now but just hadn’t gotten around to it. For whatever reason layer cakes always excite me a bit more than sheet cakes, but after making this sheet cake, I’m becoming sold on the idea. You guys, if you didn’t know, sheet cakes are the absolute best. They’re easy, no fuss, feed a crowd, and are incredibly delicious.

I can already see this cake becoming a regular in my kitchen for birthdays, dinners with friends, and even holidays. It’s so versatile and perfect for so many different occasions.

For me, the biggest bonus this cake offers is just how easy it is. As I was writing up the recipe, I realized that everything was made in entirely one bowl, with ingredients I already had in my pantry. And not only that, there are absolutely zero skills required for frosting this cake. Just spread on a very generous layer of that chocolate buttercream, and done. Not sure about you guys, but that’s a major plus for me when it comes to baking recipes.

One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday
One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday

Unlike most sheet cakes, this one is extra moist, chocolatey, and fudgy. My three secret ingredients are buttermilk, Greek yogurt, and coffee. The buttermilk and yogurt keep the cake incredibly light and moist, while the coffee highlights the chocolate flavors going on in the cake.

Now, before those of you who don’t like coffee click away from this recipe, hear me out. I promise that you do not taste the coffee at all. It’s simply there as an undertone that highlights the flavors of the chocolate. I highly recommend giving it a try before you decide to omit it, if you truly hate the flavor of coffee, simply skip it, no big deal.

So that’s the cake portion, and while it is my favorite go-to chocolate cake recipe, I think the milk chocolate buttercream steals the show a bit. I mean, it’s really the cake and the buttercream paired together that makes this cake so good, but the buttercream is pretty much just incredible. And the key to this buttercream? Whipping in some real milk chocolate. Yes, milk chocolate.

I know everyone is all about the dark chocolate these days, and I love it too, but let’s all be honest, some days just call for milk chocolate, and I’m thinking the first Friday in February is just one of those days.

One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday
One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday

I have to mention that not only is this cake great for birthdays, but it would be perfect to make for Valentine’s Day…which semi explains all the roses in my photos. Just a heads up, the roses will be appearing in all my sweet recipes from now until Valentine’s Day. Sorry, I can’t help it.

Also, if any of you happen to be hosting a Super Bowl party this Sunday, or even an Olympic viewing party in the coming weeks, this cake would be amazing for that too. As mentioned it feeds a crowd and can also be made ahead of time, making the dessert portion of your party a breeze. You can even decorate the cake to support your favorite team. You see, the perfect dessert!

One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday
One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday

One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Calories Per Serving: 467 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Milk Chocolate Frosting

  • 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cool to touch
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (optional)

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, greek yogurt, canola oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mix until there are no longer any clumps of flour. Add the hot coffee and mix until combined. Batter should be pourable, but not super thin. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.
    3. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool completely before frosting.
    4. To make the buttercream, add the butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer). Beat the butter and powdered sugar together until the butter is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the melted milk chocolate and vanilla and beat (scraping down the sides as needed) another 2 minutes or until there are no streaks of white. Add 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream and whip the frosting for 2-4 minutes more or until light and fluffy. If desired add the remaining heavy cream and whip until combined. 
    5. Frost the cake and decorate as desired. 

Notes

Recipe makes a 9×13 inch cake
View Recipe Comments
One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting | halfbakedharvest.com #cake #chocolate #birthday #valentinesday

The chocolate cake of your dreams…

PS. see you guys tomorrow for a fun Valentine’s Day gift guide!

Add a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This cake is delicious. I have been making the same chocolate cake for my children’s birthdays for 10 years. I decided to try something different because I was pressed for time. This will be my new go to birthday cake recipe. My family absolutely loved it. The frosting was so good and easy to make. Thank you!

    1. Hey Robin,
      Happy Saturday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed:)

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe was absolutely phenomenal. I made it last night and I’ve already had four pieces in the last 24 hours lol. One of the best cakes I’ve ever made. I am going to throw out all my other chocolate cake recipes and just keep this one. It’s 5 stars all day! That being said, how can I make this a vanilla cake so I have the same delicious moist consistency? Do you just omit the cocoa powder? Would I have to add something else inside? Thanks Tieghan!

    1. Hey Jamie! Thank you soooo much! So glad you enjoyed this cake! I haven’t ever tried it with omitting the cocoa powder so I can’t say for sure! So sorry

  3. Thank you for the recipe! Do you have any advice on it sinking in the middle? I’ll frost and it’ll be great I know! I just wondered because the temperature was accurate and I baked long enough. I didn’t think I mixed too long but it did appear a little thinner than I thought it should be. I used Dutch processed cocoa. Would that have made an impact? Thank you!

    1. Hey! I’m so sorry about the sinking! I would maybe recommend baking a little longer for it to fully rise all the way! xT

      1. 5 stars
        You’re right! It did need longer but tasted delicious and people really enjoyed it. The frosting is amazing! Thanks again!

  4. 5 stars
    The cake was so delightfully moist! I actually used a different frosting recipe, so can’t speak to that, but the cake itself was great. I made a buttermilk substitute with vinegar and whole Lactaid; used 10% fat Greek yogurt; and skipped the chocolate chips. Thanks for making my mom’s birthday special!

  5. 4 stars
    This icing is phenomenal! My cake was a tad on the dry side but I only used 1/4 cup of hot coffee instead of 3/4 cup. I wonder if that made the difference. I was worried of it having too strong of a coffee flavor.

    1. Hi Lindsay,
      Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it and your review! Oh yes, you needed that 3/4 cup of liquid:) xT

  6. 5 stars
    I just made this last night. I subbed canola oil and made a buttermilk substitute, otherwise followed the recipe and it is delicious. It was a bit fluffier annd less dense but otherwise looked exactly like your picture! 😄

    1. Thanks so much Thuy!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear the cake was a hit! xT

  7. 4 stars
    Is it possible to substitute coconut oil or avocado oil for the canola oil? Will it still turn out ok?

    1. Hey Kathryn,
      Totally, any of those will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT