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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
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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!

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Comments

  1. Loved this cake!! So glad I found this recipe and gave it a try! The coffee brings out such a rich chocolaty flavor and this frosting is so creamy, silky and rich! This is my new favorite cake!

      1. Hey Maggie,
        Yes, that would work just fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

  2. This is probably one of the BEST chocolate cakes/frosting I have made! Made for my dad’s birthday 🙂 Everyone really loved it & I gave your website! I did make a 1/2 batch of the frosting and it was def enough to frost the cake, I also did add the semi sweet chocolate chips to the cake batter.
    Thank you so much, I have made 2 of your cakes now, Bursting Blueberry Lemon Cake & rave reviews for both!! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/bursting-blueberry-lemon-layer-cake/#bo-recipe

  3. 5 stars
    I’ve made this cake and honestly it is the best one for me. I’m wanting to bake today but all I have is cake flour, is this ok to use in place of all purpose?
    Love your recipes!!

    Kathi

    1. Hi Kathi,
      Yes you can use the cake flour! So glad you have been enjoying this recipe! xTieghan

  4. I made this twice and both times it was runny and not set after baking for 30 minutes. What went wrong?!

    1. Hi Ashley,
      So sorry you are having issues with the cake. Can I ask if you adjusted any of the recipe this would help me to better answer your question. Please let me know how I can help. xTieghan

  5. 3 stars
    A question – my cake had a hilariously huge border all around and a big dip in the middle. I note in the picture that yours did too, but mine did more. I followed the recipe exactly. It is DELICIOUS but I don’t want to make it again if it looks like that. It seems to have a lot more leavening agent than other recipes. Perhaps this is why? Can you advise? Thank you.

    1. Hey Margaret, you can try reducing the the leavings to 1 teaspoon each and see if that helps. It is hard for me to know what is happening without more details. MY cake has a dip because of the elevation I live it. I just fill it in with more frosting!! Delicious 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan

  6. 5 stars
    Just made this and it’s terrific! A chocolate lovers dream. The buttercream is amazing. Thanks for all the recipes.

    Cheesecake for haters on Instagram

  7. 5 stars
    I made this recipe a couple months ago for my son’s birthday. I just used the cake recipe because we made a whipped cream icing. My husband LOVED it. And I loved how easy it is. I found it to make again because I’m pregnant and apparently need a chocolate cake. Perfect recipe for easy, but delicious. <3

    1. Haha that is so amazing! I hope your pregnancy is going well, especially now that you have the chocolate cake! Thank you! xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    This is the best chocolate cake and buttercream that I have ever made. God bless you and your magical recipes!!!

  9. I’ve made this cake before, and it turned out awesome! I’m planning to make it this weekend with peanut butter frosting!

  10. 5 stars
    For some context to my comment, let me just say that I’m an avid food blogger reader/recipe user and I’ve never left a review of a recipe, even on some of my most favourite recipes.
    After tasting this chocolate cake, I knew I HAD to post a RAVING review. This cake is absolutely AMAZING! The combination of not only oil, but greek yogurt AND buttermilk yield such a rich, fudgy, chocolate-forward, chocolate cake! It was even better after it sat for 24 hours.
    This cake comes together literally in less than 30 minutes, it could not be any easier or any more delicious. I truly couldn’t have better things to say about this cake! I’m 24 years old and I know this will be on heavy rotation for the rest of my life!!! Hello future kids birthday parties!!!!
    Ok I’ll stop now….but let me just say, if theres any recipe worthy of my very first review, its definitely this one! If anyone’s on the fence about whether to make it….JUST DO IT!!!! thanks, Tieghan, for an amazing recipe!

    1. This is so amazing! I am so glad you loved this cake, Victoria! Thank you for trying it and leaving a comment!! xTieghan

  11. Hi! Looking forward to making this recipe. Would you say the coffee adds a coffee flavor, or really just enhances the chocolate? If the latter, what would you adjust or add to make this more of a coffee-chocolate cake? Coffee extract or espresso powder? Thanks!

    1. Hi Nicole! The coffee only enhances the chocolate and does not add flavor. I would add 1 tablespoon of espresso powder. That will be so good! I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan

  12. 4 stars
    Hey, I love your cake recipes! I made this cake and it came out really good, a little crumbly but all in all good. I have a question- how can turn this into a vanilla sheetcake?
    Thanks.