The Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen
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The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

4.87 Mitt(s) 64 Rating(s)64 votes, average: 4.87 out of 564 votes, average: 4.87 out of 564 votes, average: 4.87 out of 564 votes, average: 4.87 out of 564 votes, average: 4.87 out of 5

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Level: Easy

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Description

This is is absolutely, without a doubt, The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. It’s moist beyond imagination, chocolatey and rich like no tomorrow, and 100% of the time, causes moans and groans from anyone who takes a bite.

Ingredients

  • FOR THE CAKE:
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoons Salt
  • 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
  • 2 sticks Butter
  • 1 cup Boiling Water
  • ½ cups Buttermilk
  • 2 whole Beaten Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • FOR FROSTING:
  • ½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
  • 1-¾ stick Butter
  • 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
  • 6 Tablespoons Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation

Note: I use an 18×13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

38 Comments

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Maria Megkli on 1.23.2016

hey!! I am very intrigued from the recipe and the comments!! Since I am from Greece through and my english is as good as, can smb explain to me what is two sticks of butter or which is the analogy in gr??
thanx ;)

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waterdogs3 on 8.14.2014

So good!
Has anyone ever tried this using whole milk? I just hate to buy buttermilk when I don’t use it for anything else.

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Tommye Roades on 8.5.2014

I love chocolate so I looked up your cake and made it, for my grandkids. All I had was a pizza pan that sways in the middle. so I thought why not. I was worried at first but it didn’t run over. when I took it out and frosted it. my grandkids had thought granny had made them a big choc. cookie. We all sit around and ate it. I never told them it was a sheet cake. Oh! by the way it is the best choc. sheet cake ever.ty

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Jennifer Fleming on 2.27.2014

I make this cake all the time for people of all ages (school events funerals, picnics…) and it goes quick. So delicious! to make ti more presentable, I make it the night before, refrigerate it overnight, but it into 2″ x 2″ squares (yes, I use my quilting ruler to do this…) put the squares into paper cupcake cups, then add the icing. They look so beautiful and you can make them look super fun with all the fun cups out there these days! LOVE THIS RECIPE!

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lvintennessee on 8.24.2013

Maybe a dumb question, but what kind of flour? Plain or self rising? Thanks!

64 Reviews

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sheilahskitchen on 2.11.2013

This is the best sheet cake EVAAA! Super moist and easy to make! I made the Pioneer Woman’s Devil Dogs and they were amazing!

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Guy on 2.3.2013

3rd. time making this cake. First time in a 13″x9″ – Not working with the best oven. Had to add 10.5 minutes to the cook time – otherwise all is excellent!

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lauraqofu on 3.17.2012

I made this for my niece’s birthday. I used it to make mint chocolate chip ice cream cake topped with ganache. I don’t think I’ll ever use a box mix again. So, so good!

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elizabethgraceovergaard on 3.8.2012

Totally amazing. I made this last night and frosted it with vanilla buttercream frosting. I baked it in 2 9-inch round cake pans and layered them. I honored the original time and temp and they turned out great. Perfection.

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Carla P on 2.23.2012

VERY moist and chocolaty. Added some mini marshmallows on top after frosting, should have put them on first and poured the warm frosting over, but it was still delish!

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