How to Make the Best Classic Chocolate Sheet Cake



Erin shows Bridget how to make the most chocolatey sheet cake.

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42 Comments

  1. Look first don’t laugh at me or bash me wish I could afford it but with the Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake – which I cannot ask my question under because it’s a paid subscription 😢. But I’ve seen the cooks do this a lot, I’m wondering how they’re adding water to melted chocolate. I’ve always been told not to do that. And I’ve made the mistake before where it has ruined it. I mean I’m sitting here watching it work (one of the episodes is on right now and I’ve seen them do other recipes making it work). Is this because they use other ingredients too? Puzzles me!

  2. A couple of critcisms: She specifies Dutch processed cocoa powder which has been alkalinized, which would then require a neutral leavening such as baking powder, not baking soda as in this recipe. Also, why is ATK still baking with volumetric measurements? Ask ten people to measure a cup of flour and you will get ten different quantities ranging from 130 to 170 grams. That lack of precision can make or break a recipe, especially in baking.

  3. This cake was ok but a little too bitter because of the bitter chocolate they put in it. It definitely tasted better the 2nd day though. Only change I would make is swap the bitter chocolate with semi sweet, and I think this cake would be great.

  4. This cake is like eating a cake like brownie with all the chocolate. I couldn't find dutch cocoa, so I used regular cocoa powder. I iced mine with whipped peanut butter icing. It took a little longer to finish, but the results were satisfying. This is the second sheet cake I have made using your recipes. Outstanding!

  5. Recipe

    Cake
    1 1/2 cup sugar
    1 1/4 cup flour
    1/2 tsp salt
    1/2 tsp baking soda
    1 cup milk
    8 oz bittersweet chocolate
    3/4 cocoa powder
    2/3 vegetable oil
    4 eggs
    1 tsp vanilla

    Frosting
    1 pound milk chocolate
    2/3 heavy cream
    16 tbs room temperature butter

  6. I made this with exact same ingredients, weighed for accuracy, & after the cake part was done, I couldn't fathom the thought of topping it with MORE chocolate. I decided to make their vanilla frosting/icing recipe instead. Surprisingly, it's still a bit too chocolatey for my taste. I love every recipe I've tried with dutch process cocoa, but adding tons of bar chocolate in this recipe made it way too chocolatey IMO. Loved the texture of the cake. I'm not a huge chocolate fan to begin with, so maybe that's part of the problem.

  7. Sorry guys, but this is not a Texas Sheet Cake at all. Not even close. It is a delicious Devil’s Food sheet cake, but not a Texas Sheet Cake. I appreciate that you want to ramp up the chocolatey flavor, however, that is not what a Texas sheet cake is all about. We put a teaspoon of cinnamon in our sheet cake and it more resembles Mexican chocolate with a much milder chocolate flavor. We Texans treasure our sheet cake, as it conjures up memories of our childhood, our mothers and grandmothers, family get togethers and birthdays. It’s a comfort food that cannot be tampered with or you take away it’s nostalgic properties. One bite of a Texas Sheet Cake and I am transported to my mother’s kitchen, swim parties after a swim meet, church gatherings, etc… After one bite of the above recipe – I was transported nowhere.😢

    If you like chocolate, this is the cake for you! My 14-year-old son and I made it together and it packed a chocolatey punch. It feeds a crowd! We were giving it away to neighbors and they loved it. -Lesley (Houston, Texas – Texas Proud)

  8. By how much can we reduce the amount of sugar and not alter the texture of the cake? I ask because I have a feeling that sugar isn't only for flavour, but also for texture/moisture. Thank you in advance.

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