Name: Grandma Shoaf’s Quick and Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 30
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 box Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake Mix (plus ingredients called for on the box); 1/2 cup butter ((1 stick)); 1/4 cup cocoa powder ((I like the dark dutch-processed kind, and my family prefers normal Hershey's kind)); 1/3 cup milk; 4 cups powdered sugar ((1 pound)); 1 teaspoon vanilla; As many sprinkles as your heart desires! The more the better.

Grandma Shoaf’s Quick and Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake

This quick & easy chocolate sheet cake recipe is delicious and makes enough for a crowd—perfect for parties, birthdays, and reunions!

Prep15 min

Cook15 min

Total30 min

Serves30

Published 3 Jun 2015

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Thisquick and easy chocolate sheet cake recipewith easy-to-make homemade icing is the tastiest dessert ever! If you’re celebrating a birthday any time soon, this cake is a perfect option.

chocolate sheet cake with colored sprinkles in metal rectangle pan with one slice being taken out.

My Grandma Shoaf’s famous chocolate sheet cake is absolutely unreal, and sneaky-easy to make thanks to box cake with a seriouslydivine homemade icing.My grandma raised 13 kids, which means she has a ton of grandkids, too. She loves making this chocolate sheet cake because it’s delicious and feeds a lot of people—a must in our family.

The best part is you cheat a little thanks to thebox of cake mixfor the cake! And yep, my Grandma uses the cake mix, too. She’s the one who let me in on her time-saving tip. A foolproof homemade icing and some sprinkles seal the deal, and you are done!

chocolate icing being poured onto chocolate sheet cake.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Grandma’s easy chocolate sheet cakeis deliciously sweet and one of the simplest recipes for chocolate cake—even easier thanbirthday cupcakes.
Thissemi-homemade recipeis seriously divine for making a birthday cake (or any celebration cake)!
It’s aperfect party food, great for picnics and reunions all throughout the year! Not to brag, but I’ve gotten it down to an art and can make this beauty injust under 30 minutes, start to finish.
It’s also great the next day, if not better, and it travels really well.

Recipe Ingredients

Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake Mix–plus ingredients called for on the box
Butter
Cocoa powder –I like the dark Dutch-processed kind, but my family prefers normal Hershey’s kind
Milk
Powdered sugar
Vanilla
Sprinkles, optional –any color and design that will fit your party theme!

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

chocolate sheet cake with sprinkles on top.

How to Make Chocolate Sheet Cake

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions.Bake in a rimmed sheet pan.
Melt the butter, mixing in cocoa and milk.
Pour melted butter mix into powdered sugar and mix well until smooth. Add vanilla.
While the cake is warm, pour icing over the top, spreading quickly, adding sprinkles if desired.

Recipe FAQs

How do I make my icing smooth?

I have made this chocolate sheet cake no less than a million times. Most sheet cake recipes just have you add the powdered sugar to the melted butter and go. I don’t do this because more often than not, the powdered sugar gets lumpy and looks ugly on the cake. The secret to smooth icing here is to add the hot melted butter mixture to powdered sugar while stirring, and not the other way around. Pro tip for sure.

Can I use a different box mix?

I use the Betty Crocker Devil’s Food mix because it is my favorite chocolate cake that is rich and moist. However there are tons of chocolate cake mixes out there! Everything from fudge to triple chocolate, and all make a good sheet cake. Pick whatever sounds tastiest to you.

Why do I add the icing while the cake is still warm?

Many other cake recipes say to ice your cake after the cake has cooled, but this recipe doesn’t! It is great when you add the icing while the cake is warm because it makes the icing easier to spread and the icing melts slightly so that is soaks in to the cake a little. It’s great and makes for an awesome and easy icing process.

chocolate sheet cake with sprinkles on top on a white plate.

Expert Tips

The secret to smooth icing for this sheet cake is toadd the hot melted butter mixture to powdered sugar while stirring.
Betty Crocker is my favorite brand of chocolate cake mix, and I prefer Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but you can use whatever brands and kinds you prefer!
Add the icing while the cake is warm. The icing will spread easier and melt slightly, soaking into the cake just right.
A great recipe for teaching new bakers since it’ssemi-homemade!

chocolate sheet cake with colored sprinkles in metal rectangle pan.

More Easy Cake Recipes to Consider

Grandma Shoaf’s Quick and Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake

This quick and easy chocolate sheet cake recipe with easy-to-make homemade icing is the tastiest dessert ever! If you're celebrating a birthday any time soon, this cake is a perfect option.

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 box Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake Mix (plus ingredients called for on the box)

For the icing:

1/2 cup butter ((1 stick))

1/4 cup cocoa powder ((I like the dark dutch-processed kind, and my family prefers normal Hershey's kind))

1/3 cup milk

4 cups powdered sugar ((1 pound))

1 teaspoon vanilla

As many sprinkles as your heart desires! The more the better.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the cake batter according to the package directions, and spread it evenly into a large, rimmed sheet cake pan that's been greased well (also called a Jelly Roll pan and should measure about 17.5x13 inches).

Bake until the cake is cooked through. You'll start to smell the cake, and the cake will spring back when touched lightly, about 12 to 15 minutes.

While the cake is cooking, in a small saucepan heat the butter, milk, and cocoa over medium heat until the butter melts, stirring often. Remove from the heat.

Add the powdered sugar to a large bowl (you can also use a stand mixer here), and slowly whisk the melted butter mixture into the powdered sugar. Stir until well combined and no lumps remain. Add the vanilla, and stir to combine.

While the cake is still warm (let it sit for maybe 5 to 7 minutes—you want it hot but not pipping hot), drizzle the icing over the warm cake, and then use a spatula to spread it to the edges. If you try to spread too much or go over the same place again and again, you are going to pull up the top of the cake and get crumbs in your icing. The goal is to quickly spread it out and move on. Too much fussing will make a mess.

Add the sprinkles while the icing is still warm. The sprinkles will also cover any messes made when spreading the icing!

Notes

The cake is great warm, at room temperature, and even the next day. No need to refrigerate overnight, as the sugar is an excellent preservative. I have a plastic lid that fits my sheet cake pan and makes traveling a breeze. I highly recommend a lid for your pan. The secret to smooth icing here is to add the hot melted butter mixture to powdered sugar while stirring Add the icing while the cake is warm. This makes the icing easier to spread, and the icing melts slightly, soaking into the cake a little.

Nutrition

Calories188

Carbohydrates27

Cholesterol33

Fat9

Fiber1

Protein2

Saturated fat5

Sodium175

Sugar21