This one bowl Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake is rich and moist and full of chocolate flavor. The fudgy buttermilk frosting on top gets crackly and delicious.
This chocolate sheet cake recipe was originally published in May 2018. I updated the photos and recipe notes in January 2026.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Growing up I remember our neighbor, who was an older woman, bringing us a Texas Sheet Cake periodically. I think it was because we helped mow her lawn while she was out of town, but honestly the WHY isn’t important. That WHAT is…
I loved the fudgy texture of that sheet cake with it’s soft, decadent melted icing on top!
My only dilemma (if you can even call it that) is being left with SO MANY PIECES OF CAKE. No worries though, this cake freezes VERY WELL. Use my guide on how to freeze cake for best results.
Love sheet cakes? My Peanut Butter Sheet Cake is rich and moist, and topped with an incredible peanut butter frosting! Try my flavorful pistachio sheet cake for a delicious twist on a favorite flavor!
This recipe is phenomenal! It was so moist and fluffy. My tastebuds rejoiced!
– Olivia
How to make buttermilk sheet cake
The key to this sheet cake is the buttermilk. Don’t you dare even think about skipping it! It’s in the frosting too, so you get a double dose of deliciousness.
All you need is one bowl to mix the dry ingredients together. Add in the eggs, oil, buttermilk and hot water. Combine really well then pour into your 13×18 sheet pan. I used this one.
While cake is cooling, prepare frosting. Pour over cake (it’s okay if cake is still warm!). Add sprinkles if desired.
Cool cake completely and let the frosting set (about an hour). Slice and enjoy.
More Cake Recipes
- Easy and delicious, these chewy Cinnamon Frosted Zucchini Cake Bars are the perfect sweet dessert any time of year! Serve chilled for extra flavor!
- Turn your favorite Gooey Butter Cake into a Lemon dessert! Gooey Lemon Cake Bars will make you quite happy, and nobody has to know you started with a mix!
- These Apple Cake Bars from Texanerin Baking are super moist and full of cinnamon apple goodness!
- Super moist Blueberry Cake Bars are made with fresh blueberries and are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
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Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot water
For the icing:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup sprinkles optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Spray half sheet pan (size approximately 18×13-inches) with baking spray. Set aside.
- For the cake, in a large bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until blended.
- Add in the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and hot water. Whisk together until fully combined. Pour into prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until edges pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
- While cake is cooling, prepare chocolate icing. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, buttermilk, and cocoa powder. Whisk until smooth over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat as soon as it boils.
- Pour chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl and add in the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Pour over cake (it’s okay if the cake isn’t completely cooled). Add sprinkles.
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, use my guide on how to make a buttermilk substitute.
- Storage– keep cake in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Freeze cake for up to 3 months. Use my guide on how to freeze cake.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Two comments, half butter, half oil, would that change the moisture and is the buttermilk you use 1% milk fat?
Thank you,
Adna
Hi Aimee, I have a dumb question? How many cupcakes can this recipe make? I LOVE your recipes! Thank you for sharing them!
I haven’t tested this cake as cupcakes, but if you try, let me know.
If I made this recipe into cupcakes, is the frosting thick enough to be piped on top? 🧁
No, this recipe wouldn’t work for piping.
Hi, love your recipes, can this cake be made in a 9×13 pan. If so how long should it bake
Stop spamming me… remove my address from your database 😡
If you’re talking about emails, every email has an unsubscribe button. At some point you must have signed up for them.
This recipe is phenomenal! It was so moist and fluffy. My tastebuds rejoiced!
So glad you loved it!
I made this cake last week, but doubled the ingredients for the cake and baked it in a 12×18 pan. After 25 minutes, I stirred the batter in the pan and put it bake in the oven for 10-15 more minutes. I didn’t double the icing though and poured it over the cake….delicious! I wish I had some vanilla ice cream to go with it, so I ran out to the grocery store the next day to get some. Thanks for the recipe.
I put the cake back in the oven for 10-15 minutes to cook when I doubled the recipe.
I just made your Red Velvet cookies and they are so delicious. I posted a picture on Facebook. I do not do instagram. Aimee, the cookies were the first of your recipes that I made. I love that you are so methodical in every step and easy to follow. It was so much fun making these cookies and seeing that they would turn out exactly as you posted. Now, to the Texas Sheet Cake. I will make that as soon as the cookies are gone. I know that will be delicious as well.
I’m so glad you loved the cookies!! Enjoy the cake too!
Just curious. Can a Texas Sheet Cake be baked in a 9×13 pan?