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.
I can’t see where your recipe allows for high altitude. Can you address this?
I don’t bake in high altitude, so it’s difficult for me to test recipes with details. Sorry.
Sorry, I said 7×11 before, but I should’ve said 9×13 baking sheet for half the recipe. Thanks!
This was just perfect! I wouldn’t change a single thing. I made half the recipe and baked in a 7×11 sheet pan for 22 minutes. Thanks for the great recipe!
I would really like a receipt for.a nice chocolate cake . With a nice peanut butter frosting . Or maybe a maple frosting . My mom use to make Chocolate cake with maple frosting ,oh so very good , but she passed away in 1995 , and no one can see to find her receipts a lot of them were in her head. In fact some of hers were a pinch , of this and dab of this ,or just a smiggen . I don’t how they cooked like that . She was born in 1905 ,so guess didn’t have a lot of cook books then . But she was a good cook She’d make us date cupcakes with brown sugar fudge frosting on them .Oh so good and after the frosting cooled and harden up , we’d pick thr frosting of in one big piece and eat our cupcake and then eat the fudge . Just wish she written the receipts down. Some she had but mostly in her head . If you have anything along this. Line I sure would love to have them. One more thing , do you have a cook book with receipts in it a person could buy .Every time I get a new one from Shugarysweets ,I try to write them they all sound so good,My granddaughter said to me , why do you have some many Shugarysweets on here .I just haven’t had a chance to write them down . Thank you so very much for listening to this old lady . Your a wonderful cook .Your family is lucky yo have you . God Bless and be safe , Gladys Pelletier
I used the frosting recipe off of her Peanut Butter Sheet Cake, even did it the opposite way with peanut butter cake and this chocolate frosting
I learned this recipe from my late mother-in-law. To make it a real Texas Sheet Cake you should to add chopped pecans (not walnuts, not almonds, Pecans) to the icing. PLUS: The real key to a moist and fudgey cake is to ice it right out of the oven, definitely before it cools. Then let it set until cool before cutting. We just cover it with foil and leave it on the counter. Trust me, it won’t last long enough to go bad!
That’s exactly how I make mine too. Frost right out of the oven. That’s what makes it fudge. So good.
Only thing is won’t putting the cake in the fridge dry it out? It will loose all its moisture?
Cake and photos look lovely!
Nope, not this cake!
The texture and flavor of this cake can’t be beaten plus it requires no fiddling; just follow the recipe.
Note: I used regular buttermilk, not low fat.
These are really mouth watering, simple, and must try recipe.
Amazing receipe …You are great cook. Thanks for providing this recipe.
I know your expertise on this. I must say we should have an online discussion on this. Writing only comments will close the discussion straight away! And will restrict the benefits from this information.
This is so moist and delicious! It feeds a lot of people. I made it just as the recipe stated, minus the sprinkles because I didn’t have them. Definitely my #1 chocolate cake recipe.
Your recipe sounds amazing! May this recipe be cut in half and made in a 9×13 pan or as cupcakes?
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Your recipe sounds amazing! May this recipe be cut in half and made in a 9×13 pan or as cupcakes?