fudgy Chocolate Sheet Cake
A moist and fluffy chocolate sheet cake topped with a fudgy milk chocolate fudge.
The milk chocolate fudge is so incredibly delicious, it tastes just like gooey caramel fudge.
This is such an easy and fast chocolate cake to make, it is baked in less than 20 minutes and the Milk chocolate fudge takes about 10 minutes to make.
This chocolate cake recipe is incredibly moist, I use sour cream in this cake recipe which makes this cake so delightfully soft and tender.
I also add strongly brewed coffee in the cake batter even if you think you don’t like coffee. Just trust me on that, You won't taste the coffee it just does magic for this chocolate cake.
This chocolate cake keeps moist for days, You can easily double the recipe to make one large sheet pan and top it with other icings that you love, perfect for birthday parties.
Before you start
Read the recipe completely; make sure you have everything you need.
For all the step-by-step, pictures scroll to → Notes and click on the clickable link
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*NOTE
→I use unsweetened Cocoa powder from the brand Valrhona (or Cacao Barry Extra Brute) it is a Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder, this is pure chocolate with an intense flavor. If you are going to use grocery store cocoa powder, your cake may not look as dark and taste chocolaty as mine.
→Sour cream makes this cake so delightfully soft and tender and incredibly moist if you can't find sour cream use yogurt, kefir, fil, or buttermilk. You can make your own buttermilk from regular whole milk by adding 2 tablespoons of freshly pressed lemon juice to 200 ml whole milk, stir the lemon juice into the milk and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or until the milk begins to curdle.
Sour Cream & Coffee Chocolate Sheet Cake
- 125 gram unsalted butter, melted
- 225 gram white sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 100 ml strongly brewed coffee, lukewarm
- 200 ml sour cream, yogurt, kefir, fil or buttermilk, room temp
- 175 gram all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 50 gram best quality cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
Milk Chocolate Fudge
- 200 gram milk chocolate, small pieces
- 125 gram unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 25 gram powdered sugar, optional
- 1 tbsp strongly brewed coffee
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 150 gram heavy cream
Directions for the sour cream & Coffee chocolate cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C°/350F°. Grease a 37 x 25 cm (15 x 10 – inches) half sheet pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Set aside for now.
- In a small saucepan melt the butter over low-medium heat, once melted remove it from the stove, and set aside until lukewarm.
- Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla bean paste ( if using) on high speed, mix until fluffy, thick and lighter in color ( about 10 minutes)
- Add the brewed coffee and sour cream to the lukewarm melted butter, and combine with a whisk.
- Set the mixer to low, and slowly pour the melted butter mixture into the egg mixture in a thin, steady stream, aiming for the side of the bowl instead of the whisk, continue mixing on low speed until just combined — about 20-30 seconds.
- With the mixer on low, ( Mix lightly) add the flour/cocoa mixture with a large, thin-edged spoon, add a spoonful at a time and mix on low just until combined it is very important to mix lightly. — about 20-30 seconds.
- Mix lightly at all times to not knock out the air in the bubbles you made by whisking. When you are done adding all the dry ingredients, stop mixing!!
at this point, you will still see some of the dry ingredients on the side of the bowl and in the middle.
- Remove the bowl with a silicone spatula scrape the bottom and the side of the bowl, gently fold to combine thoroughly.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking sheet.
- If time permits, let the cake batter steep/rest in the pans for 20 minutes before baking; As this step makes for better cakes, otherwise proceed as directed.
- Bake the cakes in the center of the oven for 15 -20 minutes, or until the top of the cakes springs back when gently touched with your fingertip, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cake is slightly cooling, make the Milk Chocolate Fudge.
Directions for the Milk Chocolate Fudge
- In a medium-size saucepan, add powdered sugar, heavy cream, butter, milk chocolate, salt, and strongly brewed coffee ( You can also use instant espresso powder instead)
- Warm it over medium heat, stir at all times, until the chocolate/butter is melted and there are no lumps, then stir for another 10 minutes, to make the icing extremely fudgy.
- When done, right away pour the warm Milk Chocolate Fudge over the lukewarm chocolate sheet cake, try to pour it all over the surface, so you won't have to do much spreading.
- Place the chocolate sheet cake in the fridge until the milk chocolate fudge is set, about one to two hours.
- When the Fudge Icing has set, cut the chocolate sheet cake into squares of the desired size and enjoy it.
- Store leftovers in the fridge or at room temp for up to 4 days.
