Hershey Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe is the perfect recipe for chocoholics and cooking novices. It’s easy to make, a breeze to clean up after, and the cake can be iced with some store-bought frosting or left plain. The cake flavor is intense, and the texture is light and airy. It’s very nearly an ideal cake.
Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipes can be varied in some ways. My first recipe used a chocolate cake mix, but there’s nothing like the intense flavor of a homemade sheet cake.
Use the giant rectangular pan you can find in your kitchen for the best results. If you don’t have one, pick up a disposable roaster at the grocery store and line it with aluminum foil. Before spreading on the batter, you’ll need to spray your pan with cooking spray. Chocolate sheet cake usually turns out flat.
Table of Contents
How to make Hershey Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe?
- Prepare Time: 20 minutes
- Bake Time: 25 to 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Serves: 10 to 12
Using preparing Tools:
- parchment paper
- Baking Sheet
- Baking Pans
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Sauce Pan
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
- 11/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan.
How to make:
Step 1.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust the rack to the upper-middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or plain aluminum foil). Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper (or plain aluminum foil).
Step 2.
Sift the cocoa powder into a medium bowl, then whisk in the flour. Set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 5 tablespoons water until frothy. Set aside.
Step 3.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until bubbling and browned, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Whisk the egg whites and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl until foamy. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water, vanilla, and salt.
Step 4.
Add the pecan or walnut pieces to the meringue, then add the cocoa mixture gently and fold together with a rubber spatula until blended – do not over-mix! Pour into your prepared baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes (30 minutes if you’re using my pan).
Until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake has turned a light brown – about 10 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5.
Run a small offset spatula – my favorite is an X-acto knife – around the inside edge of the pan to loosen it from the sides, then turn the pan upside down onto a large rimmed baking sheet or platter to catch any drips.
Step 6.
Run the knife around the outside edge of the cake, then remove it and turn the cake right side up.
Step 7.
If you want to ice your chocolate sheet cake, now is the time. Depending on your frosting preferences, you can spread it with an offset spatula or just lick it off your fingers!
Nutrition Facts of Hershey Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 294 |
| Total Fat | 16g |
| Cholesterol | 101mg |
| Sodium | 133mg |
| Carbohydrate | 29g |
| Dietary fibers | 1g |
| Sugars | 20g |
| Proteins | 6g |
Serving ideas for Hershey Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe
- It’s the perfect thing to make for a sweet or salty appetizer that can be served warm, at room temperature, or even straight out of the refrigerator.
- This is a delicious treat for chocolate lovers – especially kids – with a glass of milk.
- Top it with ice cream and hot fudge sauce for an instant frozen chocolate cake!
- Put a layer of homemade chocolate whipped cream between two sheets of the Hershey Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe, then cover with more whipped cream. Top with nuts and chocolate shavings for a decadent chocolate cake parfait.
- Cut into neat squares, add some peanut butter to a plate and dip each square to make a Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake!
- Spread with peanut butter and roll into balls (dipped in chocolate) for a chocolate peanut butter cupcake.
- Toasted coconut is another delicious and complementary ingredient to donuts and chocolate sheet cake.
- Add some of the cake with nuts, peanut butter, or coconut to Oreo cookies for a fabulous dessert!
- These are perfect party favors – especially for kids! Make a batch of them, and let the little ones decorate them themselves!
- Since there are over 10,000 recipes on this site, I’ll leave it to you to decide if you want to modify the recipe. If you do, feel free to contact me for publishing permission for your recipe! I would like to be credited as the creator of this recipe.
Conclusion
Given all the steps, this simple cake recipe tastes fantastic. It’s rich, moist, dense, and flavorful – no wonder why it’s so popular! I could almost bathe in this cake. I love my chocolate sheet cake with whipped cream or a cup of coffee next to it. You can even add ice cream if you like. This is one of my favorite desserts. This has become my go-to decoration for any occasion.
I hope that this Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe will inspire you to create your own Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe! Thanks for reading.
FAQ
Why is it called Texas sheet cake?
The original recipe was only published in the Houston Post at the end of World War II. It had to be issued with a new name so it wouldn’t be misidentified as the recipe for a chocolate cake.
Why is it called chocolate sheet cake?
This is because the recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa powder. The original recipe used Hershey’s Cocoa, which had sugar added to it. Modern recipes usually don’t add sugar, but Hershey’s still does.
Why is it called Hershey Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe?
The recipe was published in a newspaper sponsored by the Hershey’s Candy Company. Its name is a trademark. I just used a different recipe, and wow! The cake came out so light and moist but dense at the same time. First time I’ve ever had something like this, never had such a good chocolate cake in my life. This thing is incredible!
What pan do I use for a sheet cake?
Any baking pan with a good size capacity should work. For example, a 10-inch round cake pan would be perfect. To ensure the cake bakes evenly, you can use baking strips to increase the heated area and encourage the cake to bake more evenly, so if they’re available in your local grocery store, buy some.
What is the best cocoa powder for sheet cake?
Any unsweetened cocoa powder will do. Even Hershey’s gives you a good result. You’ll want to ensure that it doesn’t have added sugar. Otherwise, your sheet cake will be too sweet.
Is it reasonable to add egg whites to this recipe?
Yes, it is. In the early days of cake decorating, egg whites would often be doubled. I always like to try increasing these quantities for cake recipes. While the visual effect isn’t as dramatic, you can get more volume from your batter by increasing the number of whites.
What ingredients do I use in this chocolate cake recipe?
This Chocolate Sheet Cake is made of mashed sweet potato. Mashed sweet potato gives the recipe an orange hue. It yields a moist, dense chocolate cake rich in natural sweetness and flavor. This Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe uses mainly cocoa powder and flour (along with pureed sweet potato).