This is the easiest 9×13 chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever made. Adjusted from my Best Chocolate Cake that everyone absolutely loves, I’ve now made the cake even easier and sized for a 9×13 sheet cake!
One of the recipes that I receive the most emails about is my Best Chocolate Cake Recipe. Generally, the emails are asking me if they can omit the espresso powder, if they can substitute this or that, or if it can be made into either a major multi-tiered confection for an upcoming wedding or something similar. But last week, I received an email asking if the cake could be made into a 9×13 recipe.
Rather than simply responding with a quick, “Yes” to the email, I headed to the kitchen to make it so that I could show you.
Truth be told, I was actually craving chocolate and decided that making the chocolate cake sounded like just the way to answer the craving and that the scaled down version would be just perfectly sized, too! LOL!
To make it, I scaled both the recipe and the chocolate buttercream frosting to work perfectly in a 9×13 baking dish. The cake still rises nicely so that you have a nice, thick cake that you then top with a nice, generous amount of the fluffy chocolate buttercream.
Talk about heavenly!
I love this size cake for taking to pot lucks, tailgating, baking, taking to friends or neighbors, and just for making a quick and easy cake! It transports beautifully in the 9×13 baking dish and I love that I don’t have to worry about a cake slipping or sliding on a cake plate!
When you cut into the cake, you’ll notice that it has that moist tender crumb like my original Best Chocolate Cake Recipe. It is seriously amazing!
As with any 9×13 cake recipes, you can cut the pieces as generous or as conservatively as you please. You can cut the cake into 2- inch x 2-inch pieces for 24 servings or into 2- inch x 3- inch pieces for 18 servings.
To make the cake, you just need a large mixing bowl and a whisk! It comes together so quickly and easily and bakes into a beautiful 9 x 13 cake that everyone just loves! I put together a quick little video to show you just how easy the cake is to mix together. Seriously the easiest and most delicious cake ever, I think! 🙂
Here’s the 9×13 Chocolate Cake Recipe. I think you are going to just love how simple it is!
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup boiling water
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 2½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare one 9x13 baking dish by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
- For the cake:
- Whisk together add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large mixing bowl.
- Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together until well combined. Carefully stir the boiling water into the cake batter and pour into the prepared 9x13 dish.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Add cocoa to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.
- Add the butter and cream together butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.
- Add sugar and milk to cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.
- Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.
- If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake. Cover and keep on the counter for up to 3 days for best taste.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Can I freeze this? I am not a regular baker but am making this for my son’s birthday. I am making two of them and icing in between to make it higher. I appreciate any advice you have!
HI Robyn, I really would like to know the answer for the above question too.
In addition, is the cake stable enough to be covered with fondant (after layering and ganached)?
Thanks for your advice in advanced 🙂
Hi,
Can I use this recipe for 6-inch round pan?
Hi Ann,
I’ve not made this in a 6 inch pan. Thanks!
You need to double this for 13×9 pan unless you want a very thin cake.
Hi Marilyn,
It’s never seemed too thin for my family and friends when I make it, but I’m sorry it was too thin for you. Thanks!
Had a similar problem – it turned out to be about 1/2″ thick. I ended up making two and layering them.
Hi Lyssandra,
Many like the cake to frosting ratio of this recipe but others like a different thickness of the cake.
I’ve added a note to use my full Best Chocolate Cake recipe if you like a thicker cake.
Thanks so much for your input! xo
I found the cake too thin too. Is the one cup flour a mistake?
Hi Karen,
It’s not a mistake. Many like this thickness for the cake with the cake to frosting ratio it has. I’ve added a note to the recipe to use my full Best Chocolate Cake recipe if you like a thicker cake. Thanks!