Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Classic Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting is a simple homemade butter cake with the ultimate chocolate frosting ~ for birthdays, or every day!
Ingredients
Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 6 ounces dark chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted (measure before sifting)
- 7-9 Tbsp milk, half and half, or cream
cake
- 1 1/2 cups (298 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 cup buttermilk, milk, or half and half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F Butter a 9x13 pan. ( I line with parchment paper so I can lift the cooled cake out for easier frosting, but that's optional)
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one, and at the end to get it all smooth and silky. Scrape down that bowl as you go!
- Blend in the extract, baking powder, and salt. Lower the mixer speed and blend in half the flour, then the milk, and then the rest of the flour. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread out evenly, if necessary.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched, or a toothpick comes out without wet batter on it. Let the cake cool on a rack for 15-20 minutes, and then, if you've used parchment paper, gently lift it out to cool completely.
- While the cake cools, make the frosting. Melt the butter in the microwave. Add the chips and stir until completely smooth and glossy. If they don't melt completely, microwave for short 15 second bursts, stirring in between, but don't over heat. You can do this in a saucepan on the stove, too, but remember to melt the butter first.
- Add the extract and salt, and then beat in the sugar and enough milk to make a thick, spreadable frosting. I like to do this in my stand mixer, but you can do it with hand held electric beaters if you like. If your frosting is too thick, add more milk, a little at a time.
- Frost the cake only when completely cooled. Swoop it dramatically with your spreading knife, or the back of a spoon.