Chocolate Sheet Cake
This Chocolate Sheet Cake is incredibly moist and rich, thanks to a chocolate milk soak that keeps every bite soft and tender. It's finished with a creamy Briganache frosting, combining Brazilian brigadeiro and silky chocolate ganache for a decadent, fudgy finish.
Servings 15 slices
Calories 760kcal
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 255g
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar 350g
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 34g
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp espresso powder optional
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil 120ml
- ⅔ cup buttermilk 158ml
- ⅓ cup sour cream 75g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee 24ml
Chocolate Milk Soak
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder about 10
- ½ cup whole milk lightly warmed (120ml)
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk 150g
Brigadeiro (Briganache Chocolate Frosting)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 396g
- 400 g table cream such as Nestlé Media Crema
- 50 g semi-sweet or milk chocolate chopped
Chocolate Ganache (Briganache Chocolate Frosting)
- 300 g chocolate chopped, such as 150g milk chocolate and 150g semi-sweet chocolate
- 133 g heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. If the pan is not non-stick, line it with parchment paper as well.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder, if using.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until mostly combined.
- Slowly pour in the hot coffee while whisking until the batter is smooth and evenly combined. The batter will be thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before adding the chocolate milk soak.
Make the Chocolate Milk Soak
- Add the cocoa powder to the lightly warmed milk and whisk until smooth and dissolved.
- Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk until well combined.
- Poke holes all over the surface of the cake with a fork, skewer, or the handle of a wooden spoon. If the cake is very soft and crumbs are sticking to the utensil, refrigerate it for about 10 minutes first.
- Slowly pour the chocolate milk soak evenly over the cake, allowing it to absorb into the holes and surface.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before frosting.
Make the Briganache Chocolate Frosting
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, table cream, and 50 g chopped chocolate to a medium saucepan.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, for about 15 minutes, or until the brigadeiro has thickened considerably. It should fall from the spatula in a slow, thick ribbon and heavily coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and set aside while you prepare the ganache.
- Place the 300g chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Melt gently in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each interval, or melt over a double boiler.
- Heat the heavy cream until it reaches approximately 105ºF (40ºC).
- Pour the warm cream over the melted chocolate and whisk gently until completely smooth and glossy.
- Add the warm brigadeiro mixture to the chocolate ganache.
- Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed for about 2 minutes, until completely smooth and evenly combined.
- Let the Briganache cool until it has thickened to a soft, spreadable consistency. It should be thick enough to spread over the cake but softer than a frosting intended for piping.
- Spread the Briganache evenly over the chilled cake.
- Refrigerate until the frosting is set, then slice and serve.
Notes
Briganache: The frosting combines brigadeiro and chocolate ganache to create an especially rich, creamy, fudgy chocolate frosting. Let it cool until thick enough to spread before adding it to the cake. It will continue to firm up as it cools.
Table cream: Brazilian table cream, also called creme de leite, works best for the brigadeiro portion of the frosting. Nestlé Media Crema is a good option and can usually be found in the Latin foods aisle or baking aisle of many grocery stores. I don't recommend substituting regular milk because it will make the mixture much thinner.
Chocolate: For the 300 g chocolate used in the ganache, I like using equal parts milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate. You can adjust the ratio depending on how sweet or intense you want the frosting. For the smoothest ganache, use good-quality chopped chocolate or baking bars rather than chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers that can affect how smoothly they melt.
Cocoa powder: I recommend natural unsweetened cocoa powder for this cake. Dutch-process cocoa has a different acidity level and can affect recipes that rely on baking soda for leavening.
Coffee: The coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste strongly like coffee. If you don't want to use coffee, substitute the same amount of hot water. You can also omit the espresso powder.
Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, add about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then add enough whole milk to reach ⅔ cup (158 ml). Stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes before using.
Sour cream: Full-fat plain Greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream in equal amounts.
Oil: Vegetable oil can be replaced with another neutral-flavored oil, such as canola, avocado, or grapeseed oil.
Make ahead: The cake can be baked and soaked a day before you plan to serve it. Cover and refrigerate it overnight, then make and spread the Briganache the following day. The finished cake also keeps very well refrigerated, making it a good make-ahead dessert.
Storage: Store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. For the best texture, let individual slices sit at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Freezing: The unfrosted cake can be frozen tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before adding the chocolate milk soak and frosting. You can also freeze individual slices of the finished cake, although the texture of the frosting may change slightly after freezing and thawing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 760kcal