This easy, moist chocolate sheet cake is made with vegetable oil for a soft crumb that stays fresh for days, and topped with a light, whipped milk chocolate ganache. Simple to put together in one bowl, it's perfect for birthdays, gatherings, or whenever you need a big, crowd-pleasing dessert with minimal fuss.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk or electric mixer
- Non-stick baking tray (L 33cm x W 23cm x H 5cm)
- Measuring cups & spoons
- sifter
- Saucepan (for heating the cream)
- Heatproof mixing bowl (for melting the ganache)
- Spatula
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 5 eggs
- 2 cups (500ml) white sugar
- 1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil
- 2 cups (500ml) all purpose cake flour
- 20 ml baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 ml vanilla essence
- 3/4 cup (187.5ml) cocoa powder
- 1 cup boiling water
Whipped Ganache
- 1 cup (250ml) fresh cream
- 200g milk chocolate
Instructions
Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla essence and vegetable oil, mixing until fully combined.
- Fold in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing gently to avoid overworking the batter.
- Dissolve the cocoa powder in the boiling water. Add the cocoa mixture to the batter and fold gently until smooth.
- Pour the batter into a well greased baking tray. Bake at 180°C for about 45 minutes. Start checking after 35 to 40 minutes, as oven temperatures vary. The cake should bake evenly and remain level rather than domed when done.
Whipped Ganache
- Heat the cream in a saucepan over very low heat until hot and steaming, but never boiling. Pour it with the chopped chocolate in a bowl and stir constantly until fully melted and glossy. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, or until thick but still soft.
- Using an electric mixer, whip on medium speed until light, fluffy, and spreadable. Stop as soon as it holds soft peaks. Overwhipping will split the cream.
- Once the cake has cooled and the ganache is whipped, spread it evenly over the cake. Use a spatula to create soft swirls or smooth it neatly for a more polished look. Decorate with chopped chocolate chunks and enjoy!
Notes
- Don't overwhip the ganache, stop as soon as it holds soft peaks and looks like fluffy whipped cream. Whipping any longer can cause it to split or turn grainy.
- Oven temperatures vary, so start checking the cake from the 35 minute mark. It's done when it bakes evenly and stays level rather than domed.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting, or the ganache will melt and slide off instead of holding its swirl.