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Easy Chocolate Cake Traybake

July 20, 2020 by Lucy Parissi 25 Comments

2491 shares
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Say hello to the BEST Chocolate Traybake – a.k.a Chocolate Sheet Cake! This moist chocolate cake topped with decadent chocolate frosting is perfect for birthdays, celebrations and bake sales. And the best part? It is SO EASY to make!

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close up on a chocolate traybake covered in chocolate frosting and sprinkles and cut into squares

CHOCOLATE TRAYBAKE

Tray bakes are currently in vogue – just look at the runaway success of Edd Kimber’s One Tin Bakes (an awesome baking book, highly recommended).

The reason? They are easy peasy, low effort, take mere minutes to prepare AND they can feed a crowd. Perfect for fuss-free birthday parties when you haven’t got the time to create a big layer cake. 

This foolproof chocolate tray bake recipe is my go-to cake whenever my kids want to bring something to school to celebrate their birthdays. I can tell you that there’s never a crumb left 🙂

slice of chocolate sheet cake with bite taken out on a plate

Here’s what you will need

  • Plain flour (all purpose flour) plus baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
  • Sugar: ideally half caster and half soft brown sugar
  • Cocoa powder: use the best quality unsweetened cocoa powder
  • A little espresso powder: this enhances the chocolate flavour but if you prefer not to use any you can simply leave it out
  • Three medium eggs
  • Softened butter or margarine (I used Stork in the recipe video)
  • Buttermilk or milk plus a little lemon juice

Chocolate frosting

  • Softened butter 
  • Icing sugar
  • Cocoa powder
  • Milk, heated in the microwave for 30 seconds until a little warm
  • Melted chocolate: use good quality dark chocolate

Useful Tools & Equipment

  • Digital scales – I use a scale for all my bakes
  • Measuring spoons
  • A rectangular cake tin
  • Cake lifter – for transferring cakes safely

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. Put the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and espresso powder  in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). Use a balloon whisk or fork to stir so they are combined.

mixing flour, sugar, cocoa powder together in a bowl

Add the softened butter, eggs, buttermilk and mix together on low speed initially, increasing to maximum speed until batter is smooth. Make sure to use a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure no sneaky dry pockets of flour lurk underneath!

ingredients for chocolate sponge in a mixing bowl

Transfer the batter to a lined rectangular tray (9×13 inches) and bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Test the cake is done with a skewer – it should come out clean and crumb free. The cake should be risen and just coming away from the edges of the tin.

spreading chocolate cake batter in a rectangular baking tin

Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes then use the overhanging paper to carefully lift onto a wire rack to cool completely.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Put the chocolate in a bowl and melt in the microwave, in short 30 second bursts, until it melts. Alternatively, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and allow if to melt gradually using this double boiler method. Leave the chocolate to cool slightly.

Put the icing sugar and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and mix together to combine. If you can, sift the ingredients into the bowl. I must admit I am usually too lazy to do that!

Add the softened butter and start mixing on low speed, gradually adding the milk until frosting is well combined. Add the melted and cooled chocolate and beat together until the frosting holds soft peaks. Go ahead and taste it… try not to eat it all!

ASSEMBLE THE CHOCOLATE TRAYBAKE

Use a palette knife to spread the frosting over the cake, swirling the surface. This cake has A LOT of frosting (if you haven’t eaten it beforehand).

spreading chocolate frosting over a chocolate traybake

Add sprinkles, chocolate buttons, smarties or leave plain. When you are ready to serve, slice the cake using a serrated knife, wiping the knife clean between each slice.

Overhead view of sliced chocolate traybake

This chocolate sprinkle cake will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature but it is best eaten when fresh.

close up on slices of chocolate sheet cake

My Most Popular Cake Recipes

  • Biscoff Layer Cake
  • Oreo Birthday Cake
  • Salted Caramel Cake
  • Golden Syrup Cake
  • Easy Ginger Cake

Chocolate Traybake

Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes
Say hello to the BEST Chocolate Traybake – a.k.a Chocolate Sheet Cake! This moist chocolate cake topped with decadent chocolate frosting is perfect for birthdays, celebrations and bake sales. And the best part? It is SO EASY to make!
4.82 from 32 votes
Print Rate
Course: Cake
Cuisine: English
Keyword: Chocolate Birthday Cake, Chocolate Sheet Cake, Chocolate Traybake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 15 -20 slices
Calories: 490kcal

Ingredients

  • 300 g (2 ½ cups) flour plain / all purpose
  • 60 g (½ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 330 g (1 ⅔ cups) sugar use half granulated, half light brown if you like
  • 1 tbsp espresso powder (optional)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tbsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 200 g (7/8 cup) unsalted butter or Stork softened
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 180 ml (3/4 cup) whole milk
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice to sour milk (or use buttermilk)

Chocolate Frosting

  • 260 g ( 2 cups) icing sugar
  • 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 150 g (⅔ cup) softened unsalted butter
  • 120 ml (½ cup) milk slightly warm
  • 175 g (1 cup) dark chocolate chips melted and cooled

To decorate

  • chocolate sprinkles, M&Ms, chocolate shavings

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 170C (340F). Line a 9x13inch rectangular with baking paper.
  • Mix the milk and lemon juice and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
  • Put the flour, cocoa powder and sugar in large bowl. Add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix together using a balloon whisk.
  • Add the butter, eggs and soured milk.
  • Start beating on the lowest speed setting until the ingredients start to come together.
  • Increase the speed gradually, until the batter is completely smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
  • Transfer the batter in the prepared tin and level.
  • Transfer the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35 -40 minutes.
  • Check the cake is done by inserting a skewer in the centre – it should come out clean, the cake should be well risen golden and springy to the touch. Cool the cake before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

  • Put the chocolate in a bowl and melt in the microwave, in short 30 second bursts, until it melts. Alternatively, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and allow if to melt gradually using this double boiler method. Leave the chocolate to cool slightly.
  • Put the icing sugar and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and mix together to combine. If you can, sift the ingredients into the bowl.
  • Add the softened butter and start mixing on low speed, gradually adding the milk until the frosting is well combined.
  • Add the melted and cooled chocolate and beat together until the frosting holds soft peaks. Go ahead and taste it… try not to eat it all!

Assemble the Cake

  • Use a palette knife to spread the frosting over the cake, swirling the surface. This cake has A LOT of frosting (if you haven’t eaten it beforehand).
  • Add sprinkles, chocolate buttons, smarties or leave plain. Slice the cake using a serrated knife, wiping the knife clean between each slice.

Video

Notes

This chocolate sprinkle cake will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature but it is best eaten when fresh.

Nutritional Info

Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 941IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @supergolden88 or tag #supergoldenbakes!

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Comments

  1. Sam says

    December 02, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    5 stars
    I don’t normally leave comments but I have to say this worked perfectly and my children love it. They don’t like icing so I left the cake plain, it was a great hit, everything worked in the recipe. Will try more from this site as that’s a rare occurrence I find!! Thanks Supergoldenbakes 🙂

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      December 03, 2022 at 9:59 am

      What a wonderful comment you made my day ❤️❤️❤️

      Reply
  2. Natalie says

    September 08, 2022 at 3:26 am

    May I use milk chocolate chips instead of dark for the frosting? I would like to make this for my little sisters birthday and she’s not really a big fan of dark chocolate?

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      September 08, 2022 at 7:24 am

      You can but it may be too sweet. Maybe use half milk and half dark?

      Reply
  3. Nanette says

    August 11, 2022 at 3:58 am

    This cake has always been my favorite! I was a school cook for 20 years in the US. I never used coffee in my recipe and melted butter and cocoa for the icing, but other than that everything in the recipe is the same except I used large amounts of ingredients. Feeding 900 students makes a big difference!

    Reply
  4. Jessica Berry says

    May 18, 2022 at 2:44 pm

    Hi, I’m looking to make this on Friday and in the blog it says half caster sugar and the recipe says half granulated. Does it matter which is used?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      May 18, 2022 at 4:20 pm

      Hi Jessica you can make it with either, the brown sugar will give it more flavour. Both caster and granulated can be used no problem

      Reply
      • Jessica Berry says

        May 19, 2022 at 12:10 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
  5. Rukshana Aktar says

    April 15, 2022 at 7:14 am

    Hi I just wanted to know if the tray bake can be kept in the fridge after the frosting has been put on it?

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      April 15, 2022 at 9:33 am

      No it can be kept at room temperature in a covered container. If you put it in the fridge after slicing it will dry out x

      Reply
      • Rukshana Aktar says

        April 28, 2022 at 9:29 am

        5 stars
        Thank you for responding back. I’ve made it a few times now and everyone has loved it!

        Reply
  6. Mei says

    March 23, 2022 at 11:29 pm

    Hi, I was wondering whether you can freeze the frosting? I made this cake today but there was a lot of leftover frosting.

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      March 24, 2022 at 9:50 am

      I haven’t tried to but I think it might work. Freeze in an airtight container or bag (leave a little space for it to expand). When you are ready to use your frosting, thaw it overnight inside the refrigerator. Before piling it on your cake, knead the thawed frosting with a spoon or give it another stir or a whip for a uniform consistency and you’re ready to go.

      Reply
  7. Willem Dekorte says

    January 03, 2022 at 1:36 pm

    5 stars
    Dear all that is holy ! I have just made this cake for my wife’s birthday, wow !!! What a cake , the nicest chocolate cake I have ever made and eaten!!

    Thank you
    Will

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      January 03, 2022 at 5:26 pm

      Thank you for your wonderful comment and happy birthday wishes to your wife ❤️

      Reply
  8. Ali M says

    December 06, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    Hi, How long will the frosting keep if I make it in advance, and do you think it has enough structure to hold its shape if piped?

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      December 06, 2021 at 6:47 pm

      It keeps for a few days keeping its shape (spread on the cake) but if you put it in the fridge it hardens and I don’t think it keeps as well

      Reply
  9. Margaret says

    November 07, 2021 at 11:57 am

    The Biscoff Traybake and the chocolate traybake, can I freeze them in portions?

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      November 07, 2021 at 2:06 pm

      Yes you can. Thaw in the fridge before serving ❤️

      Reply
  10. N says

    July 15, 2021 at 10:34 am

    I think your metric weights are off as your flour weighs less than your sugar in metric… it’s the opposite in cups

    I’ve increased the sugar a bit more so its a little closer to your quantity of flour

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      July 16, 2021 at 10:50 am

      The metric weights are accurate as I cook in metric. The cup weights are slightly less accurate in general (compared to using scales) but I have checked them and the recipe card is correct

      Reply
      • N says

        July 21, 2021 at 9:40 pm

        Great, thanks for checking! I’ll give the metric version a go.

        Reply
  11. Rads says

    June 16, 2021 at 3:07 pm

    Hi, I was thinking of making a Terry’s Chocolate Orange version of this. If I add grated rind of 2 oranges and chopped choc orange into the batter mix do you think that would work? Also if I melt 175g of choc orange for the buttercream instead of dark choc chips, would that work too? Thank you for your help on this 🙂

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      June 18, 2021 at 8:43 am

      Absolutely! I have a chocolate Orange cake you can look at but all this sounds great

      Reply
  12. Nic says

    July 21, 2020 at 3:48 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for sharing, this cake looks amazing and yummy 🙂

    Reply

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Picture of Lucy ParissiHi, I am Lucy Parissi, the recipe developer, food  photographer and author behind Supergolden Bakes. If you are looking for easy sweet and savoury recipes that are packed with flavour you have come to the right place!  READ MORE

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