Chocolate Sheet Cake

This is the chocolate sheet cake that shows up at every potluck, bake sale, and backyard barbecue, and there’s a reason it never goes out of style.

The batter starts on the stovetop with water, cocoa, and margarine brought to a boil, then combined with sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda. A splash of vinegar in the milk mixture reacts with the baking soda for extra lift, creating a crumb that’s somehow both dense and tender.

Here’s the move that makes this cake legendary: prick the hot cake all over with a fork, then pour the warm cocoa icing right on top. It seeps into every hole, saturating the cake with chocolatey sweetness all the way through.

Every single bite is frosted, inside and out.

Chef Tips

• Don’t skip the cinnamon; a full tablespoon gives the chocolate a warm, spicy backbone you’ll crave
• Prick the cake generously with a fork while it’s still steaming hot so the icing can penetrate deep
• The icing should be warm but not boiling when you pour it; too hot and it runs off, too cool and it won’t soak in
• This cake is at its peak the day it’s made, when the icing is still slightly sticky on top