This is the most amazing vegan chocolate sheet cake! Fluffy, moist chocolate cake is baked in a half sheet pan and topped with an amazing buttery sweet icing. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.
I took inspiration for this vegan sheet cake from my beloved chocolate cake recipe. The cake itself is very similar, but it’s baked in a half sheet pan instead. It’s a simple recipe, made in 1 bowl, and unlike layer cakes that need ample time to cool and frost, sheet cake takes less time to cook and is ready to eat quicker.
But perhaps the best part is the simple cooked frosting that is poured over the cake while still warm. As the cake cools (and this doesn’t take long), the frosting hardens a bit and is completely irresistible.
Sometimes Texas style sheet cakes are sprinkled with chopped nuts, so this is an option as well. My kids don’t care for nuts in their desserts, so I left them out.
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What size pan do I need?
Sheet cakes are typically baked in a half sheet pan, which is a large rimmed baking sheet about 11 x 17 inches long, sometimes 12 x 18 inches or even 13 x 18 inches. Mine is 11 x 17 inches.
You could make the cake in a 9 by 13 inch cake pan if you really need to for a thicker cake and frosting. It will need to bake for 35-45 minutes though. And it won’t exactly be sheet cake.
Looking for more chocolate desserts?
Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup canola oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Frosting
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Optional
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 11 x 17 inch sheet pan.
- Measure 1 cup soy milk and add the tablespoon of vinegar to it. Stir slightly and set aside to curdle.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well to combine.
- To the bowl with the dry ingredients, pour in the milk/vinegar mixture, oil, applesauce and vanilla. With a hand mixer (you can skip the mixer and use a large spoon if you need to), mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Carefully add the cup of boiling hot water, and mix on low speed until combined. The batter will seem runny, but that is right. It is what makes this cake extra moist and delicious.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared sheet pan, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and make the frosting.
- When the cake is done baking, make the frosting: In a medium pot, add the vegan butter, cocoa, soy milk and vanilla. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter has melted and the mixture comes to a simmer. Immediately remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, gradually, until the frosting is smooth.
- Pour the warm frosting over the still warm cake, spreading evenly with a spatula or spoon. Sprinkle with optional nuts, if using.
- Let the cake and frosting cool for at least 30 minutes if possible before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten Free: This works pretty well with a gluten free flour mix, such as Bob's 1:1 Baking Flour, but do not try to sub almond flour, it will not work.
- While I love the cooked smooth frosting for sheet cake, you can also use the chocolate frosting from my vegan chocolate cake recipe if you'd like.
- This sheet cake is best made in an 11 by 17 inch sheet pan(or 12 x 18) but it can be made in a 9 by 13 inch cake pan if needed for a thicker cake. It will need 35-45 minutes to bake though.
Nutrition
What can i use instead of the baking soda? I just have baking powder? Can i use coconut oil instead of vegan butter for the frosting? Thanks
Use a whole tablespoon of baking powder and leave out the baking soda, that should work well! I believe coconut oil will work okay for this frosting, but I haven’t personally tested it.
What do you suggest other than applesauce or ground flax ,
Thank you
You could probably use more oil, or mashed banana instead.
I just made this & used 1/2 banana in a little hot water instead of applesauce. Didn’t make the frosting either . Served it for dessert with a scoop of plain yoghurt on it . Wonderful moist cake , will b making often !!
I love this sheet cake. I have made it 4 times, all in a 9 by 13 pan as I do not have an 11 by 17 pan. I baked it for 35 minutes each time, and it has come out fluffy and moist without fail. The only part that has every gone a little awry for me is making the icing – do not try to heat up the cocoa powder / butter mixture too quickly or it will separate. Otherwise, the recipe is so simple and easy to follow. The first time I made it, my boyfriend ate half of the entire pan and said it was one of the best cakes he has ever had in his life (he is not vegan). I too believe it is one of the best cakes I have ever had, and that this is the best cake I have ever baked. I will be making this for everyone once we are allowed to see family and friends again!
Thanks for the wonderful comment!
DELICIOUS!!! Tastes like my childhood. My mom used to make Texas sheet cakes but I can no longer tolerate dairy. I took one bite and it instantly transported me back to those nostalgic memories. You cannot tell it’s vegan – it’s so rich, flavorful, and the texture is amazing. THANK YOU for this recipe!!! I followed the recipe but used oat milk, and that worked just fine. I also used coarse raw sugar in the batter since that was all I could find and I don’t think it negatively affected the cake. My 2 friends that tried it loved it too!!
I’m so glad it was delicious! Thanks for the wonderful comment!
This cake is delicious and moist although I struggled with frosting. I will try a little less sugar next time! Can this cake be frozen? Thank you for another great recipe!
Yes, it can be frozen. Either pieces or whole if you can fit it in your freezer. I’m glad you enjoyed it. The frosting should be smooth and fairly thick, but spreadable over the cake. If it’s too runny it never hardens at all, which isn’t ideal. Hope that helps!
Hi! I’ve been dying to try this recipe. I gave on hand a non-dairy half and hand that is coconut and oat milk. Should I try to use a plain plant milk instead? Please and thanks.
Either non-dairy half and half or another plant based milk will work with no issues. Enjoy!
The cake turned out perfect! It came out really soft. I didn’t think it needed any frosting since it was plenty sweet, but the kids loved the added sugar
Just finished making this. Disappointed in the frosting. It was very thick.I will make it again with less powdered sugar and more milk to make it more pourable. Will use less sugar in the cake batter also. I used it flour in place of a p flour and it didn’t alter it any. I am having to use other types of flours as I am rationing the a p flour for bread making. There is no flour in my part of Indiana at the present. Tried to order it from King Arthur and Amazo and they didn’t have any either.
WOW!!! Made this for my daughter’s 14th birthday tonight, and it was easily one of the best cakes we’ve ever made. Rich chocolate flavor and sooo moist!
I’m so glad to hear that!
When I first tasted the icing I was disappointed. It tasted off. I don’t know what happened, but once I iced the cake and it cooled some more it was delicious. I don’t even like cake but couldn’t pass up a Texas sheet cake made by one of my favorite vegan bloggers. It is really worth trying. I’m even making another one because we are stuck at home and why not? Also pretty sure this is going to replace the non existent cake I normally “have” for my birthday.
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for th comment!
is there a way to sub for the oil? Or can I just leave it out?
I don’t know how it will turn out without any oil. In the cake you could sub applesauce but I don’t think it will taste very good. The frosting won’t work without the vegan butter though.
Made this for my family yesterday to enjoy while we’re staying (stuck) at home. It is absolutely delicious and appropriately decadent! Thanks for another great recipe!
You’re welcome! Glad you liked it!
I’m not a big fan of desserts but I just made this cake in a 9×13 pan and WOW. It’s absolutely delicious ?
Thanks so much! Glad you like it!
This recipe looks great, except it contains a total of 6 cups of sugar! Would it work if I cut the sugar amount by half (or even more)? Thanks.
Yes, it’s a lot of sugar and a very decadent cake, and it’s very big! It’s actually pretty similar to most layer cakes that are frosted. That said, you could probably only use 1 cup of sugar in the cake itself, though it will alter the taste and I haven’t tested it. The frosting is more difficult. If you add less sugar, it will not thicken properly and instead be more of a sauce. If you are really concerned I would just leave out the frosting, or use a sugar substitute. Or use another frosting you know of that has less sugar.
I made this last night with a few substitutions based on what was in the pantry and it is outstanding. I was skeptical about how runny the batter seemed when adding in the water but it is what made the cake so moist and delicious.
-used unsweetened almond milk for the cake
-split the granulated sugar 50/50 with light brown sugar
-used coconut oil
-for the icing, I used only 3 cups of powdered sugar (that’s all I had) and it was enough to make icing for the whole cake
-used coconut milk for the icing (leftover from another recipe)
Thanks for this recipe! Can’t wait to share it with others.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you!
Apple cider vinegar is the only thing I don’t have! Is it bad if I skip this ingredient? Or can I substitute with normal vinegar?
No worries! You can sub white vinegar, or leave it out, it won’t ruin the recipe.
Just what we needed! So good!
So glad!
I made it today. Delish! Any tips on storage? Does it need to be refrigerated?
Thanks! It doesn’t need to be refrigerated, no. I just cover it lightly with plastic wrap, especially where you have already sliced the cake so it doesn’t dry out.
Thank you! Day 3 since I made it and it’s just as fresh and moist as day the day I made it! Comfort at its best for our Covid stay at home order.
So glad to hear that!
I made this sheet cake a few weeks ago after trying it in the round pans first. My husband likes the sheet cake version while I like the double decker round!
Good timing! Today’s my son’s birthday, so I made this. It it super delicious, thanks!
You’re welcome! Happy Birthday to your son!
what type of soy milk do you use? (i.e. unswervingly vanilla, sweetened vanilla, original…etc) Thank you!!
unsweetened* oops typo!
Usually unsweetened soy milk, but I have used sweetened as well, depending on what I have on hand. Vanilla would be fine as well.
Made this today (03/25/2020) and it came out perfect. Love your baking recipes!
That’s so great!
Any ideas for a lower sugar version? Or wheat free? Would almond flour and agave syrup work? If so, same amounts? Thank you so much!
You could use a gluten free all purpose flour, almond flour and agave won’t work, sorry! Agave will add too much liquid, almond flour doesn’t absorb liquid well, and it would become an entirely different recipe. You could try to cut back on the sugar, but I can’t guarantee the results. Thanks!
This cake looks delicious! Your photos are amazing. I love that your pan is so “well loved”. Look so forward to your posts!
Thanks!
Can anything be subbed for the applesauce? It’s the one thing I forgot to buy during coronavirus lockdown.
Yes! You could quite honestly just leave it out and it will be fine. Or use 2 flax eggs instead (2 tablespoons ground flax + 5 tablespoons water).