Rich, soft, and fluffy with a sweet chocolatey frosting, this Texas sheet cake is perfect for a crowd. With a wonderfully fudgy center and nutty frosting, this cake is always a hit when I bring it out at parties. You can’t go wrong with this Southern classic.
You won’t believe how quickly and easily this sheet cake recipe comes together. This is one of the few cake recipes where you are supposed to frost while it’s still warm, so you don’t need to wait for the cake to cool! It’s also pretty foolproof to make as you beat together all the ingredients, pour the batter into a sheet pan, and bake. Want another chocolatey dessert? Try my chocolate pudding recipe, chocolate biscotti recipe, or chocolate muffins recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Butter — different brands of salted butter vary in their salt content, so to keep it consistent, use unsalted butter.
Cocoa powder — use good quality unsweetened cocoa powder for the best flavor. I love using Ghirardelli’s cocoa powder.
Sugar — you will need two types of sugar for this cake recipe. Granulated sugar for the cake batter and powdered sugar for the frosting. Don’t have powdered sugar? See my guide on how to make powdered sugar.
Baking soda — make sure the baking soda is fresh and not expired. This ensures the Texas sheet cake rises and yields a fluffy crumb.
Sour cream — use full-fat sour cream for the best flavor. Sour cream adds a delicious tangy flavor and adds a ton of moisture to the cake.
Milk — whole fat keeps the frosting flavorful. Skip using water or skim milk.
Pecans — the pecans add a delicious crunchy texture. You can also swap for walnuts if you don’t have pecans.
How to Make Texas Sheet Cake
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs.
3. Add the sour cream mixture to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.
4. Add the warm butter mixture to the batter.
5. Carefully beat together on the lowest speed until well blended and smooth.
6. Pour the batter into the greased 18×13-inch rimmed sheet pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
7. To make the frosting, combine the butter, milk, and cocoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat.
8. Add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Stir in the pecans if using. Immediately pour over the hot cake, quickly spreading it in an even layer over the cake. Let cool completely before slicing.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour as it’s the most accurate method and will prevent you from ending up with a dense sheet cake. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method prevents you from overpacking the measuring cup.
- Do not overmix the batter, or you’ll have a tough cake. Mix everything until just combined.
- I recommend bringing the eggs to room temperature, so they incorporate into the batter without overbeating. If you forgot to bring the eggs out, place them in a bowl of warm tap water to help warm them up.
- The cake needs to be hot when pouring on hot frosting, or the frosting will seize up when trying to spread. This is not a recipe you can divide into two prep days. However, the frosted and cooled cake will be great if made a day in advance.
- Instead of mixing the pecans into the frosting, you can sprinkle them on top of the cake after covering with frosting.
- I recommend you use a sheet pan with the highest rim you can find, so the frosting doesn’t go over the sides.
- If the frosting sets up too quickly while you add in the powdered sugar, place the saucepan over low heat and whisk vigorously.
- You can tap the sheet pan gently on the counter before baking to poke any air bubbles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. It will dry out if you do not cover it or if you store it in the fridge.
You can! Make sure the frosting has set before you cover it to avoid the plastic wrap sticking to it. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, remove the plastic wrap and bring it to room temperature on the counter for a few hours.
The Library of Congress tried to trace the cake’s origin but could not find who was responsible for its original recipe or even its name. However, they believe the recipe began to appear in the 1950s throughout the South as an adaptation of the German Chocolate Cake.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Texas Sheet Cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Texas Sheet Cake
Video
Equipment
- 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric mixer (optional)
- Saucepan
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup water (240mL)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226g)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (25g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sour cream (120g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (141g)
- ½ cup whole milk (120mL)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (25g)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (480g)
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans optional (113g)
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 18×13-inch rimmed sheet pan with baking spray.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs. Add the sour cream mixture to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. (You can use a wooden spoon too, but the mixture will be stiff so I like to use a hand mixer.)
- Add the warm butter mixture to the batter and carefully beat together on the lowest speed until well blended and smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- While the cake is baking, make the frosting.
For the Frosting:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, milk, and cocoa.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat. (If your cake is still baking, keep this mixture warm and proceed immediately after removing the cake from the oven.)
- Add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Stir in the pecans, if using. Immediately pour over the hot cake, quickly spreading it in an even layer over the cake. Let cool completely before slicing. Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour as it’s the most accurate method and will prevent you from ending up with a dense sheet cake. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method prevents you from overpacking the measuring cup.
- Do not overmix the batter, or you’ll have a tough cake. Mix everything until just combined.
- I recommend bringing the eggs to room temperature, so they incorporate into the batter without overbeating. If you forgot to bring the eggs out, place them in a bowl of warm tap water to help warm them up.
- The cake needs to be hot when pouring on hot frosting, or the frosting will seize up when trying to spread. This is not a recipe you can divide into two prep days. However, the frosted and cooled cake will be great if made a day in advance.
- Instead of mixing the pecans into the frosting, you can sprinkle them on top of the cake after covering with frosting.
- I recommend you use a sheet pan with the highest rim you can find, so the frosting doesn’t go over the sides.
- If the frosting sets up too quickly while you add in the powdered sugar, place the saucepan over low heat and whisk vigorously.
- You can tap the sheet pan gently on the counter before baking to poke any air bubbles.
