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Texas sheet cake is a classic Southern dessert that’s perfect for a party. Because it’s baked on a sheet pan, it makes a LOT of servings. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or just want something sweet and satisfying to serve at a potluck, this rich chocolate cake is going to be your new go-to!
My Favorite Homemade Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
If you love my Homemade Chocolate Cake or Copycat Portillo’s Chocolate Cake, then you’ll also love this Texas sheet cake. The method of making it is pretty unique—you’ll heat a mixture of butter, water, and cocoa powder on the stovetop and pour it into the batter while it’s still hot right into a jelly roll pan. Then, the icing also goes on hot, making it unlike any other chocolate frosting recipe I’ve tried!
The cake has a rich chocolate flavor, with a fluffy, moist texture (you can thank the sour cream for that!) that’s hard to resist. It’s also huge—maybe it got its name because it’s practically the size of Texas! Like this Wacky Cake, it’s great for big family parties and summer barbecues.
What You’ll Need
You’ll find the ingredient quantities for this Texas sheet cake recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of the page, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
For the Cake:
- Unsalted butter – Because you’ll be melting the butter, you don’t need to soften it first, but I often do just because it melts faster that way. But if you forget, it’s no big deal!
- Water
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Don’t use cocoa mix! It’s not the same.
- All-purpose flour – While I haven’t tried it personally, I think you could easily make this a gluten-free Texas sheet cake by using a gluten-free baking blend.
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Sour cream – Use full-fat sour cream; it will yield the moistest texture.
- Eggs – Here’s the best way to crack an egg.
- Vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- Whole milk – Whole milk makes for a richer frosting.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar – I recommend sifting this first to make sure you don’t have any lumps.
Tips for Making the Best Texas Sheet Cake
While this classic cake recipe is quite easy, I have a few additional pointers to help you make sure it turns out perfect.
- Sift the cocoa if needed. Sometimes it can get clumpy in the container and those little clumps don’t always dissolve when heated.
- Grease the pan well. I use the wrapper from the butter and slather that all over the baking sheet. Make sure you get the edges and corners so the cake doesn’t stick!
- Add any decorations before the icing sets. If you want to add sprinkles to make your Texas sheet cake more festive, add them a few minutes after pouring on the icing. You don’t want the icing so hot that it makes the sprinkles bleed or melt, but you also don’t want the icing to be completely set either, or the sprinkles won’t stick. (In other words, the icing should be wet, but no longer piping hot.)
How to Store Texas Sheet Cake
Texas sheet cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week (but be aware that in the refrigerator, it will dry out faster). You can also freeze this cake for up to 3 months and let it thaw at room temperature before serving.
Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- 6 tbsp whole milk
- 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 18×13 inchbaking sheet.
- Add butter, cocoa powder, and butter to a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside.
- Add egg mixture to the flour mix and stir to combine.
- When cocoa mixture is boiling, add it to the flour and egg mix and stir to combine. Be sure to mix thoroughly so ensure no lumps in the batter.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking sheet and smooth with a spatula.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes. While the cake bakes, prepare the frosting.
- Add the milk, cocoa, and butter to a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil.
- Once it boils, remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar. Whisk to combine making sure no lumps are present. Pour the hot icing over the hot cake using a small spatula to smooth the icing over the entire surface. Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition
More Easy Cake Recipes
- Strawberry Dump Cake is a summertime favorite!
- Your kids will love to help you make this Banana Pudding Poke Cake.
- Coconut Cake is a classic recipe that coconut lovers will adore.
- This Strawberry Cake is the prettiest shade of pink and it tastes as good as it looks!
