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The BEST Texas Sheet Cake
Why is it called Texas Sheet Cake?
It's not known why chocolate sheet cake is often referred to as “Texas sheet cake.” I like to think it's because it's a cake the size of Texas. 🙂
This chocolate cake recipe is made in a sheet cake pan, which is where it gets the name, “sheet cake.” A sheet cake is any cake that is made in a large rectangular pan known as a sheet pan or jelly roll pan.
What size pan to make sheet cake:
Texas sheet cake recipes usually bake in a baker's half-sheet pan that's 18×13” inch. I prefer this type of pan because it results in a thinner cake with a thin layer of chocolate frosting, and it's perfect for feeding a crowd.
You can bake Texas sheet cake in a 9×13” pan, but increase the baking time to about 30-35 minutes.
What's the difference between Sheet Cake and Regular Cake?
The primary difference between sheet cake and regular cake is the size of the cake pan. Sheet cake is made in a sheet cake pan which is a shallow, large pan. Regular cake is usually made in a 9×13 baking dish or, for a double layer cake, it's made in two 8-9” round pans.
How to make Texas Sheet Cake:
- Add to saucepan: water, butter, and cocoa powder and bring mixture to a boil.
- In a bowl: mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl: mix together the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Add sour cream/egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix until combined.
- Combine the batter. Once the chocolate mixture in the saucepan in boiling, remove it from heat and pour it into the batter. Mix until combined and no lumps remain.
- Pour into sheet pan. Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth with a spatula to make sure it is dispersed in an even layer.
- Bake. at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until set (mine is usually done around 15 minutes).
How to make Sheet Cake Frosting:
- In a saucepan: Add milk, cocoa and butter; bring mixture to a boil.
- Stir in: powdered sugar. I like to beat the mixture with my hand-held mixer to get rid of any lumps.
- Pour over cake. Pour the hot mixture right over the hot cake. Use a spatula to spread it evenly over the cake. Allow frosting to set for about 10 minutes before eating.
Do you need to refrigerate Texas Sheet Cake?
You don't have to, but it will last better and longer if stored, covered, in the refrigerator. If you live somewhere warm and humid, it's especially best to store it in the fridge.
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The BEST Texas Sheet Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup water, (240 ml)
- 1 cup butter, (227 g)
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, (22.5 g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, (240 g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar, (400 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, (5 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, (2.5 g)
- 1/2 cup sour cream, (120 g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, (5 ml)
For the Frosting
- 6 Tablespoons milk, (90 ml)
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, (22.5 g)
- 1/2 cup butter, (115 g)
- 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, (450 g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 18x13'' pan.
- Add water butter cocoa powder to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix together the flour, sugar baking soda and salt.
- In another small bowl mix together the sour cream, eggs and vanilla.
- Add sour cream/egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix until combined.
- Once the chocolate mixture in the saucepan in boiling, remove it from heat and pour it into the batter. Mix until combined and no lumps remain.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth with a spatula to make sure it is dispersed in an even layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until set (mine is usually done around 15 minutes).
- When the cake is about half-way through cooking, prepare the frosting.
For the Chocolate Sheet Cake Frosting
- Add milk, cocoa and butter to a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, remove it from the heat and stir in powdered sugar. I like to beat the mixture with my hand-held mixer to get rid of any lumps.
- Pour hot icing over hot cake. Use a spatula to spread it evenly over the cake. Allow frosting to set for about 10 minutes before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
*I originally shared this recipe September 2011. Updated May 2019.
No lie, best sheet cake ever!
This cake is amazing! My husband said it is the best cake ever! I took this to our family’s Thanksgiving dinner and everyone who tried it loved it! This will be a go to recipe when I need to take a dessert somewhere. My mom used to make this when I was young and I didn’t have her recipe so when I saw all the great reviews on this recipe I knew it was the one to try. I just made a second one to take to another dinner tomorrow! My mom will be there and I can’t wait for her to try it. She told me the story of how when she was young and stayed all night with her friend Margaret her mother would make a Texas Sheet Cake and she couldn’t more than get it out of the over before they were begging for a piece. I hope this brings back many great memories for her like it did me. Thanks for the amazing recipe.
This recipe is the same as what my mom gave me. This was the birthday cake she made me every year. Until 1 year I got her recipe and a Texas sheet pan for my birthday. Lol
Never even heard of a Texas sheet cake until I saw this recipe on Instagram. Wow ! What a simple cake but it is just so so so so good. The cake… the frosting… I’ve never liked such a simple chocolate cake before. SO good ! Making it again after just a few days 🙂
This is the go-to recipe I use for Texas Sheet Cake! I’ve made a few and this one with sour cream is just the BEST! We are gluten free and I have had absolutely no trouble substituting a gf all-purpose flour and keeping the rest of the recipe the same. I’ve used walmart brand gf flour, krusteaz, king arthur, and a homemade better batter knockoff flour and all of them have worked just fine! Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you for this GF comment! 🙂
Looks great
This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe exactly and baked it 27 minutes in a 9×14 pan. The icing was perfect, I took it to a fellowship meal and everyone raved about it. This is, to me, the perfect chocolate cake, moist and delicious.
My biggest sheet pan is only 12X16. Is this going to overflow the pan?
Hi Becky, this recipe is for a bakers half sheet (13×18) but I do think 12×16 would work. If the batter fills the pan too close to the top, you can always scoop some out to make an extra cupcake or too, with the extra.
Hi,
For the cake, is it salted or unsalted butter?
And same for the frosting, salted or unsalted butter?
TIA!
Since the cake recipe calls for baking soda AND SALT, I suggest you use UNSALTED butter for cake and frosting.
Fast, easy, and a crowd pleaser every time!
Made this cake to share with family and work friends. Everyone absolutely loved it! Will make again and again!!!!
Wonderful!
I used King Arthur Gluten Free (1:1) flour, and Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa. PERFECT.
I started making the icing when the cake was almost done, and added the powdered sugar as soon as I took the cake out of the oven, so it wouldn’t have time to set up.
Transported it covered with an upside down plastic serving tray.
So GOOD. I made it twice last week, and making it again Sunday for another party.
We are just thrilled!! Thanks for letting us all know about your sub for the gluten free flour!
This isn’t the original Texas Sheet Cake recipe. Although this version is good, I missed having the cinnamon in this cake & prefer using buttermilk.
My son and I made this tonight for the first time. 15 minutes was a couple of minutes too done but that’s just a difference in ovens issue, one that I can adjust. However, the icing did not melt into the cake at all. It glazed over but when I cut into the cake, it was like thin chocolate syrup under the crust/film of the iceing? What did I do wrong? This was my favorite desert that my stepmother made. When I asked her for the recipe, she told me that there are many versions online and I should experiment to find my favorite. Apparently, this is not the recipe she used. Any help would be very appreciated. My step mother passed away almost 2 years ago and it’s taken this long before I could make it in my own.
Did you ever remedy the issue with the icing? Just curious what the cause of that was. Did it separate and not set up?
My icing came out fine. I melted the butter on very low heat. Add the milk, vanilla & cocoa. Then leaving it on the low heat, I gradually stirred in 3-1/2 cups of powder sugar and then added the nuts, after spreading icing, I put it back in the oven at 350 for 2 minutes.
I’ve made this twice and it’s soooo good. But neither time was the frosting/icing “pourable.” The first time it literally set up like a fudge (which actually was incredible but difficult to spread), so I added some cream the second time around. It made it less stiff, but it still wasn’t pourable. I’ve looked at other recipes for Texas Sheet/Sheath Cake and find another 6 T of butter in the frosting of most. Just wondering what I’m not doing right. Help!
I’m glad you love the cake! It sounds like the frosting might be setting up a bit too quickly. One tip is to make sure you’re pouring and spreading the frosting immediately after it’s made, while it’s still warm. You can also try adding a little extra milk to help keep it pourable. Hope that helps!
When mine starts to stiffen up, I just keep stirring. Then it’s almost pourable and still very easy to spread.