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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! 🙂
I have never made a chocolate cake before. I am trying to branch out & try new things. I enjoyed making this. It was a bit of a mess with all the dishes but worth it. I traded the water for milk, loved the results. Kids & husband really enjoyed it.
Anyone think this recipe should have more cocoa powder!?! 3T seems like it’s not that much.
I have been making Texas sheet cake for years. I make it every year for my son’s birthday -27 year old today. I have tried a few different ones but the one with butter and sour cream is the best. I made this one last year and will be making this year. It’s very good.
Any tips for when the sides of the cake rising higher than the middle? It makes it tough with a pourable icing!
I’m sorry your cakes keep doming in the center! You could try 1. lowering the temperature of your oven from 350°F to 325°F, the slower cook might help it rise more evenly. 2. Avoid overmixing the cake batter, which adds excess air; and can cause weird rises.
Shake the pan to evenly distribute the batter before putting it into the oven.
I decided to try this recipe and I wasn’t disappointed! It was my very first time to make a Texas Sheet Cake. It’s *very* good and tastes like a homemade cake (because it is 🙂 ) and nothing like a box cake.
Next time I’ll make it on a Sunday night so I can split the recipe into two separate pans and take one to work. (My oven is a wall in unit and won’t take a regular size sheet pan. But I do have a smaller sheet pan and a 9×13 that I think would do the trick if I bake them separately.)
It’s a relatively quick recipe to put together and I’m really glad I tried it.
Can I make this in a 9×13 or Bundt pan?
a 9×13 will work perfectly just cut the recipe in half!
-Stacy
I can’t say this is THE BEST Texas Sheet Cake as it is the first one I ever made or tasted. I can say that this easy and quick recipe was received with absolute rave reviews!!! My first-ever tastes-better-from-scratch recipe but it will not be my last! So very grateful to have come across this recipe and your site!
Is the frosting recipe right? I made it according to directions and it came out thick, couldn’t pour it at all. 3 3/4 cups of powdered sugar seemed like alot.
I think you can add milk to make it less thick
It thickens pretty fast if you don’t pour it over the cake right away. Mine poured perfectly fine. Maybe weigh the powdered sugar for a more accurate measurement. That’s what I did.
although this cake recipe tasted really good.. both my mom and my friend on super bowl day..made this exact recipe and both cakes were extremely dense.. not what you look for in a Texas sheet cake.. so i don’t recommend this recipe.
This is exactly how a Texas sheet cake should be. Maybe you are thinking of a different cake.
I have made it time and time again and have never found anything wrong with it, maybe something went wrong
Made it for the first time today and I thought it was very light. Try weighing your dry ingredients for a more accurate measurement. My husband can’t stop eating it.
Good morning, I tried this recipe and was out of sour cream, so I substituted with whipped cottage cheese and it turned out absolutely wonderful! My fiance says it’s the best cake he’s ever eaten. Thanks and we’ll be trying more of your recipes in the upcoming Days. Hope you have a blessed Day!!