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    You are here: Home / Desserts / Cake / Best Texas Sheet Cake Recipe (with Video!)

    Best Texas Sheet Cake Recipe (with Video!)

    January 16, 2020 Updated February 7, 2020 BySam 55 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Texas sheet cake on white plate

    Extra moist, richly chocolatey, smothered with a glossy fudge frosting, this Texas Sheet Cake recipe takes the classic you know and love and amps it up a notch. I’ve tweaked this recipe to absolute perfection and I think you’ll love my take on this well-loved sheet cake. Recipe includes a how-to video! 

    Texas sheet cake in jelly roll pan

    I originally shared this recipe for Texas Sheet Cake over on Spend with Pennies!

    I’m so in love with this cake. The tender chocolate crumb, the sleek, fudgy, shiny frosting, how simple it is to make…

    Chocolate lovers, you’re going to want to try this one.

    Chances are you’ve had or at least heard of Texas sheet cake before (fun fact: Texas sheet cake didn’t actually originate in Texas, just like German chocolate cake isn’t from Germany!). It’s a southern classic, baked in a jelly roll pan and perfect for bringing to a party or potluck. Or polishing off by yourself, I don’t judge.

    Slice of chocolate sheet cake on white plate

    Texas sheet cake is a classic, and the age-old recipe was almost perfect as-is. Almost. You know I can’t resist tweaking anything I try, and this recipe was no exception. I wanted the crumb to be just a bit softer, moister, more flavorful, and richer than the original, and oh did we get there. I took a few notes from my (best ever) chocolate cake recipe:

    • Brown sugar in addition to granulated adds both moisture and a depth of flavor.
    • A splash of vanilla extract, for added flavor of course.
    • A sprinkle of instant coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
    • Extra cocoa powder, for an even more intense chocolate flavor.

    These small modifications make this cake a chocolate-lover’s dream.

    Pouring the chocolate frosting over chocolate sheet cake

    And that frosting! That beautifully glossy blanket of chocolate fudge frosting is simple to make and absolutely heavenly. It’s made on the stovetop like a ganache, but it’s not quite as heavy, instead it’s light and melts in your mouth, giving way to that perfect chocolate crumb.

    Storing

    Chances are you won’t have any leftovers. But just in case you want to make it in advance:

    Texas sheet cake can be stored covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. It will keep longer in the refrigerator, but keep in mind that the fridge tends to dry out cakes, even if they are covered. This cake can also be frozen. Allow it to cool completely and then cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2-3 months.

    Slice of Texas sheet cake with bite out of it to show moist interior

    Enjoy! For a peanut buttery variation, try my peanut butter sheet cake!

    More Chocolate Recipes to Try:

    • Hot Chocolate Cake
    • Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
    • Chocolate Cupcakes
    • Chocolate Truffles
    • Easy Fudge Recipe

    Let’s bake together! Head on over to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 200 recipe videos that you can watch for free!

    texas sheet cake on white plate

    The Best Texas Sheet Cake Recipe

    Extra moist, richly chocolatey, covered in a shiny chocolate fudge frosting, this Texas Sheet Cake recipe takes the classic you know and love and amps it up a notch. I've tweaked this recipe to absolute perfection and I think you'll love my take on this well-loved sheet cake.
    Check out the how-to video just below the recipe! 
    4.78 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 15 slices
    Calories: 493kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces (226g)
    • 1 cup water (235ml)
    • ⅓ cup cocoa powder (33g)
    • ½ cup sour cream (125g)
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
    • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
    • ½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed (100g)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon instant coffee optional

    FROSTING

    • 6 Tablespoons whole milk
    • ½ cup salted butter cut into pieces (113g)
    • 6 Tablespoons natural cocoa powder
    • 4 cups powdered sugar sifting is recommended (after measuring) to avoid any lumps (500g)
    • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup toasted pecans optional, see note

    Recommended Equipment

    • Jelly Roll Pan
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and thoroughly grease and flour a 10x15 jelly roll pan (or spray with baking spray).
    • Combine butter, water, and cocoa powder in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool for 15-20 minutes.
    • While butter/cocoa mixture is cooling, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and instant coffee in a large bowl.
    • In another bowl, whisk together sour cream and eggs and vanilla. Stir this into your dry ingredients until combined.
    • Once the chocolate mixture has cooled for at least 15 minutes, stir into your flour/sour cream mixture until mixture is smooth and completely combined.
    • Spread batter into prepared jelly roll pan and bake on 350F (175C) for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
    • Once cake has finished baking (or several minutes before), begin preparing frosting.

    FROSTING

    • Combine milk and butter in a medium-sized saucepan and cook over medium/low heat until butter is melted. Once butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder until combined. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
    • Pour over cake while cake is still warm. If using pecans, sprinkle over frosting now.
    • Allow frosting to harden (about one hour) and then slice and serve!

    Notes

    Some people like to top their Texas Sheet Cake with toasted pecans. You can omit them as I often do, or add them whole or chopped after pouring the frosting. Alternatively you can sprinkle the chopped pecans over the cake before pouring the frosting.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 666IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Harriet Armstrong

      April 18, 2021 at 1:49 pm

      5 stars
      Could you brewed coffee instead of instant coffee granular coffee and if so how much?

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 18, 2021 at 9:42 pm

        Hi Harriet! That will work just great. You can replace the 1 cup of water with coffee. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Maureen

      January 19, 2021 at 5:48 pm

      Do you use sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder?

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 19, 2021 at 10:20 pm

        Hi Maureen! Unsweetened cocoa powder here. 🙂

        Reply
      • Linda

        January 28, 2021 at 11:08 pm

        5 stars
        In my grandmother’s sheet cake there was always a hint of cinnamon. Have you ever made your cake with it in it?

        Reply
        • Sam

          January 29, 2021 at 9:27 pm

          Hi Linda! I have not tried it in mine. This has an incredible flavor as it is. 🙂

    3. Arron

      October 21, 2020 at 7:54 pm

      I’ve never made Texas Sheet Cake before but I have someone requesting it for their birthday and I have yet to have one of your recipes disappoint. My question is, do you think this would work if I tried to do 9 inch round cakes and stack them? Any suggestions on making it work?

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 21, 2020 at 9:45 pm

        Hi Arron! It is a super moist cake so it tends to fall apart when baked that way. I have baked it in a 9 x 13 and it was just pretty crumbly so I’m not sure it would end up being stackable. You could use my chocolate cake. It’s an excellent cake. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Bina

      August 20, 2020 at 9:35 pm

      4 stars
      I halved the recipe and made it in a 7″x10″ pan. It seems a bit thicker than the cake in the pic but it is delicious! I just had three pieces :-/ The cake itself is moist and nice and the frosting decadent. I will say that like some other reviewers, I had to add more water (I ran out of milk) in the frosting to make it pourable. I also did not end up using all the powdered sugar (which is good, since I had three pieces of cake in one sitting) because the consistency was fine and the sweetness was fine too. I think I used 2/3 or 3/4 of the actual amount. I topped it with chopped walnuts — yummy!!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 23, 2020 at 10:57 am

        I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much! 🙂

        Reply
        • Bina

          August 23, 2020 at 12:32 pm

          Actually, make that four pieces :-/ I made myself give some to neighbors and a friend so I wouldn’t finish the rest of it. They all enjoyed it.
          Quick question… I want to make it again for a family get together but a few of the family members do not eat eggs. I first was thinking about using an egg substitute but then I came across a very similar recipe to yours that did not use eggs at all. Thoughts on this? Do you think I can just leave them out or would you recommend I sub something else for the eggs? If so, what?
          Thanks for your help!

        • Sam

          August 27, 2020 at 9:35 pm

          I definitely have had to give stuff away so I stopped eating it so you aren’t alone! Unfortunately I am not quite sure how make this egg free. If you do try a substitute and it works I would love to know what you did. 🙂

        • Bina

          August 31, 2020 at 10:17 am

          Me again. I left the eggs out but followed everything else the same. The batter was quite thick but the cake turned out pretty yummy (texture was a touch off, but not that noticeable). It will work for the family get together for the egg-free peeps. I wonder if I should add more water or a touch more sour cream to make the batter easier to spread?

        • Sam

          August 31, 2020 at 1:02 pm

          Unfortunately I don’t know how adding more will liquid will work here. 🙁

    5. Rose Ruble

      August 11, 2020 at 2:21 pm

      I made this cake today for my daughter’s 50th Birthday. It’s been a long time since I’ve made this cake. I noticed in some of the recipes it calls for buttermilk, is there a difference in taste????

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 12, 2020 at 8:08 pm

        Hi Rose! Some recipes rely on chemical reactions from the buttermilk. I am sure there are taste differences, but you can’t go wrong with this one. 🙂

        Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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