Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
My favorite “take” on classic chocolate Texas sheet cake, this delightful cake is so moist, ultra-chocolatey, and so easy to make (no mixer required!).
Texas sheet cake is a funny little cake.
I remember my mom making it a few times growing up, although she called it something entirely different (Mama Hinckley cake, don’t ask me why). And when I got married 16 years ago, I found out how deeply and truly Brian’s love runs for Texas sheet cake.
It’s his favorite cake. Or so he says until faced with this one or this one or this one.
The jury is still out, despite numerous research articles, on how the generationally beloved cake got its name, but I stick to the idea that because it’s baked in a pan the size of Texas, it can safely be called Texas sheet cake.
While there are obviously other names for the easy, no-fuss and definitely no-frills dessert (like Mama Hinckley cake, as I mentioned before, but I’ve also heard it called frosted chocolate sheet cake which is a super exciting and cutting edge name for the cake), around here we lovingly refer to it as Texas sheet cake.
And even though it’s taken me ages to post a chocolate version, you may already be familiar with this white Texas sheet cake and this peanut butter Texas sheet cake.
There’s something about the endearingly thin, super moist chocolate cake slathered in warm chocolate frosting that garners fans generation after generation.
Admittedly, I don’t make it as often as my family would like. For one, it feeds a heck of a lot more people than the seven of us living under this roof.
And I don’t know about you, but I don’t need 2/3 of a pan of leftover chocolate cake staring me in the face when everyone else leaves to go to school and work. I am fully aware of my self-control (or lack of).
And secondly, I’ve never felt like it was quite chocolatey enough to justify indulging. Some recipes call for a shockingly scant amount of 3 tablespoons cocoa for the entire cake!
Talk about a travesty of chocolate cake proportions. If you’re going to have chocolate cake, HAVE CHOCOLATE CAKE. Know what I mean?
There really aren’t many variations on this recipe if you start digging around. 2 cups flour + 2 cups sugar + 1/2 cup buttermilk. If that sounds familiar, we’re more than likely working from the same recipe.
Over the years, I’ve taken my Aunt Marilyn’s classic Texas sheet cake recipe and made some very slight adjustments to make it more my style.
Namely, a bit more cocoa in the cake and the frosting, and I often use my Aunt Marilyn’s tip to use buttermilk in the frosting instead of milk.
I know that might sound weird, but it’s definitely in the “don’t knock it til you try it” category, because it makes a rather ordinary cake somewhat special.
If you’re new to the land of Texas sheet cake, rejoice knowing that this cake is incredibly easy to make.
For both the cake and the frosting, the base ingredients are simmered in a saucepan before adding the remainder of the ingredients (no mixer needed!). Then the cake bakes in just a few minutes (remember, it’s thin, so don’t overbake!). And the magic really occurs when the warm frosting is poured over the warm cake.
After it cools, the frosting forms a delightful almost crackly layer of creamy chocolate frosting on top of the rich, perfectly chocolatey, indulgently soft cake.
What size pan do you need for Texas sheet cake?
This Texas sheet cake is often baked in a half sheet pan (i.e. the large, rimmed baking sheets about 11X17-inches in size). I’ve also seen a lot of Texas sheet cake recipes that say to bake the cake in a jelly roll pan. And even some declare the cake can be baked in a 9X13-inch pan.
So what is a home baker to do? First, let’s clear up a few things.
Even though the term “jelly roll pan” is thrown around a bit irresponsibly at times to encompass any large shallow baking pan, it is NOT the same as a half sheet pan.
Jelly Roll Pan = 15X10 inches (this is the one I have {aff. link} and I use it almost exclusively for cream cheese filled pumpkin rolls)
Half Sheet Pan = 11X17 inches or about 12X18 inches on outer edges and often just called a “sheet pan” (I have these pans {aff. link} – they last forever and I use them for all my cookie baking; they also come in a 2-pack at Sam’s Club or Costco and are cheaper there, I think)
9X13-Inch Pan = I prefer using a metal 9X13-inch pan {aff. link} for baking cakes but a glass baking pan {aff. link} can also be used (it helps to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees if using glass)
When it comes to Texas sheet cake, the batter really can be baked in any of the above pans. (If using a jelly roll pan, make sure the sides are high enough so the batter doesn’t overflow.)
But if you want to maintain the strict identity of the classically thin and loveable Texas sheet cake, my opinion is you need to stick with the half sheet pan.
What pan size you actually choose will say a lot about your personality (and your feelings about Texas sheet cake in general), but ultimately, it’s up to you. Armed with the information above, all I will say is: choose wisely! 🙂
Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups (424 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, (2 sticks)
- 1 cup water
- 5 tablespoons cocoa (see note)
- ½ cup (113 g) sour cream or buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, (1 stick)
- 5 tablespoons cocoa (see note)
- ⅓ cup milk or buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 3 ½ cups (397 g) powdered sugar, sifted to avoid lumps
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a large, rimmed baking sheet/half sheet pan (about 11X17-inches). Set aside.
- For the cake, in a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium saucepan, add the butter and water. Sift in the cocoa (to avoid lumps). Bring the mixture to a boil. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake is evenly baked and springs back lightly to the touch (watch closely; your oven may cook hotter and the cake may need even less time).
- While the cake bakes, make the frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa, milk (or buttermilk), vanilla and salt. Heat, stirring cosntantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar gradually until the frosting is smooth (if your powdered sugar is extra clumpy, sift it in to avoid lumps in the frosting). Keep the frosting warm if the cake is not finished baking.
- Pour the warm frosting over the warm cake and spread evenly. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (from my old recipe binder put together by my Aunt Marilyn 20 years ago)
147 Comments on “Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake”
The taste is amazing n not so sweet
Just made this after a nostalgic conversation with my adult son talking about how the school cafeteria sheet pan chocolate cake was gold in elementary school. My son said this is the exact same gold he remembers from 3rd grade. Thank you for this amazing recipe. I used sour cream. Delish!!
This is EXCELLENT! I made it exactly as the recipe is written and will add this to my prized recipe stash. It is just like the awesome chocolate cake served in my highschool lunchroom. We all looked forward to chocolate cake day at that school! Ive been on a search for the perfect recipe to duplicate that cake for a while now. My family loved it and my brothers and husband agree that it tastes just like school cake. (Our lunch ladies were THE BEST and could throw down some great food!) Thanks so much for the recipe and great instructions!
Yum!! This was a hit with my family!! Thank you for sharing this recipe
Perfect! My wife asked me to makes brownies but I decided to go rogue and make cake instead. There were no complaints in my house.
I cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8″ square pan for 25 minutes. I also added a little instant espresso to the frosting because coffee makes everything better. This is a keeper!
Hi Mel, just wondering if you ever tried adding a little espresso powder to the cake and/or frosting? I haven’t made it yet and I have a problem with tweaking a recipe the first time I make it. If you’ve tried it and didn’t think it added anything to the cake, I would definitely like to know! Thanks!
I haven’t tried that, but I bet it would be delicious! Sorry I can’t give firsthand experience on doing it. But I don’t think it would mess it up to try it.
Hi
I would like to make this in advance to take to family beach trip. Can I make, cut and freeze or how long will it stay fresh? I would love to be able to freeze so it would travel better than bringing a cookie sheet. Thanks for your response. I’ve made this before and love it!
Oh boy, I’m honestly not sure, Karen! I don’t know how it would fare being frozen with the frosting. It seems like it might be kind of a messy situation as it thaws. I’m sorry I’m not more help!
Hey, Mel! I know this is an older post for you and you may not even get a chance to respond but it’s worth a try!
I have made this several times (yummy), and each time my frosting does not settle in and get that glassy top that is so beautiful. I am a very experienced baker. I have poured it on right off the stove, cake right out of the oven. Thoughts?
Hi Laura, what’s happening when you pour the frosting on top?
I definitely have to spread it out, then it basically just sets really fast with spread marks and all. I can barely get it to the edges before it starts setting. Maybe less powdered sugar?
Thanks for the additional details – yes, if it’s that thick, try less powdered sugar (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup) and see how that goes.
I want to eat the whole pan! I didn’t, I wont. But I want to, These are perfect and just one of those simple but so crazy delicious desserts!
I first baked this recipe for the Super Bowl back in February. My youngest son has declared it his favorite dessert and said it should be a “Sunday Tradition”. A month and a half later, it’s still a family favorite! By far the best Texas Sheet Cake I’ve ever had. Thank you for another AMAZING recipe Mel!
I had lost my Texas sheet cake recipe, and went online hoping to find a similar version. I am sure glad that I came across yours! I made the cake yesterday, for an evening snack, and it was a huge hit in my household! The cake is so moist and the icing I could eat by itself:)
Thank you Mel. Made this, it is awesome like fudge on cake! Used jelly roll pan, 25 min. Exactly perfect. The preparations were not normal cake prep and strained my brain a little but this is delicious and useful recipe to know. Solves the “cake to icing” ratio perfectly.
How do you keep little round pieces of white flour from showing up in the finished product? I’m not familiar with sifting flour, do you measure the flour before or after sifting? Despite the pieces of flour in the cake, everyone loved the cake! Planning to make for a birthday this weekend so figured I would post my question. Thank you!
I don’t sift the dry ingredients for this recipe, but if you do, you would want to measure and then sift.
This Recipe is my all time favorite got to when i make texas sheet cake. I even make it gluten free and it taste like a gooey brownie. I use buttermilk instead of the sour cream. For the gluten free i still do everything the same as i would if i was cooking it with regular flour. The only thing is it has a little bit less flour even though i use the same amount as regular flour.
Delicious! Especially when you’ve eaten all the remaining chocolate in your house haha. I made the cake with 1/2 cup less sugar and the frosting with a cup less sugar and it was still plenty sweet, moist, and chocolatey.
Any tips on the frosting soaking into the cake? It was tasty, but our frosting completely disappeared into the cake!!
Weird! Try waiting a little bit to let the cake cool or add a bit more powdered sugar to thicken the frosting.
Here’s one for you! Well… I was out of buttermilk, as well as vinegar ( to make buttermilk) so I was going for lemon juice for the win… Cake was in the oven when I went to make the frosting…when I reached for the lemon juice… only to discover that I’d accidentally grabbed the LIME juice while making the cake! Oooops! So, not sure how the cake will turn out. Batter tasted good. Frosting tasted delicious… I guess I’ll find out soon enough. Yikes! Rookie mistake! Anyone else ever make this error? Or similar? Thanks for the wonderful recipe! Hope I didn’t butcher it too badly! Have a great weekend!
Does it need to be refrigerated?
I like to refrigerate it (it tastes delicious chilled).
Amazing! My whole family is mmm-ing their way between bites. I made a standard recipe several years ago but it wasn’t as intense in chocolate flavor and was dry. Thank you so much for sharing your version, Mel!
Quarantine baking adventures continue at our house and we made Texas Sheet cake for the first time!
Myyyyyy oh MY! this cake is perfection!
Love the thin cake to frosting ratio. Cake was so moist and tender and flavorful, I love that the icing isn’t sickeningly sweet! It balances the dessert out to be just perfect! We used 5 Tbs cocoa powder for the cake 4 TBs cocoa for the frosting and it suited our tastes.
Another dangerously good recipe… we had cut some slices and gave some to our neighbors to prevent me from eating the whole pan myself! Already dreaming of when I am going to make this again!
I’m loving all your quarantine baking adventures, Bri!
I had a recipe for a Texas choc. sheet cake, I lost it so I am trying your recipe. Looks similiar to the one I had. Baking it fot the fish fry at church. Thank you!
How do you cut cake without damaging sheet pan?
My mother in law always uses a disposable plastic knife to cut her Texas sheet cake because she says it makes a cleaner cut, and I imagine doesn’t damage the pan either
You never let me down, Mel. I made this for the food portion of my 5th grader’s state project, so hopefully, this cake is actually tied to TX! 😉 However much it represents Texas, it is delicious. My daughter asked me to make another one for her friends the same week. The cakes got rave reviews from everyone and there’s not a crumb left from two jelly roll pans in one week!
This is the best! (And you are a good momma).
Here I used the phrase “jelly roll pan” irresponsibly. It was really a half sheet pan.
You know what? My family thinks I’m an awesome cook. I’m really not. I just discovered your blog.
Haha, thanks for making me smile, Julie. Take all the credit! If you’re the one doing the cooking, you deserve it!
This is Aunt Hinkley’s cake. Not Texas Sheet Cake, also called Texas Sheath Cake, which has cinnamon in the cake batter and pecans in the frosting.
I’ve been making Texas sheet cake for years but mostly out of sentiment since it was a popular dessert when I was a girl. My kids liked it but it wasn’t my favorite. The minor adjustments you made to a traditional TX sheet cake recipe make all the difference! The depth of chocolate flavor and extra fudginess make it out of this world. Thanks for restoring my faith in Texas sheet cake!
This is very similar to the recipe I use (from Pioneer Woman). Such a delicious cake! It’s our fave (and I’m not in general a fan of cake), but since it is such a huge cake, we freeze the leftovers in slices. My hubby loves it straight from the freezer, but I love to microwave it for just a few seconds and then it’s as gooey as when it was fresh. And the best part about this cake is how impressed everyone is by how amazing it tastes, but it’s SO easy to make. (Side note – this really can be baked in any size pan. For my sister’s wedding I used this batter to make her layer cake, plus a bunch of cupcakes. Everyone was gaga over it and it was so easy! Well, the baking part, not the decorating part. Decorating is not my forte. Luckily I have a very talented niece who helped with that part.)
It was a hit! I had Texas Sheet Cake only once before and, honestly, didn’t like it, because it looked like chocolate cake, but didn’t really taste like chocolate. And way too sweet, made my teeth hurt. I needed a simple and somewhat large cake to bring to the church today, and for some reason Texas sheet cake came to mind. I thought I need to find a good recipe and just make it more chocolaty. Well, you, Mel, already did the job turning a pseudo chocolate cake into a super chocolate cake! But I did reduce the amount of sugar to 1 1/2 cups and powdered sugar to 2 cups and the cake turned out just right! So easy to make! I felt bad when people praised me for making it, because, really, it wasn’t much to do there. Just the right recipe from the right person 😉 Now waiting for the opportunity to make some other sheet cakes from your site. Thank you so much!
Yay! Thank you!
YUM! So good! I love Texas sheet cake and lost my Mom’s recipe for it. This tastes so similar…even better actually with the addition of extra cocoa powder! Good call on that, you speak my love language, which is clearly chocolate. 🙂 It’s the best dessert when you have a crowd of people to feed and everyone always loves it. Thanks for posting perfect recipes!
Thanks so much, Jennifer!
So embarrassed I somehow put desert and not dessert down there, btw. ♀️
Has anyone or have you ever tried to sub the flour with King Arthur’s gluten-free flour? (Or any GF flour conconction?) I’m in charge of desert for a large group and need it to be GF!
I make this exclusively with Bobs Red Mill 1 for 1 gluten-free flour.
Delicious! Thank you and I’m excited to try the peanut butter versions!
This cake looked so delicious and who can resist chocolate, right?! Earlier this week I made the cake using Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa. To try it out and being it was for two people I cut the recipe in half and baked it in a Nordic quarter sheet pan. Being it was so thin, compared to a regular cake, I was expecting it to be on the dry side. WOW!!! Was I wrong! This cake was SO moist..D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.!!!! The ganache like topping did get a little crackly, as you said. This will be me go-to cake from now on. THANK YOU so much for sharing the recipe. Next I’m going to try a yellow Texas sheet cake.
So happy it worked out so well, CathyAnn!
Not familiar with Texas sheet cake at all, but sounds like I might just have to try it! This may be a dumb question, but for the pan, you’re not talking about cookie sheets, are you? I have a couple with taller lips, but only by about 1″ all around.
For the half sheet pan? Yes, I think those are the cookie sheets you might be thinking of.
I made this a few days ago, and it is fantastic—and easy! The best Texas Sheet Cake ever!! …and oh so dangerous to have around—even after half of it was devoured at a meeting. 🙂 This is my new “take to” dessert. Thanks so much for another winner!!
Thanks, Karen!
Just made this tonight and loved it! Like you said, it does make a LOT though, so do you happen to know if it freezes well? Thanks so much for another winner!
Others have commented it freezes great!
Delicious! This recipe is a keeper
Thanks, Cassidy!
I made this Saturday and I do like the extra chocolate! I did add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans to make it more like a Texas sheet cake,. It’s easy and delicious! I want to try it as a 9×13″ cake sometime like one of my Texas friends did for her birthday cake.
Thanks, Linda! Glad it worked out well!
Amazing!! My niece and nephew went crazy for this. I cut the recipe in half and used a 9×13 pan. Perfection! I have made Texas sheet cake before but been severely underwhelmed. I always thought it didn’t have enough chocolate flavor. Until today!Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know, Cyndi!
Mel, Mel, Mel – what does a girl whose *not* a fan of Texas Sheet Cake do when she has leftover buttermilk and is super bored at 10 pm on a Saturday? She makes Texas Sheet Cake simply because Mel posted the recipe (after all, you did convert her to Shepherd’s Pie). I think I can stop talking in 3rd person now and just wanted to say THIS WAS SOOO DELICIOUS! I halved the recipe, but still baked it in a 9×13 pan (took 12 min) to get it super thin – which is just an excuse for me and my husband to justify devouring this. THANK YOU MEL!!
Thank you for a cinnamon free version of this cake! I don’t like cinnamon in my chocolate. This will be great for potlucks.
I cook recipes from your blog all the time but this is this first one I’ve made the day it was posted. So worth it. I eat gluten free so I subbed Thrive gluten free flour. This is definitely going into my recipe binder. Thanks for another winner!
Thanks so much, Andrea! And that is awesome that it transitioned well to gluten free flour!
I often wondered why you didn’t have a chocolate version! Excited to try this next week!
Do leave the cake in the pan or remove, then pour on icing?
Leave it in the pan and pour the glaze right on top.
Good question – leave the cake in the pan and pour the frosting on top.
Perfect! I made it this afternoon. It came together SO quickly and I had a gorgeous dessert to celebrate the end of the school week. I added unsweetened, shredded coconut to the glaze which was divine. This recipe is yet another keeper from my favourite blog.
23 minutes was the perfect bake time for my oven on my half sheet pan.
Love the addition of coconut, Annie! Thanks for the review!
I make your PB sheet cake all the time and then pair it with a chocolate sheet cake. If you stack two pieces, it’s like a PB cup. I’m so excited to finally get the chocolate one right!
What?? That sounds amazing!
My in-laws call this brownies and it drives me crazy! Brownies are much fudgier!
Your frosting is very similar to the chocolate frosting in my peanut butter bars recipe. The buttermilk just kicks it up a notch! It does that wonderful crackly (great word choice!) thing too! This cake looks perfect for a large gathering. I’ve never liked Texas Sheet Cake but I’ll bet your version would change my mind!
The thought of that frosting on peanut butter bars has me feeling like all is right in the world, Holly!
I have successfully halved this recipe and baked it in a quarter sheet pan. It tastes great and alleviates the leftover cake problem for small families.
Great idea!
this recipe is very similar to a recipe I grew up with…a couple differences …I use 1/2 tsp salt in the cake recipe, as well as 2 tsp of cinnamon!!! the rest is pretty much the same for the cake. Then in the frosting recipe I add 1 tsp of vanilla, 1/2 cup cocoa and 1 lb of powdered sugar. We top it with 1 cup chopped nuts…walnuts, almonds, pecans, or whatever I have on hand.
The cinnamon gives it a super rich flavor! Just a suggestion!
Here it is in its entirety:
Jenn’s Texas Sheet Cake
Mix in a mixing bowl:
2 cups sugar
½ tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 tsps cinnamon
In a saucepan bring to a boil the following ingredients:
2 cubes butter
1/3 cup Cocoa
1 cup water
½ (heaping) probably more like 3/4 cup sour cream
Pour hot mixture over flour and sugar mixture in mixing bowl.
Add the following ingredients and mix well
2 eggs
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
Pour into a greased and floured jelly roll pan with sides.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so.
Frosting:
Combine:
1 cube butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
5 TBSP or 1/3 cup buttermilk
½ Cup cocoa
1 lb of powdered sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (add after you pour and spread frosting onto cake top) pecans, walnuts, almonds or whatever have on hand
Combine in a pot on the stove and cook till bubbly. Pour over warm cake. Top with nuts if desired.
I’m sadly not the hugest fan of cinnamon and chocolate together, but a lot of people love some cinnamon in their Texas sheet cake!
Why are you copying and pasting your own recipe for this cake? That’s weird to me. I guess I’ve never seen this in the comments of a food blog before but two people did that today on this recipe. It’s kind of weird. I would be super bugged if I were the food blogger who shared a favorite recipe and then had peple basically say that there recipe is way better and here, they’ll copy and paste it even. If you think you have a better recipe then the one Mel shared than just keep making your own and move on. I’m not trying to be rude, but I think putting your own recipe that is hardly different in the comments is actually kind of rude.
I have been making this since I was a young girl with my dad! You should try this with powdered sugar on top, instead of frosting. So good!!
That sounds like a fun (and easy) variation on frosting!
I LOVE me some Texas Sheet cake. My variations include:
Using 1 cup buttermilk and only 1/2 cup water for the batter. Makes it extra rich and moist. For the frosting, I break up 1 cup of pecans, and fold into the frosting, before pouring into the cake. Then the nuts are envelopes in the chocolatey goodness.. mmmmm.
Yum!
Thank you! A perfect cake to whip up on the fly! I am so impatient at waiting for cakes to cool before frosting them. My kids are going to to be thrilled to come home from the 3rd day of school ( sigh…. The Great Teacher Strike of 2018 will go down in history) to a big slice o cake! The first day it was your buttermilk banana bread, so thanks for that one too!!
Oh yikes! Teacher strikes don’t sound good (for anyone). And yes, this cake is dreamy because there’s no cooling required before whipping it all together!
This is almost the same recipe as the pioneer woman chocolate sheet cake that we have been making and loving for years! I usually halve the recipe and make it in a 13×9 cause that much cake for my little family is a dangerous thing
🙂
My mother in law makes something very similar, usually by request of my father in law. She calls it “Cocoa Sheath Cake” I think…now I need to ask her and compare recipes. Looks like there will be some in my future 😉
Haha. That’s not a bad thing, right?
My kids introduced me to your blog and I have enjoyed many recipes that you have posted. When I saw today’s recipe I decided to do something I don’t much do and that is share how ours is different and I think better. Mostly a Texas sheet cake varies only with the amount of butter. I’ve had them with one stick only (dreadful), but most have two sticks. Ours has three. SO…here is our recipe. Give it a try. In my world in northern Wyoming everyone that knows me uses my grandmother, Bettye Watkins’ version. She was Texan, and in case you don’t know, Nacogdoches is a town in Texas.
NACOGDOCHES CAKE
Melt and bring to a boil:
¾ lb. butter (3 cubes)
4 heaping T. cocoa
1 cup water
Sift together:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
Pour the chocolate mixture over the flour mixture and mix. Then add:
½ cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Bake at 375° for 17-18 minutes. Using a large cookie sheet/sheet cake pan. (12×18 inches) Greased.
Add warm icing to hot cake straight from oven.
Frosting
Bring to a boil:
1 ¾ sticks of butter
4 heaping T. cocoa
6 T. milk
Add and beat until smooth
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb.)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
We really heap our Tablespoons and I admit I have never really tested how much that actually means we use. It crazy moist, super chocolatey and truly sublime.
Wow! Three sticks butter! Go big or go home, I guess, right? 🙂 Glad your grandmother’s version remains a family favorite!
Just wanted to say this is the recipe my mom always used (she got it from a friend who brought the cake to a church activity) and my entire family loooooves it. We always had it for my dad’s birthday.
My husband, who doesn’t like chocolate cake, adores this cake. Super indulgent and *totally* worth the indulgence! Thanks for sharing the background of where this recipe originated from, Wynne!
I have this version too! I didn’t know the name came from a town in Texas though, so I’m glad to know that. It’s super overkill on butter but it really does taste better.
the recipe I have always used calls for a little cinnamon in the cate batter and chopped pecans in the frosting. Otherwise the recipe is very similar. i think the spice and pecans add a lot to the over all taste.
I agree! The cake should have a little cinnamon in the cake and chopped pecans in the frosting. That’s part of what makes it Texas sheet cake and not just another chocolate cake..
So, if I wanted to make this Texas Sheet Cake the same thickness but I don’t want all that cake, do you think I could cut the recipe in half and bake it in a quarter sheet pan?
Yes! That’s a great idea.
If I were going to do a little mixing and matching, having made both this and the Peanut Butter Sheet Cake, which would you think would be the better combination, the PB sheet cake and chocolate sheet cake frosting, or the other way around?
And, is there a good yellow cake version of sheet cake? (Yellow cake with chocolate frosting is my absolute favorite cake combination!)
(PS: So enjoy your blog and photos, even when I’m Not in the mood to cook or bake anything!)
Oh goodness, that’s a tough question on the PB chocolate combo. If it were me, I’d do peanut butter cake and chocolate frosting (someone down below in the comment thread said they’ve done just that with the PB Texas sheet cake and it’s divine! I have a really great classic yellow cake, but in my opinion, it’s a little fussy (calls for cake flour and such) for a sheet cake. I might need to work on a no-fuss, no-frills Texas sheet cake version. 🙂
I bet I have made this cake, only my recipe calls it Scotch Cake, at least 200 times over the year. I like to mix pecans into the icing before spreading it on.
Probably the same cake…just a different name! And wow, you sound like an expert. 200 times!!
I grew up on Texas cake too! We would do half batter chocolate, half vanilla (omit cocoa) then 2 people would pour into opposite ends of a sheet pan at the same time and the batters would meet in the middle but not mix. Same thing with the frosting. Chocolate was always more popular but the pieces down the center went first.
I can’t wait to try your recipe. I loved my mom’s growing up but it seems a little greasy to me now.
That is crazy awesome! I love the visual of those two cake batters getting poured in together.
Yes! I’ve always been underwhelmed by Texas sheet cake. I’m so glad you wrote “if you’re gonna do chocolate cake, do chocolate cake!” I always pass it up bc it’s not worth the calories. I’ll definitely be trying this one bc my husband’s family are die hard fans. Thanks for beefing up the chocolate for this recipe!
Let me know what you think, Melissa! Amazing how just a difference of 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder makes a huge difference in my book. 🙂
My recipe is almost exactly the same, and I have been known to halve it and bake it in an 11×7 pan that I have and it comes out perfectly for smaller crowds. Full sized I have always used the 10×15 pan, so i am used to a thicker cake. I also grew up with my mom mixing walnuts into the frosting.
Love the feedback…it’s so fun reading how everyone else has made and enjoyed this recipe over the years!
This is like my moms recipe. We haven’t made it for a longtime. It makes a lot.
Yes, it DOES make a lot! 🙂
How long would you say to bake it if you make it in a 9×13 pan. This sounds beyond delicious!
I would say probably 25-30 minutes.
To this day, this is the cake we always use for birthdays. Except we do bake it in a 9×13 inch pan (we love the extra thickness), and our family thinks it’s best served cold and even better the next day! Plus then the cake and frosting almost meld together, and everything becomes super fudgy. It’s a classic, for sure!
Served cold! Yum! That sounds divine. And that’s good to know that you are in the 9X13-inch camp. I think a lot of people will want to make it that way!
Do you half the recipe?
Finally- a Texas sheetcake recipe without cinnamon, shortening, and pecans! I love pecans and cinnamon but not in my Texas sheetcake haha
🙂
Yay! I’ve made your peanut butter and white Texas sheet cakes several times, they are our favorite cakes!! Yum! Funny I just made 2 of your sheet cakes for a funeral and was noticing that there wasn’t a chocolate version and wondering why not, you read my mind! I will definitely be making this and definitely with the “chocolate boost”
Haha, I know! It was about time. 🙂
This is very close to our classic Texas Chocolate Sheet recipe! The only thing I would mention is that we substitute apple sauce for half the butter in the cake. Doesn’t really make the cake any less decedent in terms of calories but makes us feel better about it… and a little cheaper 🙂
Also, I would suggest mixing the melted butter and cocoa before adding other ingredients… it seems to come together better.
Thanks, Melanie!
My mom made almost this exact recipe growing up and now my kids love it. We’ve always just called it cake brownies. Try subbing heavy cream for the milk in the icing. It brings it to a whole other level.
Yum!
I’ve made for 40 years. My recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the cake. I still make it for my chidren’s birthdays even though they are grown and married(and take a pic to send to them). I freeze what we don’t eat or give to neighbors. It freezes well.
Thanks, Diane! I love that this is a generational recipe for your family! Honestly, recipes like that are the best. That made me smile to know you still make it on your kids’ birthdays even if they live far away.
I have to ask if you have ever made it with carob powder. I have a friend who can’t eat chocolate & would love to be able to make a cake with carob as a surprise.
I haven’t, sorry!
Look online for cakes made with the Carob. I’m sure you’ll find something
This is the only chocolate cake I ever make. A nice variation is to add 1/2 to 1 tsp. cinnamon to the batter and use coffee for the liquid in the frosting.
Thanks for the tips!
Is it Tex-Mex with the cinnamon and plain TX without?
By chance, have you ever added cinnamon to the frosting for a Mexican chocolate type of frosting? Just wondering if so, how much to add. Also, have you ever topped it with pecans? Thank you.
Hey Raquel, I’m awfully boring as I haven’t tried either of those. In most cases I prefer nuts to leave my chocolate desserts alone, but I bet for a nut-lover, toasted pecans on top would be amazing. As for the cinnamon, I’ve seen other recipes that call for a teaspoon of cinnamon in the cake batter and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon in the frosting.
Thank you! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Btw I recently discovered your best pasta salad and I’ve made it twice in the last ten days & it will forever be our only pasta salad. It’s fantastic!! Thank you again for all you do.
Yay! It’s the BEST feeling when you find a recipe like that…one that you know you’ll never have to replace! 🙂
I’m with you, Mel! I love peanuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, macadamias, filberts, hazelnuts, and others, but Not in my chocolate anything, and especially not in chocolate pudding. I can think of no greater pudding abomination than that!
My mom will sometimes put slivered almonds on top and it’s delicious.
I have never been able to put my finger on why I’m not a huge fan of chocolate Texas sheet cake. Until now! When I’ve had it in the past, the chocolate flavor has just been underwhelming and unsatisfying, as far as chocolate cake goes. I’ll have to remember this recipe next time we have a large function to go to – because I’m with you, having a Huge cake staring you in the face all day long would be dangerous.
Also, I didn’t know there was a difference between a jelly roll pan and half sheet pan. So thank you!
From one past underwhelmed Texas sheet cake fan to another, you’ll have to let me know what you think if/when you try this!
Texas sheet cake baked in a 9×13 inch pan was standard for every birthday in my house growing up. It It makes my heart happy to see you have a version that I need to try!
Love memories like that!
We love your white and peanut butter versions! A favorite variation at our house is your peanut butter version with chocolate frosting from a chocolate Texas sheet cake recipe. Mmm! I’m excited for your chocolate version—definitely with you on making chocolate cake CHOCOLATE! 🙂
Ok, that peanut butter chocolate variation sounds PERFECT!
Oh, thanks for the tip! I had questioned about that in a post, which way to best mix and match those two! My instinct had been to do it that way, but I’m glad your post confirms that!
We’ve made it the other way around (chocolate cake with PB frosting) and it was really good, but we all definitely prefer PB w/chocolate frosting! 🙂
SO, I made this today with some little helpers and it was wonderful! And easy. And chocolate as promised! Ha ha. It was really, really good and this is where we’ll come for the recipe when we make Texas sheet cake. 🙂 Thanks, Mel!