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This has been my go to Texas Sheet Cake recipe for years. The cake flavor and texture are perfection and the frosting is amazing!!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
One of my favorite desserts to make when I am cooking for a crowd is Texas Sheet Cake. I have had today’s recipe for years and we love it. Whenever I am in the mood for something good and chocolatey, this cake does the trick! It is the perfect dessert for all your upcoming summer BBQs too or whenever you have to feed a crowd!
I have tried a lot of recipes over the years and I always come back to this one. I think the perfect recipe should be part brownie and part cake.
Ingredients Needed
- Flour, unbleached all purpose flour
- Sugar, granulated sugar and powdered sugar
- Salt
- Butter, room temperature
- Cocoa Powder
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla Extract
- White Vinegar
What Size Pan Do You Use For Sheet Cake?
This cake is best made in a jelly roll pan, A jelly roll pan measures 15 x 10″ which makes it the perfect party sized cake. This cake can feed a crowd and depending on how big you cut the pieces it can easily feed 15 -16 people.
How to Make Texas Sheet Cake
- Mix together flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
- Whisk water, cocoa and butter into a saucepan. Stir until butter melts and mixture comes to a boil.
- Pour hot mixture over dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Add in eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and vinegar.
- Pour batter into greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
- Mix together butter, milk and cocoa.
- Add in powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Beat well and spread on hot cake right after it comes out of the oven. (The frosting will begin to melt into the cake which is exactly what you want it to do.)
- Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the cake.
Tips from Leigh Anne
- Use a plastic disposable knife to cut the cake into pieces. Using a plastic knife helps you get a nice clean cut, the frosting doesn’t build up on the knife.
- Frost it while it is warm. You want that frosting to soak into the cake part way!
- If you only need to feed 2-4 people be sure and check out my Chocolate Sheet Cake for Two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze this cake?
You can freeze Texas sheet cake if you have leftovers. I prefer to freeze cake in individual pieces wrapped air tight in plastic wrap. They will freeze for 2-3 months.
What’s the difference between sheet cake and regular cake?
The size of the pan and the thickness of the cake are the two main differences. Sheet cake is made in a large, shallow pan and a regular cake is made in a 9 x 13 ” pan or two 8 or 9 inch round pans. A sheet cake is larger and thinner.
Can I add nuts to the sheet cake?
If you like nuts in your baked goods you can chop pecans and add them in with the cake batter or sprinkle them on top of the frosting.
Try these other delicious sheet cakes:
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Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp vinegar
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 6 Tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 3 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Mix together flour, sugar, salt, in a bowl and set aside
- In a sauce pan, add water, cocoa and butter. Stir until butter melts and mixture comes to a boil. Pour over dry ingredients and stir.
- Add in eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and vinegar. Mix to combine.
- Pour into a greased 15x10x1 pan
- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes
Frosting:
- Mix butter, milk and cocoa together
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla
- Beat well and spread on hot cake as it comes from oven
Tips & Notes:
- Use a plastic disposable knife to cut the cake into pieces. Using a plastic knife helps you get a nice clean cut, the frosting doesn’t build up on the knife.
Barbara says
Texas sheet cakes are not chocolate enough for me, I always double the cocoa to 1/2 cup.at least!
Leigh Anne says
Barbara – great idea! The more chocolate the better.
LA SUE says
Leigh Anne, I LOVE this cake! Was a favorite growing up. Just came across the 3×5 recipe card written in my 5th grade handwriting. Note: the recipe called for OLEO….dating myself??? 🙂
Leigh Anne says
Love that you have the recipe card in your childhood handwriting – that is a treasure!! I have a few old recipes that call for Oleo!!
Buffy Hillis says
I have been making Texas Sheet Cake for many years , the one thing I do different is to put lots of pecans in the frosting ,try it this way and you will be amazed at how much better it is .
Leigh Anne says
Buffy, I am one of those people that doesn’t like nuts in their baked goods! Can you believe it!!
Christy says
Just made this today with the “help” of my 3 year old. It was DELICIOUS! And I only had 1/4 stick of butter for the frosting so I just adjusted and made less, and it was still sooo good! Thank you!
Leigh Anne says
Christy, So glad you had fun making it with your 3 year old and you loved it too! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know.
Anna says
This recipe looks totally amazing. I woudl love to have the fudge kind of cake so it feels like you are eating candy when you eat the cake – hit that sugar spot!