Texas Sheet Cake

Name: Texas Sheet Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 15 Servings
Ingredients: 2 2 cups granulated sugar; 2 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¼ ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 1 cup salted butter; 1 1 cup water; 5 5 tablespoons cocoa; ½ ½ cup sour cream or buttermilk; 2 2 large eggs, lightly beaten; 1 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ ½ cup salted butter; 5 5 tablespoons cocoa; ⅓ ⅓ cup milk or buttermilk; ½ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; Pinch of salt; 3 ½ 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted to avoid lumps; Chopped, toasted pecans (optional)

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Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings
15 Servings
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
American

Texas Sheet Cake

Iris Warren

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Bring something special to the table with this well-loved recipe.

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Ingredients

Servings

Cake:

2 2 cups granulated sugar
2 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ ¼ teaspoon salt
1 1 cup salted butter
1 1 cup water
5 5 tablespoons cocoa
½ ½ cup sour cream or buttermilk
2 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

½ ½ cup salted butter
5 5 tablespoons cocoa
⅓ ⅓ cup milk or buttermilk
½ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 ½ 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted to avoid lumps
Chopped, toasted pecans (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a half sheet pan (a rimmed baking sheet measuring 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 well-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; it is a thin cake and bakes quickly).
While the cake bakes, make the frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa, milk (or buttermilk), vanilla and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Immediately remove from the heat and add the sifted powdered sugar a cup at a time, whisking in between additions and mixing until the frosting is smooth. Keep the frosting warm if the cake is not finished baking.
Pour the warm frosting over the warm cake and spread evenly. Top with chopped pecans, if desired. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Serve at room temp or chilled.

Notes

Cocoa Powder: Natural, unsweetened cocoa powder (i.e. Hershey's) works great for both the cake and the frosting. As a slight variation, I'll often sub in 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa in both the cake and the frosting for a deeper, richer chocolate flavor.
Pan Size: while a half sheet pan (11X17-inches) is commonly used for Texas sheet cake, you can also bake the cake in a jelly roll pan (15X10-inches) or a 9X13-inch cake pan for thicker cake and frosting layers (increase baking time as needed). If using a jelly roll pan, make sure the sides are high enough so the batter doesn't overflow.

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1 Piece Calories 294kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 44g (15%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Cholesterol 47mg (16%) Sodium 183mg (8%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 34g (68%)