5 from 94 votes
The Best Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
This Texas sheet cake recipe yields a moist chocolate cake with a tender crumb made from butter, cocoa, sour cream, and a blend of sugars. The cake is baked in a large jelly roll pan and topped with a rich chocolate frosting, optionally garnished with toasted pecans, bringing a slightly crunchy texture contrast to the smooth frosting and soft cake.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Servings:
15
slices
Calories:
493 kcal
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter cut into 8 pieces, unsalted
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee optional
FROSTING
- 6 Tablespoons milk whole
- ½ cup butter cut into pieces, salted
- 6 Tablespoons cocoa powder natural
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifting is recommended (after measuring) to avoid any lumps
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans optional, see note, toasted
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.
Cup of Yum
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
- Toasted pecans can be added whole or chopped to the frosting or sprinkled on top after frosting for texture.
- Omitting pecans is fine if preferred; the cake remains moist and flavorful without them.
Nutrition Information
Serving
1slice
Calories
493kcal
(25%)
Carbohydrates
75g
(25%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
22g
(34%)
Saturated Fat
13g
(65%)
Cholesterol
82mg
(27%)
Sodium
269mg
(11%)
Potassium
120mg
(3%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
59g
(118%)
Vitamin A
666IU
(13%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
38mg
(4%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 15 slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 493
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice | |
| Calories | 493kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 75g | 25% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Cholesterol | 82mg | 27% |
| Sodium | 269mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 120mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 59g | 118% |
| Vitamin A | 666IU | 13% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 38mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.