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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! 

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings: 15 slices
Calories: 493 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 1 cup unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
  • 1 1 cup water
  • ⅓ ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ ½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ ½ teaspoon instant coffee optional
FROSTING
  • 6 6 Tablespoons whole milk
  • ½ ½ cup salted butter cut into pieces
  • 6 6 Tablespoons natural cocoa powder
  • 4 4 cups powdered sugar sifting is recommended (after measuring) to avoid any lumps
  • ¾ ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1 cup toasted pecans optional, see note

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and thoroughly grease and flour a 10x15 jelly roll pan (or spray with baking spray).
  2. 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.
  3. While butter/cocoa mixture is cooling, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and instant coffee in a large bowl.
  4. In another bowl, whisk together sour cream and eggs and vanilla. Stir this into your dry ingredients until combined.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Once cake has finished baking (or several minutes before), begin preparing frosting.
FROSTING
    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. Pour over cake while cake is still warm. If using pecans, sprinkle over frosting now.
  3. 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 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: 15slices

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.