Julie Clark
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Texas Sheet Cake
Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake with buttery cocoa frosting that melts in your mouth. This is the ultimate chocolate cake that is easy to take to potlucks. Perfect served with a scoop of ice cream!
Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
Nothing says tradition like Texas Sheet Cake. I’m not exactly clear as to why this is called “Texas” sheet cake when it is really just a chocolate sheet cake. Some sources say it’s because the cake is “big as Texas”. Others note that it is a traditional southern cake, passed down from generation to generation. Whatever the official name or where it came from, this homemade sheet cake is delicious!
Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake
If you’re nervous about making from-scratch cakes, this is a good recipe to start with. You’ll find it easy to melt the butter, water and cocoa powder together to make a creamy chocolate sauce. From that point, just add the dry ingredients, then add in the eggs and sour cream, which is going to make this cake very moist.
Frosting for Sheet Cake
It’s important to make this easy chocolate frosting while the cake is baking. One thing I love about Texas sheet cake is how the frosting “soaks” into the cake, making it extra moist. This happens because you frost the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Pour the frosting on and allow it to settle and “melt” into the cake. This is what gives the sheet cake such a shiny, smooth look.
You can crush the walnuts and mix them in with the frosting, or simply sprinkle them over the frosted cake as we did here.
Other Sheet Cake Recipes
Tools to Make This Cake
- Cocoa Powder: We love this raw cacao powder for baking. A guilt-free superfood.
- Cake Spatula: To get that frosting nice and smooth.
- Ninja Express Chop: Mini food processor…this is one of my most-used kitchen tools! For processing walnuts.
- Hand mixer: I don’t pull out my stand mixer for this recipe. A hand mixer works perfectly.
- 11×17” Cookie Sheet: Perfect for sheet cakes!
Texas Sheet Cake
Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake with buttery cocoa frosting that melts in your mouth. This is the ultimate chocolate cake that is easy to take to potlucks. Perfect served with a scoop of ice cream!
Servings 20
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup hot water
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (for topping)
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 17x11" cookie sheet pan.
- In a saucepan, mix the butter, water and cocoa powder. Bring to a low boil.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, flour and salt.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the chocolate and mix well.
- Add the eggs and mix well.
- Add the sour cream and baking soda. Mix well.
- Pour into the greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
For the Frosting:
- *Plan to make the frosting about 15 minutes before the cake is done. The cake should be frosted while it is warm.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.
- Add the cocoa powder and milk. Heat just until the mixture starts to bubble. Remove from the heat.
- Using a hand mixer, gradually beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until completely blended.
- Spread the frosting on the cake as soon as it is out of the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 20 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of frosted cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
