Texas Sheet Cake is a staple at every family gathering. Moist, chocolatey and big enough to feed a crowd the size of Texas!
Texas Sheet Cake
Texas Sheet Cake is quite possibly the perfect dessert to serve at any party or gathering. Who doesn’t love a slice of velvety chocolate cake with a layer of fudgy frosting? This dessert takes center stage at all of our family Memorial Day picnics, Fourth of July barbecues, Halloween parties, or just a Sunday afternoon treat. And it’s really easy to make. You cook the ingredients in a pot over the stove! No mixer required for the cake OR the frosting!
Tips for the Perfect Texas Sheet Cake
- This is probably the moistest (is that a word?) cake I have ever tasted; it melts in your mouth! The secret ingredient is sour cream! It may sound weird, but sour cream takes the moist factor in this cake to the next level. And you can’t even taste the sour flavor at all. All of the best cakes, in my opinion, have sour cream in them! (My personal favorite is our Chocolate Chocolate Chip Nothing Bundt Cake….SO GOOD!)
- Texas Sheet Cake frosting is so divine, you will look forward to licking the spoon! It whips up in just moments, and is poured over the cake while it’s still warm. No waiting for the cake to cool, and no crumbs in your frosting either!
- Start cooking the frosting while the cake has about five minutes left in the oven. It sets up quickly, so make sure to keep a constant stir going until you pour it over the cake.
- For easy frosting spreading, use a rubber spatula. And then don’t hesitate to lick the excess! It’s so yummy!
- When you serve this cake, it is best to remember the popular saying, “Some like it hot, some like it cold.” I love to eat this cake right out of the oven! It is warm and gooey and delicious! BUT, it is also so good to eat after it’s cooled off a little OR after it has been in the fridge for a little while. Enjoy it your way!
- Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to a week. You can also store it in the refrigerator too.
More Decadent Cake Recipes
If you love cake you are in the right place! Check out some of our favorite cake recipes that make the perfect dessert for any occasion.
- Strawberries and Cream Cake– Strawberries and Cream Cake is a great summer dessert, loaded with fresh strawberries in both the cake and frosting! Perfect for a family get together.
- Cinnamon Swirl Cake– This Cinnamon Swirl Cake is one of my favorite desserts because it’s quick, easy and so yummy! It’s like a cinnamon roll in a cake, end everyone loves it!
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat– Our copycat version of Nothing Bundt Cake’s Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is a MUST TRY! It is one of our most popular recipes for a good reason.
- Carnival Cruise Warm Melting Cake– Have you tried the Carnival Cruise Line Warm Chocolate Melting Cake? If you’ve been on a Carnival Cruise, you know how amazing it is. If not, you can indulge in this decadent chocolate melting cake at home.
- Flourless Chocolate Cake– This Flourless Chocolate Cake is by far the easiest version I have ever made and it tastes just as good as more difficult recipes. It is light and decadent and has a rich chocolate flavor. And spread over the top is a silky smooth chocolate ganache.
- Chocolate Pudding Cake– This Chocolate Pudding Cake is probably the easiest chocolate cake recipe out there. There are only 4 ingredients!
- Orange Pineapple Cake– Orange Pineapple cake is a light, fruity cake with an island flair. You will love the delicious whipped creamy topping! Perfect for potlucks and parties!
- Coconut Cream Cake with Coconut Frosting– This Coconut Cream Cake is a coconut lovers dream! It is a coconut infused cake, with a rich and creamy coconut cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with even more toasted coconut.
How to Make Texas Sheet Cake
Texas Sheet Cake is a staple at every family gathering. Moist, chocolatey and big enough to feed a crowd the size of Texas!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Serves: 20
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 cup water
- 4 tablespoons baking cocoa
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting:
- 1 stick butter
- 4 tablespoons baking cocoa
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Cake:
- Heat butter, water, and cocoa in pan until butter is melted.
- Add sugar, flour, and salt and mix well.
- Beat in eggs, sour cream, and baking soda.
- Pour into a 12x18 cookie sheet pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Frosting:
- Melt butter, cocoa, and milk in a sauce pan, then bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Spread frosting on warm cake.
Recipe Video
Nutrition
Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 10.5% | Vitamin C: 0.1% | Calcium: 3% | Iron: 7%
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Brooke Trogdon says
June 11, 2010 at 6:14 amAhhh, a recipe that I know! I love it with raisins in the frosting. You could only put them on 1/2 if some people don't like them. BUT this is one of my favorites, thanks for sharing!
Ashley says
June 13, 2010 at 1:28 amshoot. I hate this. Not this recipe, but this site. Okay, not really… actually I love it. But I hate that I can't decide what to make first! My recipes need a serious revamp, and this is the site to do it on… but WHERE TO START?? I'm gonna go insane…
Julie says
June 13, 2010 at 8:35 pmI love this stuff! I've made PW's version and I can't. stop. eating it!
I'll bet the sour cream really adds a nice touch.
Shannon says
June 15, 2010 at 2:32 amI need a tall cold (very cold) glass of milk and I could eat the entire sheet of cake…Love it!!
Lady Linda says
June 15, 2010 at 11:29 pmWhat size pan did you use?
dbegany says
August 5, 2014 at 6:26 amSounds great! What size sheet pan do you recommend? Thanks!!
Erica says
August 6, 2014 at 9:22 am11×17 is the size we use
Deborah Morgan says
August 9, 2014 at 9:45 pmThis isn’t the Texas Sheet Cake I know and love, my recipe calls for buttermilk not sour cream and has cinnamon in the batter, that’s what gives such a unique and really great flavor!
Sandra Getts says
August 24, 2016 at 10:39 amI would like your recipes.
Ann Marie says
June 20, 2017 at 8:43 pmThat’s how we’ve always made it with buttermilk.
Beth says
August 10, 2014 at 12:46 amHow much butter in a stick please?
Erica says
August 10, 2014 at 7:52 pma stick is 4 oz. or 1/2 cup — hope this helps!
Caroline says
August 10, 2014 at 1:40 amso, for us non-americans 🙂 how much are “two sticks butter”??
And a “c.” is a cup?
Cheers!!
Caroline
Erica says
August 10, 2014 at 7:52 pmA stick of butter is 1/2 cup or 4 oz. (you 2 sticks is 1 cup or 8 oz.) –, and yes, c. is for “cup”. 🙂 Hope this clears things up a little bit!
Winifred-Ann Watson says
August 10, 2014 at 2:20 amI simply love these recipes but have a problem because it always says 2 sticks of butter. I live in South Africa and our butter comes in 250gr and 500gr packs. So what does a stick of butter weigh. Please can to put the weight next to the butter otherwise we have to guess and its not easy. Thank you and love this site.
Erica says
August 10, 2014 at 7:50 pmONE stick of butter is 4oz. or 113gr. (so for 2 sticks we are looking at 8oz. or 226g) — hope this helps!
lesa says
August 10, 2014 at 8:31 amwhat is a stick of butter equal to ?1 cup
Erica says
August 10, 2014 at 7:48 pma “stick” of butter is the same as 1/2 c.
Donna says
August 10, 2014 at 8:58 amWe have made this for a very long time, the only difference is we used buttermilk instead of sour cream, and we put chopped walnuts in the frosting just before spreading it out.
Erica says
August 10, 2014 at 7:47 pmyum! Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Tracey says
September 4, 2014 at 5:49 pmWhat kind of flour all purpose or self rising?
Echo says
September 5, 2014 at 10:42 pmAll purpose flour works great!
Valerie says
October 27, 2014 at 2:36 pmThis is a GREAT cake that feeds a huge crowd. I used buttermilk instead. I added pecans to the icing. The mixure was really runny and I was afraid it would not bake right but with a little more time in the oven, it was perfect. I will also flour the baking pan before baking which the recipe did not require. The cake was so moist, it didn’t come out of the pan as easily. This will be my go-to cake for large events.
Donna Crisler says
April 26, 2017 at 8:26 pmI also use buttermilk in both the cake and the icing. I make my own by adding about 1 T. of lemon juice or vinegar to the milk and letting it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Yummy icing!
Debbie says
August 20, 2016 at 12:44 pmWhat is the benefit of buttermilk rather than sour cream?
Erica says
August 24, 2016 at 9:42 amyou can probably use sour cream– the buttermilk just gives it a richer flavor in my opinion. Give it a try and see which way you like best (you may not even notice a difference)
Renee Parkhurst says
August 22, 2016 at 5:33 amMy recipe has a tsp of cinnamon in it and I used to think that’s sounded weird, but started adding it and it tastes amazing.
Erica says
August 24, 2016 at 9:39 amGreat idea! We will have to try it!
Debra says
August 22, 2016 at 8:21 pmIt looks good
Diana says
August 25, 2016 at 3:53 amIf you poke holes in the cake when it comes out of the oven, then pour the icing over it while warm, it oozes through the cake….even better!
Cate says
August 26, 2016 at 5:11 pmMy step-mother use to make this for every family and church gathering, and we were always around to lick the spoon!
Like someone else mentioned, she used buttermilk instead of sour cream, and also sometimes added walnuts, sometimes not. I can almost taste this cake as I’m typing this, and thinking my boys would adore it!
Moma says
August 27, 2016 at 10:07 amIf I were to replace sour cream with buttermilk…what would be the butter milk quantity?
Echo says
August 27, 2016 at 1:14 pmIn place of the 1 cup of sour cream, you can use 3/4 cup buttermilk PLUS 1/3 cup butter. Thanks for asking!
Zainab says
August 28, 2016 at 11:38 amDo u cook it after adding the eggs
Emily says
August 28, 2016 at 8:20 pmyou add the eggs to the batter before cooking.
Barbara says
August 28, 2016 at 1:04 pmMade this last night..added nuts on top of icing. Delicious.
Wendy says
August 29, 2016 at 11:43 amHi, may I know to bake at 350 degree Celsius or f?
Echo says
August 29, 2016 at 11:48 amIt is 350 Fahrenheit, which is the equivalent of 176.67 Celsius. Thank you for asking!
Mickie Kerr says
September 2, 2016 at 8:57 amHave you Ever heard of the Texas Sheet Cake, but only with cherries in the icing,even cherry pie filling type. I remember it tasting it like chocolate covered cherries icing. Yummy!
Erica says
September 6, 2016 at 8:05 pmI haven’t heard of that before but it sounds delicious!!!
Evelyn Russell says
September 28, 2016 at 1:36 pmBaking cocoa, is that just cocoa powder? Could you use self rising flour and omit the baking powder and salt? Do you preheat the oven to 350 degree?
Emily says
September 28, 2016 at 5:45 pmYes, they are the same. And yes, you want to pre-heat the oven.
Tammy says
September 28, 2016 at 4:16 pmFunny story. Found this recipe on Facebook just as I was laying down for a rest. Decided to forgo the nap and bake this delicious looking cake. Got the ingredients and started melting butter, turned to check recipe on my phone and phone died. Ran to get charging cord, and got plugged in. Restart and died again….panicking I ran around to try and find a laptop. None! Finally enough charge to restart but Facebook app no longer installed on my phone. WHAT?!?!Now I am really panicked! Have butter, cocoa and water boiling at this point! Yikes! Pull off element from memory threw in flour and sugar but what else???sour cream, right! Just bought some so grab the container and it’s nearly empty! What now??? Butter milk to top it up, okay good. Now I know I needed eggs but how many? 1,2,3? I need a recipe! Was it baking powder or soda? Another search underway for a device to find the recipe. Laptop found but recipe is not the same. Improvise and get the cake into the pan. Oh man, should have stayed in bed. Found another recipe similar and finished the icing and cake. Now I going back to bed. It was so good. Thank you!
Emily says
September 28, 2016 at 5:44 pmHaha! That is quite the story! Glad it turned out good in the end. 🙂
Gina says
January 2, 2017 at 10:14 amApproximately how many people will this feed?
Erica says
January 3, 2017 at 9:09 pmIf you do 2×2″ slices it can be up to 96 servings.. realistically though I would say around 30-40 servings depending on how hungry people are!
Joanie says
January 3, 2017 at 7:03 pmI would think that the eggs would start to cook when you add it to the hot cake mix.
Erica says
January 3, 2017 at 8:48 pmWe have made this many many many times and it has never been an issue. Hope this helps!
Jess says
January 13, 2017 at 11:41 amGrease the pan or no…?
Echo says
January 16, 2017 at 7:19 pmYes, I will add that to the recipe. I spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Thank you for asking!
Lisa says
January 15, 2017 at 12:58 pmWhat size pan do you use?
Echo says
January 16, 2017 at 7:22 pmI use a 12×18 baking sheet. I will make a note on the recipe. Thank you!
Ron deVos says
March 18, 2017 at 6:37 pmI am not much of a chocolate eater, so was wondering if this could be made as vanilla flavoured instead.
Erica says
March 21, 2017 at 10:43 pmI am sure it could– we would just have to figure out proportions on how to do it and have it still taste good. Thanks for the heads up, we might do this as a future recipe!
kate says
June 1, 2019 at 12:54 pmI’d LOVE a vanilla heated and poured recipe for vanilla frosting, if anyone knows of one.
Kate
Fiorenza says
June 10, 2019 at 3:39 amSpecial. We all adored and devoured it in less than an hour … no, there was just no time to have leftover.
Thanks, keep posting interesting recipes!
Sandi says
June 12, 2019 at 9:41 amI am from Texas and remember sheet cakes. This recipe looks absolutely delish!!
Jersey Girl Cooks says
June 14, 2019 at 11:09 amSo perfect for a party! I will family loves this cake!
Christina says
June 14, 2019 at 1:03 pmThis is one of our favorite desserts! So chocolately and yummy!
Jaclyn says
June 17, 2019 at 11:33 amSuch a delicious cake — I am sure the family will be requesting it again before too long!