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: 525IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @favoritefamilyrecipes or tag #favoritefamilyrecipes!
Brooke Trogdon says
Ahhh, 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!
Cameron Sessoms says
My Mom made this cake throughout my childhood (I’m 55) I always thought it was her recipe. Lol
She always used sour cream and this is the recipe she has written down.
I made it for a pool party yesterday and it was gone in a blink.
Unfortunately,I have left over sour cream and I’m in the midst of making another.
Oh boy! So good. ☺
Erica Walker says
So glad this recipe brings back so many fond memories! I’m happy to hear it was such a hit at your pool party. This would be the PERFECT poolside treat! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment!
Ashley says
shoot. 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
I 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
I need a tall cold (very cold) glass of milk and I could eat the entire sheet of cake…Love it!!
Lady Linda says
What size pan did you use?
dbegany says
Sounds great! What size sheet pan do you recommend? Thanks!!
Erica says
11×17 is the size we use
Deborah Morgan says
This 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
I would like your recipes.
Ann Marie says
That’s how we’ve always made it with buttermilk.
Beth says
How much butter in a stick please?
Erica says
a stick is 4 oz. or 1/2 cup — hope this helps!
Caroline says
so, for us non-americans 🙂 how much are “two sticks butter”??
And a “c.” is a cup?
Cheers!!
Caroline
Erica says
A 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
I 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
ONE stick of butter is 4oz. or 113gr. (so for 2 sticks we are looking at 8oz. or 226g) — hope this helps!
lesa says
what is a stick of butter equal to ?1 cup
Erica says
a “stick” of butter is the same as 1/2 c.
Donna says
We 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
yum! Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Tracey says
What kind of flour all purpose or self rising?
Echo says
All purpose flour works great!
Valerie says
This 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
I 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
What is the benefit of buttermilk rather than sour cream?
Erica says
you 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)
Juliana says
Hi , I can only fit a 9×14 pan in the oven. Can I use the whole recipe or half the recipe?
Emily Walker says
I would definitely half the recipe. Or make it in 2 9×13 pans.
Renee Parkhurst says
My 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
Great idea! We will have to try it!
Debra says
It looks good
Diana says
If 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
My 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
If I were to replace sour cream with buttermilk…what would be the butter milk quantity?
Echo says
In 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
Do u cook it after adding the eggs
Emily says
you add the eggs to the batter before cooking.
Barbara says
Made this last night..added nuts on top of icing. Delicious.
Wendy says
Hi, may I know to bake at 350 degree Celsius or f?
Echo says
It is 350 Fahrenheit, which is the equivalent of 176.67 Celsius. Thank you for asking!
Mickie Kerr says
Have 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
I haven’t heard of that before but it sounds delicious!!!
Evelyn Russell says
Baking 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
Yes, they are the same. And yes, you want to pre-heat the oven.
Tammy says
Funny 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
Haha! That is quite the story! Glad it turned out good in the end. 🙂
Gina says
Approximately how many people will this feed?
Erica says
If 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
I would think that the eggs would start to cook when you add it to the hot cake mix.
Erica says
We have made this many many many times and it has never been an issue. Hope this helps!
Jess says
Grease the pan or no…?
Echo says
Yes, I will add that to the recipe. I spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Thank you for asking!
Lisa says
What size pan do you use?
Echo says
I use a 12×18 baking sheet. I will make a note on the recipe. Thank you!
Ron deVos says
I am not much of a chocolate eater, so was wondering if this could be made as vanilla flavoured instead.
Erica says
I 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
I’d LOVE a vanilla heated and poured recipe for vanilla frosting, if anyone knows of one.
Kate
Fiorenza says
Special. 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
I am from Texas and remember sheet cakes. This recipe looks absolutely delish!!
Jersey Girl Cooks says
So perfect for a party! I will family loves this cake!
Christina says
This is one of our favorite desserts! So chocolately and yummy!
Jaclyn says
Such a delicious cake — I am sure the family will be requesting it again before too long!
MaCee Payne says
Help! I have made this recipe loads of times, as a matter of fact, I’ve been eating this cake my whole life (perks of being related to Echo 🙂 it is easily my favorite chocolate cake. My question is, can you put it in a smaller pan and make layers to stack? Or will it not work well for this? Thank you for your assistance!
Favorite Family Recipes says
I haven’t tried it in layers – I would be a little worried that it wouldn’t hold up. This is a softer cake so I don’t know if it would support the weight of layers. However, I did some digging and I found this recipe that look similar and might work better: https://lakesidetable.com/chocolate-sheet-cake/ Hope this helps! Thanks for the rating and for your support! Love you!