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I love cake – moist layers with frosting in between and on top – how could the not be good?! Layer cakes are beautiful and fun, but sometimes they just aren’t practical. Large potlucks, family gatherings, picnics or feeding a child’s teammates call for a quicker cake that can serve a lot, but be just as delicious (or what I call a basic go-to cake). For me, this is the Texas sheet cake I grew up with. Mom would make this when we had a church potluck and my mouth would be drooling as I could hardly wait for the potluck to come! This is simple and practical, but something your family will want time and again!
Frosting the cake while it’s hot creates that fudgy layer between the cake and frosting that is so iconic of Texas sheet cakes!
Watch how to make this Texas chocolate sheet cake:
Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake
Ingredients
For the sheet cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the chocolate frosting
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 6 tbsp whole milk
- 3 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
For the sheet cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add water and cocoa and bring to boil. Set aside.16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, 1 cup water, 3 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
- Sift sugar, flour, and salt into a large bowl (I sift directly into the bowl of my stand mixer). Pour hot butter, water, and cocoa mixture over dry ingredients and mix well to incorporate. Add eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla extract and mix.2 cups granulated sugar, 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp kosher salt, ½ cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pour into greased jelly roll style pan. Bake in preheated oven for 28-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting.
- Let cool for 5 minutes, then frost with the following frosting.
For the chocolate frosting
- In a small saucepan, melt butter with milk and cocoa and bring to boil. Pour into a large bowl and add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix slowly to incorporate sugar, then on high to achieve a smooth frosting.6 tbsp whole milk, 3 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar, 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
- While the cake is still warm, pour frosting over the top and spread evenly.
Nutrition
Kaleb, I love your videos! Watching them makes me want to bake. You make everything seems so easy and relaxing:)
Thanks so much Willow!
Can’t wait to make your recipe, will be my first Texas sheet cake! Would you mind sharing your jelly roll pan dimensions? I’m afraid my half sheet pan will be too large at 17.6 x 13, but I may have an old pan of my mom’s that will work. Thank you, dear Kaleb!
Hello! I used a traditional Jelly Roll size of 15.5″ x 10.5″, I do think a half sheet would be slightly too large resulting in a flatter cake.
First received this as an untitled recipe in 1974, always good, served it many times. Serving a club group picnic, but need to transport so baked this in 10X14 pan so frosting isn’t disturbed. Came out of oven perfectly with a few minutes extra time. Made full batch frosting but only used 1/2 or less which will be best for this group of thin friends always watching their sweets. I’ve collected several flavors of sheet cake from-scratch recipes that includes this, white, golden, silver, strawberry, and lemon so far.