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Ultra moist, dense, and rich, this classic Texas Sheet Cake recipe is one of the easiest chocolate cakes to make. Each cake serves 24 people, making it perfect for potlucks, birthdays, and other gatherings.
Texas sheet cake has long been one of my go-to’s when I need an easy cake to serve a crowd. It’s a rich, moist chocolate sheet cake topped with a warm chocolate frosting. The slices are on the thin side, which is perfect for parties and potlucks. I’ve made this cake into other fun desserts, like Texas sheet cake cookies and Texas sheet cake bites, but this classic cake remains my favorite.
Why This Is The Best Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
Here are a few reasons why I continue to make this chocolate sheet cake again and again.
- Rich chocolate flavor. Unsweetened cocoa powder adds a rich chocolate flavor to both the cake and the frosting. Perfect for those chocolate lovers!
- Great for sharing! Sheet cakes are perfect for birthday parties with lots of attendees, potlucks, and any other occasion where you need to serve a big group. This cake can easily be sliced to serve 24 people.
- Super easy. One of the reasons Texas sheet cake has been popular for generations is that it’s just so simple to make. The ingredients are mostly pantry staples and it only takes a few steps to make both the batter and the frosting.
Recipe Ingredients
One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s made with cocoa powder and very simple ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
Chocolate Sheet Cake:
- Water
- Vegetable oil – Adds moisture and richness to the cake.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Adds the rich chocolate flavor to the cake.
- All-purpose flour – Use the spoon and level technique for accurate measuring.
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda – Helps the cake rise in the oven.
- Salt – Balances the other flavors.
- Sour cream – Adds richness, moisture, and flavor to the cake.
- Eggs – Let them come to room temperature ahead of time.
- Vanilla extract
Warm Fudge Frosting:
- Whole milk – Helps make the frosting pourable.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Adds the chocolate flavor.
- Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens and stabilizes the frosting.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How To Make Texas Sheet Cake
This chocolate sheet cake comes together in a few very easy steps. The printable version of the instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the baking sheet with shortening or butter.
- Make the cocoa mixture. Whisk together the water, oil, and cocoa powder in a saucepan. Heat over medium until it begins to boil. Once the cocoa powder is dissolved, remove from heat and set aside.
- Make the batter. In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Combine the wet and dry ingredients with a hand mixer or a whisk until smooth and fully combined. Add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Mix again to incorporate.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the baking sheet, tapping it on the counter to help it settle. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out smooth.
- Make the frosting. Ten minutes into the baking time, begin heating the milk, cocoa powder, and butter over medium, whisking constantly. Once it begins to boil, remove it from heat. Whisk in the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Frost the cake. Pour the frosting over the warm cake, using an offset spatula to ensure it’s evenly distributed.
- Enjoy. Let the cake and frosting cool, then slice and serve.
What Size Pan Should I Use?
For this recipe, I used an 18×13 sheet pan (aka jelly roll pan), which is a half sheet pan. Through a happy accident, I initially made this in a full-size baking sheet (26×18”). I thought it was ruined, but it turned out equally good! The baking time was the same. However, I did end up having to make 1 ½ of the frosting recipe to adequately cover the cake. The pieces were a little thinner, but they all tasted great!
However, do not try to use a baking sheet smaller than 18×13. There will be too much batter.
Tips for Success
Here are a few additional things to keep in mind when making this Texas sheet cake recipe.
- Use full-fat dairy. I only used full-fat sour cream and whole milk for this recipe. I’m unsure if lower fat versions would alter the result of the cake so I recommend sticking with the full-fat versions.
- Frost the hot cake. It’s important to begin making the frosting while the cake is still baking, as it does take a few minutes to prepare. You don’t want the cake to cool before adding the frosting.
- Remove air bubbles. When evening out the frosting I found that some small air bubbles would appear here and there. I just used the end of my spatula to dab them to help the frosting close the small gap. Since the frosting was still warm it was able to settle and smooth out again. There may be some thinner areas of frosting over the cake as there will inevitably be some small bubbles on the cake. This doesn’t affect the flavor or overall appearance.
- Cool before slicing. Let the cake and frosting cool before slicing, so that the frosting has time to set. Otherwise it will spill everywhere. This is a great cake to make in advance!
- Additional toppings. Consider adding chopped pecans or walnuts on top of the warm frosting.
Proper Storage
- Counter. In a kitchen that’s not particularly warm, Texas sheet cake can last on the counter for 2-3 days. Just keep it well covered.
- Fridge. My preferred storage method is in the fridge. It will last for 3-4 days.
- Freezer. To freeze individual slices, flash-freeze them to harden the icing. Then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Depression Cake
- Best Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Black Forest Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
Texas Sheet Cake
Ultra moist, dense, and rich, this classic Texas Sheet Cake recipe is one of the easiest chocolate cakes to make. Each cake serves 24 people, making it perfect for potlucks, birthdays, and other gatherings.
Servings: 24 slices
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup full fat sour cream
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Warm Chocolate Frosting:
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 3 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Prepare an 18×13 inch baking sheet by greasing with butter. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add the water, vegetable oil and cocoa powder and whisk to combine. Heat over medium until the mixture begins to boil. Make sure the cocoa powder is dissolved, then remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the hot mixture into the flour mixture making sure to use the spatula to get all the hot mixture out of the pan.
- Use an electric hand mixer (or you can hand whisk yourself) on medium speed to combine the wet and dry ingredients until smooth.
- Add sour cream, eggs and vanilla and mix again until fully incorporated.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to spread the cake making sure it’s evenly distributed. You can tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times to help it settle.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake is clean when removed.
- When the cake has been baked for 10 minutes, begin to make the frosting so that it can be poured onto the cake while it’s still hot.
Make the Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, add the milk, cocoa powder and butter. Heat over medium while whisking constantly so that it doesn’t burn.
- Once the mixture starts to boil, remove it from heat and add the vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Whisk until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour the frosting over the warm cake and use an offset spatula to help the frosting reach all edges of the cake. I picked up the baking sheet with oven mitts tilted it back and forth to help the frosting become evenly distributed.
- Allow the cake and frosting to set and then cut and serve!
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Equipment
- 18×13 Jelly Roll Pan
Notes
Storing: room temperature for 2-3 days and in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
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