When you're in charge of dessert at the potluck, this is the cake you want in hand. This Texas Sheet Cake recipe is a decadently moist Southern dessert baked in a jelly roll pan and covered in a warm, fudgy chocolate frosting. You'll love it for its easy and quick assembly, and friends and family will adore every single bite. Named for its size, it is indeed a chocolate cake as big as Texas, and perfect for feeding a crowd!
This is my go-to party dessert for birthdays, family dinners, and holidays. Its inspiration came from an award-winning Texas bakery with a tender crumb and rich chocolate flavor. It is guaranteed to be the most delectable cake you've ever laid tastebuds on!
Speaking of all things Texas today, for a recipe that is on the other end of the delicious spectrum (aka, breakfast!), Texas kolaches are a baker's and eater's dream! And, if you're into Southern-born cakes, try our Kentucky Butter Cake next!
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What is Texas Sheet Cake?
Texas sheet cake has all the flavors you know and love when it comes to chocolate cake. It's the pan it bakes in and its icing that sets it apart.
Most chocolate cakes are baked in an 8" round pan or a 9x13" cake pan. While you can bake a sheet cake in a 9x13" pan, it's most commonly made in a jelly roll pan. Jelly roll pan dimensions are 15x10", making this cake thinner and larger with a bigger surface area, ready to take on a heaping pour of fudgy, chocolate icing--the same icing we use in Texas sheet cake cookies!
The signature icing for Texas sheet cake is made on the stovetop, and its consistency is similar to a ganache. The cake and icing meld together in the center, creating rich and decadent layers that morph into what's pretty much the most delicious dessert you'll ever eat. A big claim I 100% stand by.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe for Texas sheet cake is simple and straightforward. It requires no trimming of cake layers, messy buttercream, piping, or decorating. We are talking about the easiest chocolate cake you'll ever make.
Coffee enhances the chocolate's flavor and helps keep the cake super moist. We also use coffee in our Chocolate Coffee Cake and highly recommend you add that to your baking roster!
It's almost shocking that a cake can be this good, this easy, and feed so many people! Texas sheet cake serves up to 16-20 people, making it a Texas-sized cake, perfect for a party.
How to Make Texas Sheet Cake
There are a few steps that set this cake apart from your standard chocolate cake recipe and actually make it much easier to assemble, if you ask me.
- One, the sugar is not mixed in with the other wet ingredients but rather the dry—meaning there's no creaming. Yes, please!
- Two, instead of slowly incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet, everything is ultimately added to the dry mix.
- And three, that hot, signature fudgy icing that's poured over the baked cake to finish it all off.
Add Dry Ingredients to the Mixing Bowl | Flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt are whisked together and set aside.
Make Chocolate Mixture on Stovetop: Butter, coffee, and cocoa are mixed together and brought to a boil quickly. This mixture is added to the dry ingredients, and our batter is almost done.
Add Buttermilk, Eggs, + Vanilla | To finish the cake batter, we'll need buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract. These ingredients are combined and then added as a whole to the batter. Once everything comes together, the mixture is then transferred to a prepared pan.
Bake the Cake | Before adding your batter to the pan, be sure to grease it, and dust with flour. This will prevent your sheet cake from sticking. In a jelly roll pan, the cake will be finished baking in about 25 minutes. In a 9"x13" casserole dish, it will likely take closer to 30 minutes.
How to Make Texas Sheet Cake Icing
The icing comes together on the stovetop. You can use the same saucepan to whip up your chocolate mixture, although cleaning it beforehand is a must.
Butter, milk cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt are added to a saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture is melted and begins to simmer, remove it from the heat. Add the vanilla, and now, it's time for a very important question: Pecans or no pecans?
Optional: Add in Pecans | If you're Team Pecan, add them to the icing now. If you've ever had our chocoflan or butter pecan cake, you know how these delectable little nuts can elevate a dessert! The original Texas sheet cake recipe calls for them, but if you aren't a fan of nuts in your baked goods, feel free to leave them out of the process entirely.
If you add them, toast the pecans for an extra special touch before making your icing. You'll notice a difference in both flavor and crunch.
Allow Icing to Set | This cake does not need to be refrigerated. Simply allow the icing to set at room temperature. This will take about 30-45 minutes.
Serve | Once the icing has slightly hardened, serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
A jelly roll pan, which is 15x10". The rim should sit about 1" high. You can also bake Texas sheet cake in a 9x13" cake pan; however, you will need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
No, you do not have to refrigerate this cake.
If you can fit the pan in the freezer, you can freeze the sheet cake whole, double-wrapped with aluminum foil. The best way to freeze slices of Texas sheet cake is to wrap each slice delicately with parchment paper, place in a freezer-safe container (be careful not to smoosh it), and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Southern Desserts You'll Love
- Red Velvet Cake
- Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
- Butter Pecan Cake
- German Chocolate Cupcakes
- Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Original Texas Sheet Cake with Buttermilk
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Icing:
- 1 ½ cup toasted pecan halves, roughly chopped (optional)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon + a pinch fine sea salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and dust a jelly roll pan (10 ½″ x 15 ½″) with flour. If you do not have a jelly roll pan, use a 9"x13" casserole dish, and see notes below.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside until ready to use.
- Add butter, cocoa, and coffee to a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture reaches a boil, whisk for 30 seconds and pour over the flour mixture. Stir until evenly mixed.
- In a small bowl or measuring pitcher, combine buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Add the buttermilk mixture to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into the pan and smooth over the top. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the center springs back slightly when gently poked. Start on the icing as soon as the cake comes out of the oven.
For the Icing:
- While the cake is baking, toast the pecans (if using). Add the pecan halves to a dry pan over medium-low heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat as soon as the pecans become fragrant. Do not allow to burn. Set aside until ready to use.
- Once the cake is out of the oven, add the butter, cocoa, milk, and salt to a large saucepan over medium heat and stir. Allow butter to melt, then stir in the powdered sugar, until smooth and add the vanilla. If using pecans, add about ⅔ of them now.
- Pour the icing over the warm cake and spread to the edges. Sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly over the top, if using. Set aside and allow the icing to set. Serve and enjoy.
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Lori says
Amazing! Made this today and didn’t change a thing. So so yummy!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Lori! This is my go-to holiday cake. I'm so glad you liked it!
Stephanie says
I checked and rechecked the amounts and the batter was so thick and did not 'relax' will cooking. I've never had this happen in all my years of baking. What could have happened?
Kelly Anthony says
Oh no, Stephanie! I really can't say. I make this cake often and I've never had that happen. The only thing I could think of is not enough of a wet ingredient like buttermilk, coffee, or butter...or too much flour? But if you double-checked your measurements as you went, I'm as lost as you 🙁
Sheri says
Can I double the recipe to use a 20 x 14 sheet Pan
Kelly Anthony says
I've not tested the cake in a pan that large so I really can't say! I'm so sorry to not be of much help, but I would hate to steer you in the wrong direction!
Jo Ann Boler says
I just baked this cake delicious
Shari says
So delicious!
Kamie Moore says
Thank you, Shari!!
Doris says
How to remove the cake from parchment paper to serve?
Gloria says
The cake was delicious but I feel I did something wrong with the icing. It wasn’t smooth but rather a little gritty. Not sure if I cooked it too long or not long enough.About how long do you cook yours?