Texas Sheet Cake Recipe

Authentic Texas sheet cake recipe is full of dense, rich chocolate flavor. The frosting is fudgy and full of buttery pecans. This vintage recipe is the best!

Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 25 minutes minutes

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Classic Texas sheet cake made with buttermilk is some kind of brilliant cross between fudge, the chewiest brownies ever, and chocolate cake. You've gotta believe - I'm totally here for it.

This authentic recipe is the best for taming a fierce sweet tooth!

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

🗝️ Key takeaways

• Love chocolate like Willy Wonka with PMS? You'll love this decadent crossover between a fudgy brownie and dense chocolate cake with a toothachingly sweet pecan-fudge topping.
• If there's a potluck or family get-together coming up you'll definitely want to invite this cake! The only ones that won't be eagerly gulping it down are those strange beings that don't like chocolate. Weirdos.
• You'll want to make this authentic recipe in a high-sided cookie sheet or a large jelly roll pan. The point is that the cake should not be more than about 1-inch thick.

Whether you're a life-long Lonestar state resident or you live very far away, this Texas sheet cake recipe is a must-try!

The dense, ultra-moist sheet cake is complemented with a warm frosting, so good your family will fight over who gets to lick the spoon! (My vote's for you since, well, you actually baked the cake and all.)

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Variations

Variations on this recipe tend to make this Texas girl cringe but I know y'all like options. So, here goes.

1. You can leave the pecans out if you must.
2. You can use regular cocoa powder rather than extra dark. Sigh.
3. Substitute strong coffee for the water.
4. Instead of (or in addition to) the pecans, add chopped Heath bars to the frosting before pouring it over the cake.
5. Try substituting Dr. Pepper or hot coffee for the water in the recipe to add a subtle depth of taste and enhance the chocolate flavor.
6. A teaspoon of cinnamon and/or chipotle powder mixed in with the dry ingredients adds some more Tex-Mex style to the cake!

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.

Texas sheet cake step by step

Brown the sticks of butter. Whisk in the cocoa powder and water.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.

Blend together the flour mixture, chocolate mixture, and remaining wet ingredients.

Pour into prepared cookie sheet and bake.

Texas sheet cake icing

While the cake bakes, prepare the Texas sheet cake frosting:

Brown the butter.

Add the buttermilk and cocoa; boil.

Mix in the powdered sugar (AKA confectioners' sugar) and pecans.

Pour hot mixture over top of the warm cake.

🍴 Equipment

I use high-sided cookie sheets. You can use a jelly roll pan but the cake comes out a little thicker - and I like mine to be on the thin side - baked it's best when it's about an inch thick.

The main thing is that the baking sheets have to be heavy gauge stainless and not thin aluminum or something.

1. heavy duty cookie sheets
2. saucepan
3. mixing bowl
4. measuring cups and spoons

🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial

🥫 How to store leftover Texas sheet cake

We would eat this whole cake in one sitting even if it was the size of Texas, but if you happen to have leftovers, they do save well.

Store at room temperature

Simply cover the cake pan tightly with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for up to three days. (Alternatively, place slices into an airtight container.)

Just make sure you set it somewhere out of any direct sunlight. Also high enough that you won't take a tiny slice everytime you walk by.

You can enjoy leftovers at room temperature or pop a slice in the microwave for a few seconds to rewarm that yummy chocolate glaze.

Don't refrigerate leftovers!

Some people are tempted to put Texas sheet cake leftovers in the fridge—unless otherwise instructed, don't do that! Any good cake recipe will warn you that refrigeration actually dries out a classic cake sponge.

Freeze for longer storage

You can freeze it for up to 3 months. I like to cut squares and put them in individual ziploc bags in the freezer to toss into lunches and pull for quick snacks.

💭 Things to know

1. Pecans add an ideal level of buttery, nuttiness to the sheet cake frosting. I don't recommend using another variety of nuts unless you want to ruin the perfect cake. (Just kidding about that last part! Sort of...)
2. Don't change the pan size. A 13x9-inch pan messes with the pan-to-cake ratio, requires a different bake time, and creates a thicker, drier cake.
3. Let the hot cake cool on a wire rack only for a few minutes before digging in. Texas chocolate sheet cake is best served warm! Preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
4. Your toothpick may have some moist crumbs on it when testing for doneness and that is A-okay.
5. Don't use anything but pecans. No, walnuts will not substitute.
6. Nuts are not optional unless (1) you are allergic (2) you absolutely gag at the thought of them.
7. Macadamias either. Don't even think about hazelnuts or Brazil nuts.
8. Don't use a 13x9 inch pan...the texture will be wrong.
9. Don't experiment with flavor. Sometimes things should just be left alone. This is one of those things.
10. Don't cool the cake or the icing. Be sure the cake is still quite warm when you put the hot frosting on.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

📚 Related recipes

🍽️ Repurpose leftovers

• Cake pops. Crumble the chocolate cake and mix it with frosting. Roll into balls, insert sticks, and dip in melted chocolate or candy coating for fun and delicious cake pops.
• Ice cream topping. Crumble the chocolate cake and use it as a topping for ice cream sundaes. Add some chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry for a classic treat.
• Texas sheet cake ice cream sandwiches. Slice the cake into squares and sandwich a scoop of your favorite ice cream between two pieces. Roll the edges in sprinkles or chocolate chips for a fun treat.

📞 The last word

This classic Texas sheet cake is kryptonite to me!

I can't resist a taste of the warm chocolate frosting, a nibble of the dense, moist cake, or a forkful of the whole thing when it's done. Try it - you'll see what I mean.

Classic chocolate Texas Sheet Cake is dense and thin - similar to a brownie. The moist cake is so fudgy and sweet it will scare away chocolate cravings that are lurking around.

Tons of pecans are stirred into the shiny chocolate icing so it's like biting into the chewiest brownie you ever tasted with square of homemade fudge on top! Don't let anyone fool ya, this is the BEST because it's the real deal.

Okay, you probably have everything on hand. You know what that means? You are about forty-five minutes away from the best cake of your life if you hurry.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

4.67 from 15 votes

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Authentic Texas sheet cake recipe is full of dense, rich chocolate flavor. The frosting is fudgy and full of buttery pecans. This vintage recipe is the best!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American - Southern

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings:36

Calories:222

Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

Cake

• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 cups sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup butter
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ ⅓ cup dark cocoa powder, I prefer Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa for this)
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ ½ cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla

Texas Sheet Cake Frosting

• ▢ ⅓ cup buttermilk
• ▢ ⅓ cup dark cocoa powder, Hersey's Special Dark is the preference
• ▢ ½ cup butter, browned until golden
• ▢ 3 ¾ cups confectioner's sugar, sifted to remove lumps
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1 ½ cups pecans, toasted and chopped

Instructions

Cake

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Grease a high-sided cookie sheet and set aside.
• Melt the butter until it is a golden brown in a heavy saucepan. Do not let it burn.
• Add the water and the cocoa and stir until smooth.
• Bring to a boil, stirring.
• Remove from heat.
• Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
• Beat in eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.
• Stir in cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.
• Spoon into high sided cookie sheet, smoothing out evenly.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven.

Texas Sheet Cake Frosting

• About 5 minutes before the cake is ready to come out of the oven melt the butter in saucepan until golden brown.
• Add the milk and the cocoa.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring smooth.
• Remove from heat and add the Confectioner's sugar, pecans and vanilla.
• Mix quickly and spoon over the warm cake.
• Cut in squares to serve.

Notes

Storage:

Cover with plastic wrap and keep cake are room temperature for 2-3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Tips:

• Pour the hot icing mixture on the hot cake quickly, gently moving it around the cake with a spatula so it covers the whole thing. If it cools it will not spread!
• Toasting the pecans ahead of time will add more buttery flavor.

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published November 2014. Last updated June 1. 2024 for editorial improvements and more information.

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Texas Sheet Cake

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