Texas Sheet Cake – A thin, chocolate sheet cake with a layer of chocolate icing on top. The ratio of cake to icing is perfection!
Chocolate cake has been hit or miss for me. Either it’s dry or bland or not chocolatey enough. There are a handful of chocolate cakes that I’ve loved in my life, and most have been closer to brownies than cakes.
Well, prepare to be amazed. This is BY FAR my favorite chocolate cake of all time! It’s perfectly moist, full of chocolate flavor, and the icing on top sets it into overdrive. After having a bite, I simply cannot stop.
The key to this incredible cake is the right ratio of icing to cake and making sure to place the icing on the cake when hot. This helps seal in the moisture.
Here is my Texas Sheet Cake!
Tips & Tricks
- Whisk well. The batter for this cake is very thin, which can cause lumps to form when adding the flour. To prevent the lumps, slowly add wet ingredients to the dry ones and whisk WELL.
- Don’t skip the parchment paper. Parchment paper is essential to keep the cake from sticking to the pan. I also spray the parchment paper with non-stick spray for extra insurance.
- Dutch-processed cocoa is best. I love using Dutch-processed cocoa powder instead of classic unsweetened cocoa powder because the chocolate flavor is more potent in Dutch-processed cocoa.
- This cake bakes fast! Because the cake is very thin, it bakes super fast. It’s ready in less than 20 minutes, when most other layer cakes take 30 minutes or more.
Texas Sheet Cake
Servings: 24 slices
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate icing:
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- pinch salt
- 3¾ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a half baking sheet (18×13) by lining with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Place 1 cup of water, 1 cup of butter, and ⅓ cup of cocoa powder into a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat until boil. Whisk together to remove lumps. Turn off heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add 2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of flour, baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon of salt to a large bowl. Whisk together. In a separate small bowl, whisk sour cream, eggs and vanilla together until smooth. Add to the dry ingredients and fold together loosely. Add chocolate mixture about ⅓ at a time, whisking together into the dry/wet ingredients mixture until smooth.
- Pour chocolate cake batter into prepared sheet pan . Smooth out into an even layer. Place into preheated oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 mins and then cover with chocolate icing (recipe below). Smooth icing into an even layer. Cool for 10 more minutes before serving.
For the chocolate icing:
- Add butter, milk, and cocoa powder to same medium sauce pan used previously. Set over medium heat until boiling. Once boiling, remove from heat and whisk together to remove lumps. When smooth, add powdered sugar and whisk together vigorously until smooth. This may take about 1 minute.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Tastes Better From Scratch
Pin for later:
More recipes you’ll love:
Raspberry Chocolate Molten Cake
Carrot Snack Cake
Black & White Bundt Cake
This Texas Sheet Cake recipe is absolutely incredible! The moist chocolate cake with that pour-on fudge icing is exactly the kind of recipe I share on my own site. Love how it feeds a crowd too – perfect for potlucks and family gatherings. The buttermilk really makes a difference in the texture. Will definitely be making this again!
Using Dutch-processed cocoa powder is such a brilliant tip because it gives chocolate bakes that rich, deep flavor that standard cocoa simply can’t touch. Pouring the icing over this Texas sheet cake while it is still warm is the perfect way to trap the moisture and ensure every single slice stays perfectly fudgy. While there are a few classic chocolate baked goods and desserts in mcdonald’s menu that work for a quick sweet fix on the road, nothing compares to a homemade cake fresh out of your own oven. This recipe bakes so quickly that it’s an absolute game-changer for last-minute gatherings or family parties!!!
Oh yum! Such a fantastic and easy cake. Love all that chocolate and all in 35 minutes!
Amazing! Perfectly moist, full of chocolate flavor and my family loved it!
This was amazing and such a treat! Thank you! Everyone in my family loved it.
This looks so chocolatey and delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
This looks absolutely divine! I love sheet cake and that frosting is perfection!