Texas Sheet Cake

Aptly named Texas sheet cake, this larger-than-life dessert is dripping with rich chocolaty goodness from the inside out. Sheet cakes are known for being simple to throw together, and even though this one is extra large, it’s still a breeze to make. You’ll start the cake on the stovetop by forming a decadent chocolate sauce and then adding ingredients to make the batter more cake-like. Once it’s baked, the cake is topped with a creamy, deep chocolate icing that’s sweet, rich and absurdly delicious. Make the final cake your own by adding crushed cookies, chopped nuts or a drizzle of caramel sauce and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Ingredients for Texas Sheet Cake

• Wet ingredients: You’ll be using butter, water and sour cream to get that moist texture.
• Dry ingredients: For dry ingredients, you’ll be using all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, plus baking cocoa to get that rich, deep chocolate flavor.
• Icing: For a chocolate icing that’s rich and creamy, you’ll be using additional butter, 2% milk, more baking cocoa, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract.

Step 1: Make the cocoa batter

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, water and cocoa, and bring the mix to a boil. Remove it from the heat. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, then add this dry mixture to the cocoa mixture. Stir in the sour cream until smooth.

Step 2: Bake the cake

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Pour the batter into a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a rack to cool completely.

Editor’s Tip: It’s popular to use a nonstick sheet pan for a Texas sheet cake. Don’t skimp on greasing your pan, even if it is nonstick. The easiest option for greasing a pan is to spritz it lightly with cooking spray.

Step 3: Make the icing

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In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then add the milk and cocoa. Bring this slowly to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Pour the icing over the warm cake.

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Texas Sheet Cake Variations

• Top it with nuts: Coarsely chop pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts and sprinkle the nuts generously over the top of the icing.
• Make it festive: Finely chop a few peppermint candy canes and crumble them over the icing (or mix them in, if you prefer).
• Add candy: You might as well go big or go home, right? Chop up your favorite cookies, chocolate-based candy bars or peanut-butter flavored candy pieces and sprinkle them liberally over the top of the cake. This will definitely make it sweeter than sweet, but sometimes that’s just the ticket.

How to Store Texas Sheet Cake

It’s possible to keep a sheet cake in the sheet pan that it was cooked in, in which case it’s incredibly easy to store. Simply wrap the top well in plastic wrap, and find space for the cake, pan and all, in the fridge. You can also wrap it or store it in an airtight container on the counter.

If you leave it on the counter, it will last for up to three days. If you store it in the fridge, it will last five to six days.

Can you freeze Texas sheet cake?

Yes. This recipe for Texas sheet cake is particular easy to freeze if you bake it in a foil sheet pan. A foil sheet pan (with a cover) has superior thermal conductivity, which helps to freeze the cake uniformly and reduces the risk for freezer burn. A sheet cake will last up to six months in the freezer.

Texas Sheet Cake Tips

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How long should I keep a sheet cake in the pan?

For the best results, keep the cake in its pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely. You can place it back into the pan for easy storage or transportation once it’s cool. This also works well for keeping the icing process clean, as the sides of the pan will keep any drippy icing from escaping.

What should I serve with Texas sheet cake?

If you’re making this giant cake for a party, you might be wondering what else to serve with it. While we love a nice cold glass of milk with a piece of this delectable cake, that’s not always the best for serving at a party. Consider drizzling a thick thread of salted caramel sauce over the top of the cake, and serve a heaping spoonful of homemade vanilla ice cream along with it. And if you want to keep the Texas theme going, pick a few of your favorites from this list of Lone Star-worthy recipes.

How many can I expect to serve with a sheet cake this size?

If you’re serving a large number of people, this Texas sheet cake recipe is the way to go. Due to the extra-large size of this sheet-style cake, you should easily be able to serve 15 to 16 people. Bonus: If you’re preparing for a larger gathering, this recipe doubles easily.