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Texas Sheet Cake

I have made this Texas sheet cake recipe for years. My children always chose it for their birthday cake over any other, and it makes enough for a crowd. Moist and delicious. Very easy to make. Enjoy!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 32 people
Calories 8769.1 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl For combining dry and wet cake ingredients
  • 1 Saucepan For melting butter and cocoa mixtures
  • 1 Jelly Roll Pan 10x15-inch for baking the sheet cake
  • 1 Whisk For combining dry ingredients and light mixing
  • 1 Spatula For stirring and spreading icing

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup water
  • 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup butter
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts Optional

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Make cake: Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Beat in sour cream and eggs. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in water and cocoa powder. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from the heat. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the flour and egg mixture until blended. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. While the cake is baking, make icing: Combine milk, cocoa powder, and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla, then fold in walnuts, mixing until blended. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Spread icing over warm cake. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Serve and enjoy! Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Notes

To enhance the rich chocolate flavor, consider adding a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to both the cake batter and the icing; it intensifies the cocoa without adding a coffee taste. A common pitfall is overmixing the cake batter after adding the wet to the dry ingredients, which can develop gluten and result in a tough cake; mix until just combined. Ensure the warm butter-cocoa mixture cools slightly before incorporating it into the egg mixture to prevent the eggs from scrambling. For the icing, spreading it over the warm cake is crucial for a smooth, melded finish. If using walnuts, toasting them lightly beforehand will amplify their nutty flavor. Always sieve confectioners' sugar to avoid lumps in the frosting.