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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Texas Sheet Cake - The Only Chocolate Cake You'll Ever Need

    Published: Aug 14, 2021 · Modified: Aug 13, 2022 by Liz Mincin · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This cake recipe is my family's Texas sheet cake recipe. It is the only chocolate sheet cake you will ever need. Essentially a one-bowl recipe and super quick to whip up. It is super moist, super chocolate and super versatile.

    A slice of Texas sheet cake on a spatula held above the sheet pan full of chocolate sheet cake.

    What is Sheet Cake?

    Well, sheet cakes are not really a thing in the UK, at least not in the American sense (or size) of the term. Basically a sheet cake is an easy crowd pleasing bake, using a large baking tray known as a sheet pan. This large rectangular cake is fairly thin, and normally topped with frosting. When homemade, the sheet cakes are usually served straight from the pan. They are easily sliced into squares for serving, a lot like brownies, which makes it a great birthday party cake.

    In the UK, sheet pans exist, but these are normally smaller than the American counterpart and used for bakes such as Swiss rolls. You don't usually find large sheet cakes ready made and frosted in grocery stores, the way you would in America. In fact, I know many American expats who are willing to travel long distances to get to a Costco, which is one of the few locations in the UK that you can reliably get an American style sheet cake birthday cake.

    What Makes a Texas Sheet Cake?

    The exact origins of the Texas sheet cake are not known. It is thought to be related to German Chocolate Cake, but baked in a single layer sheet pan rather than stacked round cake layers. It is a popular chocolate sheet cake, most known for being moist and topped with a boiled cocoa frosting.

    Making My Chocolate Sheet Cake

    Ingredients and Process

    For this recipe, you will need:

    • Unsalted butter - no need for this to be softened as you'll be melting this.
    • Water
    • Cocoa powder
    • Flour - you can use all-purpose flour or plain flour interchangeably here.
    • Sugar - either granulated or caster sugar.
    • Salt
    • Baking Soda
    • Eggs
    • Crème fraîche
    Ingredients for texas sheet cake chocolate cake.

    This cake recipe is essentially a one-bowl recipe and you can make it using just one large saucepan. I opt to use a saucepan and a separate bowl to speed the cooling process.

    There are only three steps, which align with the ingredients fairly nicely.

    1. Boil: Butter, Water and Cocoa

    To begin this recipe, you will add the butter, water and cocoa powder to a saucepan. Heat this over a medium heat and bring these to a boil as your butter melts.

    You do not need to work with softened room temperature butter for this recipe, since you will be melting it over a stove top anyway. You can take butter straight from the refrigerator. My recipe calls for 1 cup - in America, this is the same as 2 sticks of butter, in Britain this is 220g (so slightly less than a full 250g block).

    The process of boiling the mixture helps to bloom the cocoa, accentuating the flavour for the final product.

    Saucepan filled with a block of butter, water and cocoa powder.
    Pan of water, butter and cocoa powder after the butter has melted and the mixture boiled, taken off the heat and resting on a dish cloth on a countertop.

    Once your mixture boils, remove this from the stovetop and set aside to cool. There are two options for cooling:

    • Cool in the pan for 30 minutes and then carry on mixing the rest of the cake batter in the pan.
    • Pour into a large bowl to cool more quickly (15 min) and make the remaining batter in the bowl.
    Boiled mixture of melted butter, water and cocoa powder poured into a large bowl to cool.

    2. Add the Sugar, Flour and Salt

    Once cooled a bit, add in the sugar, flour and salt. I do this all at once, no need to add in intervals or any particular order.

    Large bowl of boiled cocoa mixture with sugar, flour and salt added.
    Chocolate sheet cake batter in a large bowl.

    3. Add Crème Fraîche, Eggs and Baking Soda

    The final ingredients can then all be added to the mix. Whisk together until smooth.

    If you don't have crème fraîche, you can also use sour cream in place of this for the same effect or substitute with yogurt. You will want something with a bit of acidity to help react with the baking soda and for the flavour in your cake.

    Chocolate sheet cake batter in a large bowl, with two eggs, creme fraiche and baking soda added.
    Large bowl of texas sheet cake batter.

    Preparing Sheet Pans

    This recipe fits in one American standard three-quarters sheet pan or in two 9"x13" sheet pans. If you want to make one 9"x13" sheet pan, simply halve the recipe ingredients and otherwise follow the same process.

    I find lining the base of the sheet pan with parchment paper makes it easier to remove slices and removes any fear of the cake sticking.

    Since it is standard practice to serve sheet cake straight from the pan, you may want to forego the overhanging parchment for presentation. Simply grease and flour the pan well in advance to help avoid sticking at the end.

    Two nine by thirteen inch sheet pans lined with parchment paper and flour.
    Chocolate sheet cake batter poured into two sheet pans.
    Two chocolate sheet cakes fresh from the oven in their sheet pans.

    Texas Sheet Cake Frosting

    So, a Texas sheet cake isn't really a Texas sheet cake without the fudgy chocolate frosting. This boiled cocoa frosting is a standard accompaniment for an old fashioned Texas sheet cake.

    The recipe is five ingredients and made in one saucepan.

    You will need:

    • Cocoa powder
    • Unsalted butter - again no need for this to be pre-softened.
    • Vanilla extract
    • Milk
    • Powdered icing sugar
    Ingredients for Texas sheet cake boiled cocoa frosting.

    Place the cocoa powder, butter, vanilla and milk into a saucepan. Melt the butter and bring to a boil.

    Remove from the heat and sift in the powdered sugar. Whisk this all together until smooth and then pour over the cakes in their sheet pans while they are still warm.

    Smooth the frosting out with a spatula. It will start to set quickly and may look like it is crusting. This won't be a problem, it will even itself out and won't fully set until it cools.

    Saucepan full of cocoa powder, butter, milk and vanilla extract to make texas sheet cake frosting.
    Saucepan of cocoa and butter removed from the heat after bringing to a boil.
    Sifting powdered icing sugar into a saucepan.
    Powdered icing sugar added to a saucepan of boiled cocoa and butter.
    Boiled cocoa frosting in a saucepan ready to be spread on cakes.
    Spreading boiled cocoa frosting on warm Texas sheet cake.

    Slice and Serve Sheet Cake

    It is best to allow the sheet cake to cool a bit before slicing, if you can restrain yourself! One of the beauties of an old fashioned chocolate sheet cake is that you can easily cut this with a standard spatula - one tool to slice and serve!

    Slicing chocolate sheet cake with a spatula.
    A slice of Texas sheet cake held up above the pan of cake with a spatula.

    FAQs for the Ultimate Chocolate Sheet Cake

    How long does this chocolate sheet cake keep?

    You can keep the chocolate sheet cake for several days, covered in cling film at room temperature. Alternatively, you can make this well ahead, and freeze it in its tray. Simply allow to cool, once frosted, cover the tray in cling film and freeze. Allow to defrost before consuming. This is useful if you've made two smaller sheet cakes with the recipe below as you can keep the second for later.

    Can I make this in a pan other than a sheet pan?

    Yes! Though it won't technically be a sheet cake. You can make this same cake recipe as a more traditional cake and use different frostings.

    For example, I have made this in a 9" round cake tin and frosted with a dulce de leche buttercream and flaked coconut. I have also used this cake recipe to make smaller round cakes, which I then stacked, covered in chocolate ganache and fondant for a cat shaped finished product (see below images). It is extremely versatile!

    Do be aware that the baking times will vary depending on the size of the cake pan being used and how full this is. As this is a very moist cake, you may find that you need to cover the cake pan in aluminium foil to prevent the top from catching. This is particularly true if you choose to make one large 9" cake.

    Decadent chocolate cake topped in dulce de leche buttercream and flaked coconut.
    3D sculpted cat cake, showing a slice of chocolate cake being removed.

    If you like this recipe, you might also like:

    • Devil's Food Cake
    • Seven Layered Chocolate Cake
    • No Bake S'mores Cheesecake
    • Mini Chocolate Ganache Cheesecakes
    A slice of Texas sheet cake on a spatula held above the sheet pan full of chocolate sheet cake.

    Texas Sheet Cake

    Liz Mincin
    The ultimate chocolate sheet cake recipe, along with the traditional boiled cocoa frosting.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 45 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Frosting 10 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24 people

    Ingredients
      

    Ingredients for Chocolate Sheet Cake

    • 1 cup butter 2 sticks or 220g
    • 1 cup water
    • 4 tablespoon cocoa powder
    • 2 cups plain or all purpose flour
    • 2 cups sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 eggs
    • ½ cup crème fraîche
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda

    Ingredients for Texas Sheet Cake Frosting

    • ½ cup butter 1 stick or 110g
    • 4 tablespoon cocoa powder
    • 6 tablespoon milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 16 oz powdered icing sugar, sifted

    Instructions
     

    Instructions for Chocolate Sheet Cake

    • Add the butter, water and cocoa powder to a large saucepan and heat over a medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture boils. Remove from the heat to allow to cool for 15-30 minutes.
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175C/155C Fan) and prepare your sheet pan. This recipe will fit a three-quarter size sheet pan or two 9"x13" sheet pans. Grease and flour this or line with parchment paper.
    • Add flour, sugar and salt to the boiled cocoa mixture, whisk to combine.
    • Lastly, add the eggs, crème fraîche and baking soda to the mixture and whisk until smooth.
    • Pour batter into the prepared sheet pan(s) and bake for about 25 minutes, checking after 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
    • Remove from the oven and cover in the frosting while still warm in the sheet pan.

    Instructions for Boiled Cocoa Frosting

    • Add the butter, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla to a saucepan and heat over a medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture boils.
    • Sift the powdered icing sugar into the boiled cocoa and whisk until smooth.
    • Pour this over your warm cake in the sheet pan(s) and spread evenly.

    Notes

    See the blog post for further tips and details.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @waitingforblancmange or tag #waitingforblancmange!

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    Image of Liz Mincin blogger and recipe developer behind Waiting for Blancmange.

    Hi, I'm Liz! I'm an American expat in the UK, with over 20 years experience baking and creating desserts. Taught tricks and tips by my mother and grandmothers, I'm sharing recipes and baking tips from my Italian American and Southern roots, along with a few British staples picked up from my time living across various regions in the UK.

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