Texas chocolate sheet cake is made with a moist and velvety chocolate cake topped with a fudgy chocolate frosting while the cake is still warm. It’s a crowd-pleasing classic!

Slice of Texas chocolate sheet cake served on a spatula.

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Best Texas Sheet Cake Recipe

TL;DR: This Texas chocolate sheet cake is rich, moist, and topped with a glossy cooked chocolate icing poured on warm so it sets into a fudgy layer.

Sour cream keeps the cake soft and tender, and the big jelly roll pan feeds 30 to 40 people. It’s the classic Southern dessert my mom made for potlucks, and the size and icing are what set it apart from a regular chocolate cake.

XO - Jamielyn

Cake Ingredients

Texas sheet cake ingredients on marble counter including cocoa powder, sugar, flour, butter and sour cream.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Flour: A traditional all-purpose flour is used for a light texture. Learn how to measure flour without a scale for great results.
  • Sugar: Finely granulated sugar adds the perfect sweetness to this dessert.
  • Butter: Use salted butter for more flavor and richness. If you only have unsalted butter add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
  • Natural cocoa powder: 100% pure unsweetened cocoa powder gives the cake a rich and chocolatey flavor.
  • Sour cream: The secret ingredient (better than buttermilk) in this Texas sheet cake recipe. It moistens the cake and gives it a soft crumb.
  • Eggs: Make sure to use fresh eggs for the best results.
  • Baking staples: Baking soda, fine sea salt and vanilla extract.
  • Texas sheet cake frosting: Butter, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, powdered sugar and salt.

Best Size of Pan to Use for Sheet Cake

Texas sheet cake is famously baked in a half sheet pan, which is great for feeding a big crowd. Because the jelly roll pan is so large and more shallow, the cake is a bit thinner which gives it the perfect cake to frosting ratio.

I prefer to use a 18×13″ half sheet pan, which typically feeds about 30-40 people. If you’d like to half this recipe, you can bake it in a 9×13″ pan for the same great results, any smaller though and I would make my chocolate crazy cake instead.

How to Make Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Step by step collage showing how to make a Texas chocolate sheet cake recipe.
  • Boil. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Then add the cubed butter, water and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a light boil, then remove from heat and let sit for 2 minutes.
  • Pour. Next pour the warm chocolate mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  • Stir. Then stir in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla (I always add a little more vanilla for good measure).
  • Bake. Pour the batter in a greased 18×13″ half sheet pan and then bake at 350°F for about 18 to 20 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).
  • Prepare icing. About halfway through baking, begin to prepare the icing. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Then add in the cocoa powder and stir. Once the mixture has melted and comes to a light simmer, remove from heat and slowly stir in milk, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Then slowly stir in powdered sugar.
  • Frost. Spread the sheet cake frosting over the cake immediately after you remove it from the oven. It thickens really quickly, so you need to work fast!
Spreading Texas sheet caKE chocolate frosting on top of Texas sheet cake with spatula.

Recipe Tips

  • I usually start making the frosting after the cake has been baking in the oven for about 10 minutes. That way it’s ready to be poured on top of the cake right when it comes out of the oven so that the frosting soaks in and keeps it moist.
  • The frosting will need time to cool before slicing so that it thickens up and stays firm. So make sure you give it time to cool down before cutting into squares.
  • We love to serve our Texas chocolate sheet cake with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and a dollop of fresh whipped cream. The perfect combination!
Showing soft chocolate cake base and fudgy Texas chocolate sheet cake frosting.

Variations

  • Feel free to mix chopped pecans or walnuts into the frosting for a crunchy, nutty taste. Or simply sprinkle them over the icing while it’s still wet on the cake.
  • We love marshmallows and pecans on this similar dessert and call it Mississippi mud cake!
  • If you love vanilla cake more than chocolate, try this white Texas sheet cake! And for a cookie version, these Texas sheet cake cookies are a must-make!
Slice of chocolate Texas sheet cake on baking sheet.

Looking for more homemade chocolate cake recipes? Try chocolate cupcakes from scratch, chocolate lava cakes and chocolate flourless cake, too!

More Chocolate Desserts

A piece of Texas chocolate sheet cake on a plate.

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

5 from 22 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 35 squares
Texas chocolate sheet cake is made with a moist and velvety chocolate cake topped with a fudgy chocolate frosting while still warm. A crowd-pleasing classic!
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Ingredients 

Cake:

  • 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
  • 1 cup (226 g) salted butter , sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup (18 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ⅔ cup (155 g) sour cream
  • 2 large eggs , whisked
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Icing:

Instructions

Chocolate cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a half sheet pan (18×13 inches) and set aside.
  • In a large bowl combine 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
  • Heat 1 cup butter, 1 cup water and 1/4 cup cocoa in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a light boil and then remove from heat and let sit 2 minutes. Then pour into the flour mixture. Stir until combined.
  • Stir in 2/3 cup sour cream, 1 Tablespoon vanilla and 2 eggs. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean. Halfway through cooking, start making the icing.

Chocolate icing

  • Melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in 3-4 Tablespoons cocoa powder. Once the mixture has melted and comes to a light simmer, remove from heat and slowly whisk in 1/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt. Then slowly stir in powdered sugar.
  • Evenly pour the icing over the cake immediately when it comes out of the oven. Immediately spread out evenly with a rubber spatula.
  • Allow to cool and then cut into squares.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Storage: Store leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. 
Nut lovers: Chop 1/2 – 3/4 cup pecans and mix into the frosting. 
Half the recipe: You can half this recipe and bake in a 9×13″ baking dish. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 197kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 143mg, Potassium: 40mg, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 290IU, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 0.6mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Stack of Texas sheet cake slices on a white plate.