3/04/19

The BEST Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

A tried-and-true family recipe for velvety tender chocolate cake with old-fashioned cocoa icing poured on while the cake is still warm.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1. JUMP TO THE RECIPE
  2. INGREDIENTS LIST
  3. FAQ ANSWERED

This cake is so decadently delicious and sinfully addictive that we call it the dang devil cake! When you make it you won’t be able to stay out of it because it’s the devil, I tell ya!

The last time Mama brought this over to the house it was setting on the kitchen counter most of the afternoon while we visited and I cooked supper. I’d been looking at it most of the day and hadn’t let it tempt me too terribly.

Because I’d forgotten. I forgot it’s the dang devil!

The BEST Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake! A tried-and-true family recipe for velvety tender chocolate cake with old-fashioned cocoa icing poured on while the cake is still warm.

We ate supper and were cleaning up the kitchen and, even though I was full as a tick, I grabbed a butter knife and cut out a little square of the cake so I could get a taste. And then I cut another one. And then another one.

Then Baby Girl came through and I snuck her a little piece. Then she ate another.

Then Mama realized what was happening and before she could open her mouth to scold us, I whacked off a little square of the cake and popped it in her mouth.

And the three of us stood in my kitchen haphazardly carving that poor cake up one bite-sized piece at a time until we’d knocked about a quarter of it down.

Lawzamercy. It’s the dang devil!

The BEST Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake! A tried-and-true family recipe for velvety tender chocolate cake with old-fashioned cocoa icing poured on while the cake is still warm.

This is one of those recipes that, at a glance, looks pretty good but, honestly, doesn’t look like anything spectacular. What you can’t tell by looking at it is that it has the velvety, tender texture of a petit four.

Remember petit fours? I mean the good ones you had to order weeks ahead from that special bakery? Back when women still served them at showers? I couldn’t tell you the last time I had a real, scratch-made petit four. When did we stop doing that?

It’s one of those homemade recipes that’s genuinely WORTH the effort. You get to feel super proud of something you made 100% from scratch.

The BEST Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake! A tried-and-true family recipe for velvety tender chocolate cake with old-fashioned cocoa icing poured on while the cake is still warm.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR CAKE & ICING

Don't glance at the recipe and let the length of it scare you off. Most of the ingredients for the cake and the icing are the same (I just list them out separately to make it easy to follow along).

  • All-purpose flour
  • Sugar
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Butter
  • Cocoa powder
  • Black coffee (or water)
  • Buttermilk or milk
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar
The BEST Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake! A tried-and-true family recipe for velvety tender chocolate cake with old-fashioned cocoa icing poured on while the cake is still warm.

FAQ ABOUT THE BEST CHOCOLATE TEXAS SHEET CAKE

Do I have to heat the butter, coffee and cocoa powder on the stove?  100% yes!! By doing so we are “blooming” the cocoa powder. Blooming "opens up" the cocoa powder. Cocoa powder contains ground endosperm of the cocoa bean, many particles of which are still enclosed in pieces of membrane and seed coat which act like a barrier between the cocoa solids and our taste buds. Boiling liquid releases the cocoa and enhances the flavor by almost double.

Do I have to use coffee? Will the cake taste like it?  You don’t have to use coffee but it compliments the chocolate so well and really adds a deeper level of flavor. The cake will not taste like coffee. I promise! 

Can I skip sifting the powdered sugar for the icing?  You can but you might regret it because your icing will very likely have little white nuggets of hard sugar in it.

Can I make this in a13x9 pan instead?  Unfortunately, no. The batter is very thin and will not cook properly in a smaller pan.

Can I use an 18x13 pan if I don’t have a 10x15?  Yes! Reduce the cooking time to 15-17 minutes.

Recipe for The BEST Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

The BEST Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake! A tried-and-true family recipe for velvety tender chocolate cake with old-fashioned cocoa icing poured on while the cake is still warm.

The BEST Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

The BEST Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
Yield: 15-25 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 40 Min
A velvety, tender, perfectly chocolate Texas sheet cake made from a tried-and-true family recipe perfect for entertaining or just because!

Ingredients

For the Cake:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks butter (real, salted)
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup black coffee or water
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Icing:
  • 1 1/2 sticks of butter (real, salted)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1-lb box powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

Instructions

For the Cake:
  1. Grease a 10x15 baking pan (or spray with cooking spray) and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to incorporate ingredients then set aside.
  3. Melt butter in a small saucepan then whisk in cocoa powder and black coffee until smooth. Stir and heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Remove from heat.
  4. Combine buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract in a small bowl then mix well and set aside.
  5. Pour hot cocoa power mixture into bowl with flour mixture then stir to incorporate. Add buttermilk mixture then whisk all ingredients together for one minute.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan then bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven then prepare icing. Don't make the icing ahead of time as the cake does need to cool a little before pouring on the icing.
For the Icing:
  1. Combine milk, butter and salt in a small saucepan then heat until simmering. Remove from heat then stir in vanilla extract.
  2. Meanwhile, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa into a large mixing bowl (the sifting is optional but it prevents lumps). Pour hot milk/butter mixture into bowl with powdered sugar and cocoa powder then stir with a spoon until smooth. Whisking the mixture will cause air bubbles in the icing.
  3. Wait 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then pour icing over warm cake.
  4. Let cake rest for a few hours before serving to ensure the icing sets up some before cutting the cake.
  5. Once the cake is cool, cover then store at room temperature.

Notes

  • You can also prepare this in 18x13 half-sheet cake pan. If you do, reduce the baking time to 15-17 minutes then test with a toothpick for doneness.
  • A 10x15 pan is a traditional jellyroll pan. If your pan is very shallow, you may not be able to fit all of the icing on your cake (most are – Mama’s is – that’s ok) just include as much as will fit or let the icing cool a bit before adding to the cake so that it pours thicker.
  • I bought a 10x15x2 pan specifically for making this cake so that the icing goes on easy-peasy (traditional jellyroll pans are 10x15x1).
  • No buttermilk? No problem! Add 1.5 teaspoons white vinegar to a small measuring pitcher then add milk until the total volume measures 1/2 cup. Let mixture set 10 minutes before using. 
  • Feel free to top the icing with chopped pecans or sprinkles or mix finely chopped pecans into the icing before pouring over cake.
Texas, sheet cake, sheetcake, chocolate, cocoa, homemade, devil, best, easy, dessert, petit fours, recipe, cake
desserts, cakes
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70 comments:

  1. I love a good sheet cake, it is the perfect thing for feeding a crowd. I can see why you kept going back for more of this. It looks delicious!

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  2. Mandy, I don't know if this recipe originated in Texas or not, but I am originally from East Texas (in Tennessee for the past 30+ years) and I can tell you I started making this cake at least 47 years ago (that's how long I have been married, and it was one of the first desserts I attempted.) I remember deciding to make this cake once and got all my ingredients out and got my pan ready, preheated the oven and was ready to go when I opened my box of cocoa and discovered that I only had about 2 tablespoons of cocoa left. Needing to make a dessert, I just winged it, and left the cocoa out of the recipe and added lemon juice and a little lemon extract in place of the vanilla. It turned out great. I think this recipe is very forgiving. Thanks for sharing it with everyone. Love your recipes.

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    1. The earliest versions of this recipe I've seen date back to the 60s... you know something's good when it's been around that long! I *think* it might be called Texas sheet cake because it's as big as Texas not necessarily that the recipe originated there but who really knows?! Maybe it's both!

      I've made this without the cocoa and just doubled up on the vanilla and LOVED it but now I'm dying to try it with lemon juice and extract! That sounds divine! Thank you for sharing that idea!

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    2. Here is a thought, if you make it with lemon, when it comes out the oven poke some holes in it with a skewer and make a little lemon/sugar syrup and pour that over the top, let it soak in for a few hours and then cut and serve, I would dust it with a little icing sugar and add a whacking big dollop of real whipped cream, not that canned spray cream Amerkans seem to enjoy so much. I wonder if using limes would make it like a "Key lime" cake.
      So we don't get confused, I'm from Australia, we like to have our cake and eat it too.
      Cheers!

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    3. How much lemon juice did you add

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    4. About 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and I teaspoon of lemon extract for the cake. I left out the vanilla flavoring. For the frosting, I used lemon juice to thin the powdered sugar to the correct consistency.

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    5. I do believe that this did originate in Texas in the late 1960's or early 1970's. It was called the TEXAS SHEET CAKE and some called it "The Texas Sheath Cake". Why? I don't have any idea. The TEXAS SHEET CAKE had a teaspoon of cinnamon in it. I've been making it since 1970 and everyone has always loved it.

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    6. The recipe I got from my mom uses cinnamon too, and I add chopped pecans to the icing.

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    7. My grandma used cinnamon, too. But used coconut in the icing.

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  3. The last time I made a Texas sheet cake, we kept picking at it even after everybody had had a piece or two. I finally just put it in the middle of the table and we took turns cutting off "just a little piece" until the whole dang thing was pretty much gone. :-)

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    1. It's the dang devil! I'm glad we're not the only ones!

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  4. Definitely making this when husband is home. Otherwise, my "just one more bite" will have me polishing off the whole cake.

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  5. 3 1/2 sticks of butter?? Yikes!! Will it make you gain 10 lbs?!?

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    Replies
    1. Only if you eat the whole cake by yourself.

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    2. Made this for a birthday everyone loved it

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  6. Love anything Southern and I'm not. Love your cooking, homes and gardens. Thanks for all your hard work. Pat

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  7. Could you use self-rising flour, and leave out baking powder? Thanks

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    1. I would think so but I've never tried it myself so I'm not 100% sure. I don't know how important the baking soda is (vs baking powder that's in SR flour). If you try it, let us know!

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    2. You need the baking soda for the recipe all recipes use it when you especially have buttermilk

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    3. I make it with white lily self-rising flour all the time. I leave out the soda, but I do add the salt. It rises fine people love it. It's fluffy and tender.

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  8. I think this is similar to the recipe my mom uses for my most FAVORITE cake, but I think she pokes holes in it with a toothpick before pouring the icing over. Do you think that would work well with this? It makes the cake super moist!

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  9. Have this cooling right now. I made it in a 13x9 and had to add an additional 15 minutes. My only downside is I didn't like that the middle of the cake was slightly higher because the icing pooled around the whole perimeter but barely covered the center. I didn't need all the icing since the top surface of the cake was smaller but that gave me a few licks to polish off ;)

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    Replies
    1. That's always going to be the case with 13x9 pans (same thing happens when you use a cake mix) because there isn't as much open surface area.

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  10. Looks delicious! How many grams is a stick of butter?

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    1. Google is telling me 115. One stick of butter is 1/2 cup, 115 grams, 125 ml or 4 ounces.

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  11. Made this cake and turned out fabulous!! Brought some into work and it was gone in an hour! Talk of the day! Didn’t need all that icing though and I love icing. Making again today and will probably do 1/2 or 3/4 of the recipe for the icing. Awesome recipe!!!

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  12. Yummm! Looks like an incredible cake! I can’t wait to try it soon. May I ask if there is a taste difference when using coffee instead of water? Thank you so much!

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    1. I think it has more of a dark chocolate taste but only slightly. I don't think you can taste the coffee really, it just knocks the sweet down a tad while giving it another layer of flavor.

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  13. Looks Delicious!!May I ask where you purchased your10x15x2 inch pan?I think that would be a great size.

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    Replies
    1. For some reason I can't copy the link, but I got it on Amazon… search for Fat Daddio's 10x15x2 :)

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  14. Please I love recipe
    Can you wrote in metric system.
    I sm from Croatia.
    Thank you!!!

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  15. Lloyd Zilinski7/11/19, 4:49 PM

    Thanks for this excellent recipe. It is relatively easy and seems likely to be foolproof as long as the ingredients are followed. About this, I didn't see your buttermilk substitute until I had already baked the cake. I only had our 1% B.F. milk in the fridge. So that's what I used. The cake seemed to turn out okay. Also, I had to buy a new baking sheet, I wanted it for other things anyway, like pan pie. So I bought an 18" x 13" x 1"
    baking sheet. The cake fits the pan perfectly. The baking time was 15 minutes at a temperature setting of about 335°F., note this being on an older stove, so no digital temperature control. Overall, your range of time for this size of pan is good, it works. The icing recipe actually fills the edges of the pan up to the rim, next time I will use a toothpick to put holes in the cake to facilitate better absorbtion of the icing. I will also let the icing cool and thicken up a bit. My old Aunt is somewhat fussy and she has a rather small appetite. She had seconds of this cake so that is a huge endorsement.
    Also, I cut up and sugared fresh strawberries. These of course juice up with the addition of sugar. We then put them on the cake and topped off the whole thing with a dollop of Cool Whip. My preference is fresh whipped cream but we used the cheat in the interests of speed and convenience. Made for a delicious decadent dessert.

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    Replies
    1. Lloyd Zillinski, I read where you think you will cool the icing before pouring it on the cake. I can see if you want to put holes in your cake to absorb the icing but if you cool it it won't have the beautiful "shine" to the icing on the cake. Just a little advice.

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  16. Lloyd Zilinski7/11/19, 5:23 PM

    Thanks for the excellent recipe. I've never made a sheet cake before but this recipe is easy and the result is spectacular. I used an 18 x 13 x 1 baking sheet and your time range is spot on. Mine took 14 minutes at 350°F. The cake fit the pan perfectly and the icing filled the pan to the rim. Only thing I'll do differently next time is allow the icing to cool a little and poke toothpick holes in the cake to facilitate absorbtion of the icing on the cake.

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  17. THIS. WAS. SO. GOOD!!! I'm a decent cook, but not a very gifted baker, but I followed this recipe exactly and it came out incredible. Thank you for sharing!!

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  18. Making this cake next week for my Bunco group. Going to use a peanut butter frosting. Hope it is delicious!

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  19. I don't know if it's because it's early but is the sugar caster sugar or granulated? CAnt wait to try this . Sounds delicious xx

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    Replies
    1. The cake is made with granulated sugar and the icing is made with powdered (caster) sugar :o)

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    2. Can i freeze the cake?

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  20. Hi! I really want to make this cake but don't have the pan. My local Walmart is selling a 10x15x3 roasting pan. Would that work? Thanks in advance, this looks great!

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  21. This was wonderful!!!! So RICH and so YUMMY! Will make it again and again. How can you go wrong with 2 sticks of butter in the cake and 1 1/2 stick in the frosting?! I could have jumped in the frosting bowl and ate my way out! This recipe is a keeper!!

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  22. My Mom requested a chocolate mocha sheet cake for her birthday, do you think I can add coffee to the icing? If so, how much and what changes need to be made in the recipe for the extra liquid?

    Thank you

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  23. Oh my. I made this cake and my family absolutely loved it! I did make one small change - I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to the cake batter. I used coffee in the batter instead of water and the flavor was amazing.

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  24. Hi Mandy! I made this recipe last week and it was super moist and extremely delish!! Do you know if I can easily make them into cupcakes? Thanks in advance.

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    1. Hi Nicole! I've never tried it but I would think so. No idea about cooking time, though!

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  25. Oh, just looking at the picture of the Chocolate Sheet Cake makes me hungry. You couldn't even imagine how many of those delicious cakes that I've made for my family and friends. This recipe is absolutely amazing and it's the same one that I've been making for the last 50 years except the original one had Cinnamon in it. I'm from Dallas and it was always called the "TEXAS SHEET CAKE" Ha-ha.

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  26. I've also seen plenty of recipes that call it 'Texas Sheath Cake'. I always thought it was a misprint that just continued because people thought that was the name! Also, seen the ones with cinnamon but never have used it.

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    Replies
    1. It's a local thang! the cake was originally baked in a "sheet pan" one that is a bit thinner and used for baking. We just added an extra letter or two! Sort of like calling the Instant Pot pressure cooker an insta-pot. This cake is awesome however you pronounce it.

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    2. Can I use cream cheese and coco powder

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    3. I sure would

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  27. Oh my goodness, this was so delicious and moist. It's a bit dangerous because it's so easy and amazing!!! We will definitely be making this again...and again...and again. Thanks for the recipe.

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  28. Hello, I usually don't leave comments on baking websites, but just had to for this awesome recipe. I made this cake today, and it was DELICIOUS! Used coffee and not water. I followed the recipe exact and it was perfect. Thank you so much!!!! LOVE THIS CAKE!

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  29. I don't know if we're going to be the first to eat Texas Sheet Cake in Belgrade, Serbia, but these awful Corona times need something to cheer them up. And this cake is just the thing. I'm making it as this weekend Sunday cake. Thank you for the great recipe!

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  30. HI! im needing to make a thicker half sheet cake. Do you think thias recipe would double easily in order to make it a thicker layer?

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    1. See Toots comment above. It can be done but it won't be flat so the icing will pool in the middle (which would have been my guess).

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  31. Can I use a glass dish for this?

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  32. Hello, the recipe calls for either water or black coffee. What do you suggest?

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  33. I may have messed the recipe up, but I made this choc sheet cake and it turned out very thick cake. I’ve made choc sheet cakes in the past and never had an issue before. Did I do something wrong?? help??

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    1. I've made this cake hundreds of times and it's come out perfect every single time so I'm guessing something went wrong.

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  34. This cake!!! one of the best cakes I have ever tasted and made. This cake will be at the table for many many more birthdays! Made this cake as written and it was easy and came out perfect. Excellent recipe. if your cake does not come out it was you not recipe. :-)

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  35. I made this last Sunday for a group event we traveled to. It was delicious! My husband, and it was his birthday, loved it. I baked it in a larger pan I had, about 12x17. The pan has a plastic snap on top. It sat for almost 2 days before serving and although the flavor was not affected, the top of the icing seemed to crystalize and the beautiful gloss was gone. Trying to salvage it and have it look good, I sprinkled powdered sugar on top. I don't know if moisture from the cake covered up caused this but I was disappointed. Next time I'll not hold it covered so long.

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  36. Came out amazing… doubled the recipe

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  37. Hello I made this cake today. So moist and delicious. I used dutch cocoa. Which cocoa powder do you use or recommend?

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    Replies
    1. I use Anthony's Organic Cocoa powder that I get thru Amazon! Its a very good brand and the price is right!

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  38. I've made this cake for 55 years! I always add 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and exchange the buttermilk sometimes for sour cream! Almost the same but has a little of a brownie texture! Enjoy however you make it!

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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.

I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).

And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy