Texas Sheet Cake
Although I’ve yet to meet a cake I do not like, Texas sheet cake is my favorite. It’s an easy to make chocolate cake baked in a jelly roll pan and finished with a yummy warm chocolate pan frosting. What’s not to love!?
Chocolate- plus a little cinnamon to add a bit of wow.
Buttermilk. Keeps the cake super moist.
Chocolate pan frosting…My mouth is watering just talking about it.
Why “Texas” Sheet Cake?
I’ve searched the world wide web to find all different conclusions on why it’s called Texas Sheet Cake! Some say it’s because the cake is as large as the State of Texas. (Although it’s not really that big!) Some say Lady Bird Johnson came up with the recipe. I also read it got its name because it was first shared in a Texas newspaper. I don’t really care where it came from. I’m just grateful the recipe is out there because it’s so darn good!
It’s what my husband and both daughters request each year for their birthday. Bonus is the gluten free version is literally just as good as the original! I’ve tried the recipe with all butter but I prefer the texture of half butter and half crisco. Although most recipes do not add cinnamon, I love the addition. I guess it makes it more of a Mexican Texas Sheet Cake!
Although you can make the frosting plain, we add chopped pecans to ours. Cuts down the sweetness 😉😉. Trust me when I say this cake will be your family’s favorite as well!!
P.S. It freezes beautifully. I usually cut the cake into squares, quick freeze, and put them in foil in a freezer zip lock. Then you can pull a piece out when you have a hankering for something sweet!
Preparation
This cake is so easy because it’s baked in a jelly roll pan. It’s really hard to screw it up! I use a 10×15 pan. Some recipes call for a 13×18 sheet pan, but I like to use a 10×15 because it makes for a little thicker cake and frosting. This nonstick pan is so good! I love that it comes in a set. They are a little more expensive, but my go=to baking sheets.
Texas Sheetcake
Materials
- 2 cups all-purpose flour I use Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda for higher altitudes, use 1/2-3/4 teaspoon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup crisco
- 1 cup water
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1/3 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup butter
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar 3 and 3/4 cups
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped toasted pecans Optional. But highly recommended!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Grease a 15 x 10 jelly roll pan.
- Add water, butter, Crisco, and 4 tablespoons of cocoa to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring periodically.
- Meanwhile, add flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon to a medium bowl
- Beat eggs, buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla in a small bowl.
- Remove chocolate mixture to cool slightly
- Add chocolate mixture to flour and sugar mixture and beat well
- Add egg mixture to the rest of the cake ingredients and beat until well combined
- Pour into jelly roll pan and bake for 23-26 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Frosting Instructions
- Add the butter, milk, and cocoa to the sauce pan and cook until the butter is melted.
- Remove from the heat and stir in powdered sugar, vanilla, and pecans.
- Pour warm cake.
My kids’ friends know me for my chewy chocolate chip cookies and this Texas Sheet cake! I hope that you love it as much as they do.
Grateful for you,
Julie
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