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This Texas Sheet Cake produces a moist chocolate cake and is topped with a glorious chocolate pecan frosting. This is the perfect cake for large gatherings that speaks to a chocoholic love language.
If you love chocolate, check out these recipes; Triple Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate Waffles, Chocolate French Toast, Chocolate Cream Pie, and Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.
Why is it called Texas sheet cake?
The name for this large chocolate sheet cake loaded with rich flavor and southern ingredients like buttermilk and pecans. Possibly got its name purely from the size of the cake, because everything's bigger in Texas, or because the original Texas sheet cake recipe was first publishing was in 1957 in the Dallas Morning News before sweeping the country with chocolate deliciousness. Regardless of how the name came about, let's thank Texas for this fabulous cake!
Texas sheet cake is made with cocoa powder, butter, and buttermilk, including a chocolate pecan frosting. Every now and then, you'll find a cake with cinnamon. The cake is typically served in large jelly roll pans and cut into squares. It has become popular throughout the United States due to its moist texture, rich flavor, and ease of preparation. This classic dessert can be enjoyed all year for any occasion!
I will show you how to make the best chocolate sheet cake that will blow the socks off of anyone who eats a piece.
What are some other names for Texas Sheet Cake?
Texas sheet cake goes by several names: Texas cake, Texas sheath cake, Texas brownie cake, Mexican chocolate cake, chocolate brownie cake, buttermilk brownies, and chocolate sheet cake.
Texas Sheet Cake Ingredients
Let’s talk about the ingredients you’ll need to bring this Cajun creole sauce to life.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil definitely is not a standard ingredient in Texas sheet cake, but I love using this healthier oil for baking plus, the flavor complements chocolate exceptionally well.
Sugar
I had to use local Texas sugar in this recipe, so I chose Imperial Sugar! The company has been around for 100 years, and its sugar cane is Non-GMO. I used granulated sugar in the cake and the frosting.
Unsweetened Chocolate
I love using a bar of chocolate instead of cocoa powder in my cake batter because it produces a richer chocolate flavor. You would need 12 tablespoons of cocoa powder to equal the 4-ounce chocolate bar.
Flour
You'll need unbleached all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for the dry ingredients.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk makes Texas sheet cake special, so treat yourself and use full-fat buttermilk. Leave the low-fat stuff at the grocery store.
Butter
You'll need a couple of sticks of unsalted butter for the chocolate pecan frosting.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
I love how well cocoa powder blends with the other ingredients for the icing.
Chopped Pecans
I like to chop pecan halves because I get different size pieces through the cake, but you can buy some already chopped.
How to make Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
I wanted my Texas chocolate sheet cake to taste amazing and be fun for the family to make.
Chocolate Sheet Cake
Before getting started, preheat your oven to 350°F. Nothing's worse than realizing you forgot to heat the oven. Also, melt your chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, and stir after the first 30 seconds to keep the chocolate from burning.
While the oven is warming up, combine coconut oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl until it resembles wet sand. Add eggs one at a time, then pour in melted chocolate and vanilla.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. Add buttermilk and water to a vessel. Then alternate adding flour and buttermilk mixture into the wet ingredients. Pour batter into a greased 18 x 13 jelly roll pan (baking sheet). Bake for 28-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before icing.
Chocolate Frosting
While the cake cools, combine the butter, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, and salt, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Cut heat off and stir in vanilla extract and pecans. Spread the warm frosting evenly over the cake. Allow the frosting to cool completely before serving.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes for substitutions and building flavors for this amazing chocolate sheet cake.
- Feel free to use canola or vegetable oil instead of coconut oil.
- Chop chocolate bars into 1-ounce pieces. This will make the chocolate melt faster and evenly.
- Feel free to use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate bars in your cake batter.
- If you love chocolate, use dark chocolate cocoa powder in the pecan frosting.
- Most current recipes call for powdered sugar in the frosting, but I find that the granulated sugar makes for a chewier frosting which I really enjoyed.
- It can take a few hours for the chocolate pecan frosting to harden. Leaving it on the counter will take 2-3 hours, but popping it in the fridge for 1 hour will do the trick.
- Swap the flour for your favorite gluten-free baking flour if you have a gluten allergy. Mine's is Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour.
- Bulgarian buttermilk is the best buttermilk on the market.
- Using lemon juice of white vinegar in milk for quick buttermilk will not yield the same delicious flavor as buttermilk because it's absent of cultures.
- Feel free to swap the buttermilk for sour cream, plain yogurt, or milk at home.
- Swap out the milk for buttermilk to make a chocolate buttermilk frosting. Add it with the vanilla and pecans because buttermilk can curdle when boiled.
Texas Sheet Cake FAQs
Here are readers' top questions about making Texas sheet cake with buttermilk from scratch.
Buttermilk adds a tangy, creamy flavor that other ingredients can't achieve. It also helps to keep the cake moist and tender, resulting in a light and fluffy texture. The acidity of the buttermilk interacts with the baking soda, helping the cake to rise. In addition, buttermilk adds structure to the cake's crumb, creating a delicate crumb that melts in your mouth!
It's a classic ingredient in many cake recipes, especially the classic Texas sheet cake.
You don't have to use buttermilk in cakes. However, if you want to add a lovely depth of flavor to your cakes, I would say yes.
Absolutely! You can use buttermilk instead of milk in a cake. It will provide a slightly acidic (tangy) flavor that will improve the overall taste of your cakes. It'll also give the cake a fluffy and soft texture. Just swap your regular milk 1 for 1 buttermilk.
A jelly roll pan is a type of baking sheet, but it has higher sides than a typical baking sheet. Jelly roll pans are usually 15x10 inches and have raised edges that are 1 inch tall. These sides make jelly roll pans ideal for baking jelly rolls, bar cookies, and other items that require higher edges than a typical baking sheet.
On the other hand, baking sheets are typically flat and rectangular with no raised edges. They are great for roasting vegetables or baking cookies that don't require high sides (cookie sheet pan). However, half-baking sheet pans are typically 18 x 13 with a 1-inch edge, and that works just as well with baking as a jelly roll pan. So, jelly roll pans and baking sheets are different, but both can be used to create delicious treats!
A Texas sheet cake is a larger, thinner cake baked in a jelly roll pan and served in large square or rectangular pieces. A regular cake can be baked in various pans, from 8 or 9-inch round pans or 9 x 13 baking pans. They can be stacked to create a layered cake and covered with plenty of frosting.
When it comes to the difference between a sheet cake and a sheath cake, there's only one thing that matters: spelling. While I'm unaware of recipes for making a sheath cake, I can rattle off dozens of delicious recipes for making sheet cakes.
Your sheet cake is possibly dense from over-mixing. Over-mixing produces too much air in the batter, and that trapped air releases during baking and will create a deflated dense cake. You want to mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined, no further.
The first thing you can do to keep your sheet cake moist is to ensure your oven is heating to the correct temperature with an oven thermometer. You may be baking your cake in a hotter oven than expected. Secondly, do not over-mix your ingredients, as this can cause your cake to dry out during baking.
Finally, you can brush your cake with a soak. A soak is made from equal parts sugar and water and sometimes includes different flavoring or extracts. Brushing this on your cake will ensure that your cake is moist.
The chocolate sheet cake can be made 1-2 days in advance and will remain fresh for 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. It'll also last 3 months in the freezer, wrapped individually and placed in a freezer storage bag. Thaw for 20-30 minutes before enjoying.
Chocolate pecan frosting must be made right before icing the cake. The frosting will harden as it cools.
More Southern Desserts
If you have a sweet tooth like me, I can almost guarantee that these tasty recipes will be just the treat you've been craving!
- Buttermilk Pound Cake
- Sweet Potato Pound Cake
- Lemon Ice Box Pie
- Lemon Pound Cake Loaf
- Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Latest Recipe Video:
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F, then get all ingredients for the Texas sheet cake on the counter.
Step 2: Measure everything out into individual bowls.
Step 3: We don't want any surprises, so make sure your oven is heating to the right temperature before getting started.
Step 4: Start following the recipe and get ready for the best Texas sheet cake you've ever enjoyed.
Making a Texas sheet cake with buttermilk is easy, delicious, and sure to be a favorite at any gathering. Try this recipe today, and let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment and star rating, and don't forget to share it with your friends and family on social media – they'll thank you for the sweet treat!
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📖 Recipe
Texas Sheet Cake with Buttermilk
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 cups Imperial Sugar granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cups buttermilk
Chocolate Pecan Frosting:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 2 cups Imperial Sugar granulated sugar
- ½ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder 45g
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Chocolate Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl mix oil and sugar together with a hand mixer on low for 1 minute, add eggs one at a time. Pour in melted chocolate and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together; in a measuring cup mix water and buttermilk together. Then alternate adding flour and wet mixture, start with flour and end with flour. Add to a greased 18 x 12 baking sheet and bake in the oven for 28-30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before icing.
Chocolate Pecan Frosting:
- In a medium pot over medium heat add all the ingredients except the vanilla and pecans. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pecans. Pour and spread frosting over the chocolate cake. Let frosting harden before serving.
Notes
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes for substitutions and building flavors for this amazing chocolate sheet cake.- Feel free to use canola or vegetable oil instead of coconut oil.
- Chop chocolate bars into 1-ounce pieces. This will make the chocolate melt faster and evenly.
- Feel free to use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate bars in your cake batter.
- If you love chocolate, use dark chocolate cocoa powder in the pecan frosting.
- Most current recipes call for powdered sugar in the frosting, but I find that the granulated sugar makes for a chewier frosting which I really enjoyed.
- It can take a few hours for the chocolate pecan frosting to harden. Leaving it on the counter will take 2-3 hours, but popping it in the fridge for 1 hour will do the trick.
- Swap the flour for your favorite gluten-free baking flour if you have a gluten allergy. Mine's is Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour.
- Bulgarian buttermilk is the best buttermilk on the market.
- Using lemon juice of white vinegar in milk for quick buttermilk will not yield the same delicious flavor as buttermilk because it's absent of cultures.
- Feel free to swap the buttermilk for sour cream, plain yogurt, or milk at home.
- Swap out the milk for buttermilk to make a chocolate buttermilk frosting. Add it with the vanilla and pecans because buttermilk can curdle when boiled.
Joanne Hepler says
very moist, delicious and easy recipe. the icing is the way I remember on cakes my grandmother made. thanks for sharing.