Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

I’m about to give you the BEST recipe for Texas Sheet Cake.

First a pic to get you drooling and rushing to the pantry to gather all the ingredients to start baking this bad boy!

I pinky swear the taste is as good as it looks and if you have never tried a Texas Sheet Cake – GET READY!

All The Cake

Y’all know OMT! loves her cake.

Y’all! I’m laughing because it is the truth of truths of my sweet tooth.

Since I had a hankerin’ (Texas-to-the-rest-of-y’all translation: a powerful neeeed) for something cakey, I went looking for a recipe and found this oldie but YUMMY: Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake.

I know Texans like to brag –  forgive us – but, there is so much truth in this next few sentences.

For the realz. Get ready.

Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake is the best.

~mic drop~

Lawsy, my babies, this is JUST what we need after a long winter, spring, summer or fall.

Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake With Buttermilk

Lawsy, you know when buttermilk is mentioned, the yums are coming!

Woot Woot!

Don’t even tell me you don’t like buttermilk so you won’t try this recipe.

I don’t either! I swear your tastebuds will never know.

When my family knows I was baking this cake, they hang around the kitchen waiting for a piece straight out of the oven. 

Oh, man.

What is Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake?

It’s a sheet cake…baked…in Texas.

NOT REALLY! (oh, how I loves to kid!)

Here’s a fun rundown on why it’s called Texas Sheet cake: The History of Texas Sheet Cake.

The easiest explanation of this chocolate dream is that it’s simply an old-fashioned sheet cake.

In my particular case, it’s a chocolate sheet cake that is iced right out of the oven. 

The icing makes the cake gooey and decadent…no poking the cake through (to retain moistness) required.

Shhhh, don’t tell anyone. It’s like a state secret.

Texas Sheet Cake Recipe With Buttermilk

Well, Texas Sheet Cake Made with buttermilk and pecans.

Yep, buttermilk and pecans. Trust.

I’m going out a limb here and telling you that the pecans are optional – cause let’s face it, not everyone likes them in their cake (ahem – me included).

Many of my fellow Texas bakers are having the vapors right now.

PECANS OPTIONAL?!

Sweet Jesus – take the wheel!

While the nuts are a personal preference, the buttermilk is not.

I know you can make chocolate sheet cake without the buttermilk, but I’m begging you not to.

Yer just gonna have to trust me…like your grandma does!

Buttermilk Texas Sheet Cake

Fun fact: A Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake is also known as Texas Brownies.

Why, Texas, WHY?!

Well, partner, I’ll tell ya why: because Texas Brownies, um, Texas Sheet Cakes are rich, hold their weight in chocolate, and you can eat a slice with your fingers.

Dense. Chocolate. Heaven.

This is a simple recipe, but a complicated decadence.

The Perfect Holiday Cake

Consider these dates:

• Valentines Day
• President’s Day
• Groundhog Day
• Daylight Savings Day
• Easter
• May Day
• Memorial Day
• Grandma’s Birthday

I think you see where I’m going with this…this is the perfect holiday cake no matter what occassion you’re celebrating.

Grandma’s Cake Recipe

If you have never ever had an old-fashioned chocolate sheet cake like grandma used to make (I don’t even know you any more), I’m beggin’ ya to stop what yer doing, make a grocery list, then get to bakin’.

You’ll never ever regret it.

Texas Sheet Cake Is The Perfect Birthday Cake For Grandma

An old fashioned Texas sheet cake is something grandmas are very familiar with.

Matter of fact, they may be the first old fashioned chocolate sheet cake recipe that Grandma learned to make, since they are in credibly easy.

Is This Cake Or A Brownie?

Call it what you want, but it’s cake that is very similar to a brownie.

Is This Cake Recipe A Grandma’s Texas SheetCake?

Yes, and AMEN!

While technically this recipe is called Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake, we (us braggadocios Texans – forgive us!) have been known to add a second “chocolate” in case you haven’t noticed the icing AND cake are a chocolate lover’s dream.

Oh, momma!

I’ve included a few notes that you may (or may not – snort) find helpful if you’re new to this bakin’ thang!

Grease And Flour A Pan

Exactly how do you flour a pan for a chocolate cake mix?

Easy: use cocoa instead of white flour.

Why?

Typically, when you flour a pan when making cakes, you use regular white flour. No one will ever see it, right?

But, if you use this trick and “flour” the pan with cocoa, it won’t leave a white mark on your cake.

Pretty! (cause that matters when you’re throwing it down your piehole, right?!)

Substitute Cake Flour?

Can you substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour?

While I don’t for this recipe – I am partial to King Arthur flour and use it exclusively – you absolutely can substitute cake flour for regular flour.

Cake flour typically will produce a tender crumb in cakes. This recipe is already tender and moist, so cake flour isn’t necessary.

I’ve included a link to the flour in the recipe card.

~more cake!~

Saigon Cinnamon

What is Saigon Cinnamon? Simply put it has a more cinnamonny pop. Yes, cinnamonny – technical term!

Saigon cinnamon is a staple in my baking.

From the first day I used Saigon cinnamon, I haven’t looked back.

It offers a bit more cinnamon pizazz than the any regular cinnamon ever will.

Chocolate sheet cake with cinnamon is a thang – you knew that, right?

If not, no worries, I have linked it in the recipe card.

Once you try it, you’ll find you can’t live without it.

To make it easy, just remember this is chocolate sheet cake with cinnamon.

Ceylon Cinnamon Powder

As an aside, you can also substitute Ceylon cinnamon for all recipes.

It’s offers a powerhouse of health benefits (filled with antioxidants, heart healthy, helps lower blood sugar, may protect against cancer,, and so many more!) and I know lots of cooks have made the switch.

I even use it in my morning coffee.

Double The Icing Recipe

Come on, y’all. Don’t be stingy with the icing.

I ALWAYS double this icing recipe, cause well, MORE ICING!

Just trust me on this. Don’t hesitate. DOUBLE THE ICING RECIPE!

The last thing you want is to skimp on the icing.

Recipe Card

My beloved stained recipe card…

…not to be confused with a shiny Hello Fresh recipe card!

My homemade chocolate cake recipe is on a stained and well-loved index card in my recipe box (old school, y’all!).

Do y’all need to know this? Does this qualify as a tip?

No. Just insight!

As soon as I saw the recipe card, I was whisked back into time.  Sheet cakes were all the rage in the 80s and 90s.   Every baker had a go-to; this one was mine.

I have no idea where I got it or who may have given it to me.

Sadly, I don’t know to whom the credit goes for this deliciousness, as it’s written on a well-worn index card.

Every time I make this recipe, I silently offer thanks for the person who loved me enough to share it with me.

All you need to know is it is worth the heat your oven will put off.

Crowd Pleaser

This chocolate sheet cake recipe is a favorite at potlucks (do people even do that anymore?), family functions, progressive dinners (I know people still do that!) or if your only plans are Netflix and, well, you know.

I know you know.

I think the best simple chocolate cake recipes will never go out of style!

It’s the reason we scribble them on index cards and pieces of scrap paper.

They are so good we know we gotta hand them down.

Not to mention eat them every chance we get.

Are you the designated dessert person for an event or get-together? 

Do you love to bake folks cake?  Is there a special someone (maybe YOU?!) that needs a cake pick-me-up? 

Make this.  Do it. Now.

Then stand back as you witness folks experience rapture by cake. CAN I GET AN AMEN?! (oh, I’ll get that AMEN! as soon as you take your first bite)

How To Add Pecans

If you plan on including the pecans in the easy chocolate frosting, do this first:

Lightly toast them.

Lawsy, the flavor explosion is worth the extra step.

Toast Pecans

Yes, this step is worth the little time you’ll spend toasting

It elevates your flavor profile. Fancy!

How To Toast Pecans

Easy!

Place them on a pan, single layer, and put in a pre-heated 350° oven for 5-10 minutes – or – until golden.

Cool completely before chopping.

There ya go.

Now you’re ready to WOW! yourself and the lucky souls you plan to share this amazing sheet cake with (you do plan to share, right? RIGHT?!).

Texas Sheet Cake Recipe

Moist, decadent, and easy to make.

Whatcha waitin’ on?

Even now, after all these years, as I’m writing this post, in particular the recipe, my mouth is watering. 

I think it’s the cinnamon that makes it addictive. 

Or the buttery icing. 

Or the chocolate.

Come on y’all, grab a spoon (today we eat like hillbillies!) and get raptured by cake.

Now, can I get that AMEN?!

A-M-E-N!

Happy Bakin’, Y’all!

WAIT!

One more thing!

How To Store Baked Goods

A sheet cake can be left out overnight, but I prefer to cover and store in the fridge.

I laughed when I wrote that sentence because we never ever have leftovers when I make this sheet cake, but I understand others aren’t cake hogs like us!

The blue link above will offer great info for all your baked goods.

Let’s get to the recipe (printable version at bottom of post!).

Recipe For Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

(scroll to bottom of page for the printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS

CAKE:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup of butter
• 4 tbsp cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla

ICING:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 3 tbsp cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 8 oz powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (opt)

INSTRUCTIONS

CAKE:

1. Mix flour and sugar and set aside.
2. Put butter, cocoa and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil.
3. Pour cocoa mixture over flour and sugar. Mix until well blended.
4. Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla.
5. Pour into greased and floured 11 x 13 pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
7. Ice cake as soon as it is removed from oven.

ICING:

1. Put butter, cocoa and cream in a saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts.
2. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.
3. Mix until well blended.
4. Spread over hot cake.
5. Sprinkle nuts on top.

E-A-T!

Originally posted: August 20, 2018. Updated: October 16, 2024

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Rest yer weary fingers.

Except to click on the image.

You still have enough strength for that.

COME ON!

YOU CAN DO IT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tag! You’re it!

Hope you enjoy each and every recipe!

If you have never ever had Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake, I beg of you to remedy that STAT!

Happy Baking!

Happy Eating!

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