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Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake is a decadent cake recipe that is so easy to make. You don’t need to be a baker to make this cake!
Sheet cake is a cake made in a shallow half sheet pan. Baking cake in a sheet pan is so much easier than using cake forms, layering cakes, and decorating a whole cake.
This cake uses icing and not frosting. Frosting is thicker and needs to be spread with a spatula. Icing is thin and glossy, and glides right onto the cake.
Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake Ingredients
To make this chocolate sheet cake, you will need the following ingredients (see the recipe card below for exact amounts):
- Unsalted butter
- Hot water
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Eggs
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Sour cream
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
How to Bake a Cake on a Sheet Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking pan such as a 12×16-inch baking pan with sides.
- Heat the butter, water and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium and let it come to a simmer for 5 minutes before removing the pan from the heat and letting cool completely for 20 minutes.
- Mix the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until combined then stir in the sour cream.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium size bowl then gradually add it into the wet ingredients until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
- In the meantime, make the icing by adding the butter, milk, cocoa powder and vanilla to another saucepan over medium heat then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Gradually stir in the powdered sugar and when the cake is fresh out of the oven, evenly pour the icing over the cake and let it cool for 1 hour before serving.
Storage Instructions
Sheet pan cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Can I Add Anything To This Cake?
Sure! Chop up some of your favorite nuts and sprinkle on top, or decorate with colorful icing for a birthday party.
More Decadent Cake Recipes
Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 1 cup hot water
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Icing:
- 1 stick unsalted butter cut into pieces
- ½ cup milk
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or imitation vanilla flavor
- 3 ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking pan such as a 12×16 sheet pan with sides.
- Heat the butter, water and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium and let it come to a simmer for 5 minutes before removing the pan from the heat and letting cool completely for 20 minutes.
- Mix the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until combined then stir in the sour cream.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium size bowl then gradually add it into the wet ingredients until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
- In the meantime, make the icing by adding the butter, milk, cocoa powder and vanilla to another saucepan over medium heat then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Gradually stir in the powdered sugar and when the cake is fresh out of the oven, evenly pour the icing over the cake and let it cool for 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition
The nutrition information is calculated using online nutrition calculators and may not be accurate. It is provided as a general guide only.
The recipe and photos contained herein are the property of Emily Enchanted© and may not be copied.
Emily Enchanted
Friday 5th of August 2022
I love this recipe because it is a super easy cake and so chocolatey.
Janna T.
Tuesday 21st of December 2021
I believe, based on the volume of your ingredients, that this would be better baked in a 10x15" jelly roll pan, rather than a 15x21" three-quarter sheet pan. Could you confirm your pan dimensions?
Emily Enchanted
Wednesday 22nd of December 2021
@Janna T., I used a 12x16 inch baking pan. A 10x15 may work but when I added the icing it was right at capacity with the 12x16. (I've updated the size in the post.)