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Every family in the South has a dented jelly roll pan, and it exists for one cake. Texas sheet cake shows up at town picnics, graduation parties and family reunions, always in the same pan, always cut into squares right there, never turned out. It is a thin chocolate cake, moist and tender, under a layer of chocolate frosting that was poured on hot and set into a glossy, fudgy sheet with pecans in it.
Two things make it different from a regular chocolate cake. The batter starts with butter, water and cocoa brought to a boil and poured over the dry ingredients, which gives a fine, even crumb. And the frosting is made on the stove and poured over the cake while both are still warm, so it soaks a little into the top and sets smooth. The frosting has to be started five minutes before the cake comes out. That timing is the only skill in the recipe.
Why this Texas sheet cake works
- Boiled cocoa batter. Cocoa bloomed in hot butter and water tastes darker and gives a tender crumb.
- A thin pan. The 18x13 jelly roll pan gives the thin cake and the high ratio of frosting to cake that defines it. A 9x13 makes a different, thicker cake.
- Warm frosting on warm cake. Poured hot, the frosting spreads itself, bonds to the cake and sets glossy.
- Buttermilk. A half cup keeps the cake moist and balances the sweetness of the frosting.
Ingredients
Makes one 18x13-inch jelly roll pan, 24 squares. US cups with grams in brackets.
For the cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, 226g)
- 1 cup water (240ml)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (25g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (120ml)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick, 113g)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (25g)
- 6 tablespoons whole milk (90ml)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (480g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans (110g)
Sift the powdered sugar for the frosting, or whisk it hard; lumps in a poured frosting do not come out.
How to make Texas sheet cake
The cake
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 18x13-inch rimmed sheet pan (jelly roll pan) and dust it lightly with flour or cocoa.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water and cocoa. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring, then take off the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Pour the hot cocoa mixture over and stir until smooth.
- Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. The batter will be thin. That is correct.
- Pour into the pan and spread it to the corners. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.
The frosting
- Five minutes before the cake is done, combine the butter, cocoa and milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring.
- Take it off the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the pecans.
- Pour the warm frosting over the hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Spread quickly to the edges with a spatula. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 1 hour so the frosting sets, then cut into squares.
Tips that make the difference
- Have the frosting ingredients measured before the cake goes in. The timing works only if you are not measuring while the cake cools.
- Wipe the knife between cuts for clean squares, or cut it warm and messy the way it is done at picnics.
- If the frosting sets before you spread it, warm it 20 seconds in the microwave and stir.
- This cake is better on day two, when the frosting has settled into the top.
Variations
- No nuts. Leave the pecans out for a smooth top, or sprinkle them on half the pan.
- Cinnamon. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the cake batter; a common Texas version.
- Peanut butter frosting. Replace the cocoa in the frosting with 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter for the famous white-and-peanut variation.
- Coffee. Use 1 cup strong brewed coffee in place of the water for a deeper chocolate flavor.
Storage and make-ahead
Cover the pan tightly and keep at room temperature for 4 days. It does not need refrigerating and is better without it.
Freeze cut squares in a single layer, then bag them, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Carry it to the picnic in the pan, covered with foil, and cut it there.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Texas sheet cake?
Nobody knows for certain. The usual answers are that it is big, like Texas, or that the recipe was popularized by a Texas newspaper in the 1950s. Most families settle on “because it’s big.”
Can I make it in a 9x13 pan?
You can, but it becomes a thicker, more ordinary chocolate cake and needs 30 to 35 minutes. The thin jelly roll pan is what makes a Texas sheet cake. Any rimmed half sheet pan works.
Can I make the frosting ahead?
No. It has to be poured warm over the warm cake to set properly. Start it five minutes before the cake comes out and it takes care of itself.
Why is my frosting grainy?
Lumpy powdered sugar or under-whisking. Sift the sugar and whisk the frosting until glossy before adding the pecans. If it has already set grainy, it still tastes right.
Big, thin, and cut in the pan. Find your dented jelly roll pan; every family has one, and this is what it is for.
Texas Sheet Cake (Thin Chocolate Cake with Warm Pecan Frosting)
The classic Texas sheet cake: a thin, tender chocolate cake baked in a jelly roll pan, with a boiled chocolate pecan frosting poured over while both are warm so it sets into a glossy sheet. Feeds a crowd, ready in under an hour. Cups and grams.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 18x13-inch rimmed sheet pan (jelly roll pan) and dust it lightly with flour or cocoa.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water and cocoa. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring, then take off the heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Pour the hot cocoa mixture over and stir until smooth.
- Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. The batter will be thin. That is correct.
- Pour into the pan and spread it to the corners. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.
- Five minutes before the cake is done, combine the butter, cocoa and milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring.
- Take it off the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the pecans.
- Pour the warm frosting over the hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Spread quickly to the edges with a spatula. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 1 hour so the frosting sets, then cut into squares.
