Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake
Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake bakes up soft, thin, and deeply chocolatey in a large sheet pan. The warm icing goes on while the cake is hot, so it settles into the surface and sets into a smooth chocolate layer.
Servings: 24 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 8 tablespoons butter ½ cup; 113 grams
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil 66 grams
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 63 grams
- 1 cup water 227 grams
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
- 2 cups granulated sugar 396 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup buttermilk 113 grams
- 2 large eggs beaten, 100 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
- 16 tablespoons butter 1 cup; 227 grams
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 42 grams
- 7 tablespoons milk 98 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 grams
- 3 ½ to 4 ½ cups powdered sugar 396 to 509 grams
- ⅔ cup chopped pecans 76 grams
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 18×13-inch sheet pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Stir in the cocoa powder and water, then bring to a gentle boil. Let it boil for 30 seconds then remove it from the heat and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Pour the hot cocoa mixture over the flour mixture and whisk until combined. Let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir into the batter until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Make the Icing
- While the cake bakes, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cocoa powder, then remove from heat.
- Add the milk and vanilla, followed by the powdered sugar, stirring until smooth and pourable. Stir in the pecans, then keep the icing warm over very low heat until the cake is done.
- Pour the warm icing over the hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let the cake and icing cool before slicing into squares.
Video
Notes
Pan size matters. This cake is meant to be thin. An 18×13-inch pan gives the classic Texas sheet cake thickness. A smaller sheet pan will cause the batter to overflow.
Parchment is optional. You can grease the pan or line it with parchment paper for easier removal.
Don’t skip the boil. Bringing the butter, oil, cocoa, and water to a brief boil helps bloom the cocoa and gives the cake a better chocolate flavor.
Bake just until set. The cake is done when the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Overbaking will dry it out.
Pour the icing on hot. The icing should go on as soon as the cake comes out of the oven so it spreads easily and sets into the surface.
Pecans are traditional for Texas sheet cake but leave them out if you prefer.
For slicing, dip a knife in warm water and wipe it between cuts to get clean slices.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 387IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
