This chocolatey, rich Texas Sheet Cake is a decadent combination of chocolate sheet cake topped with irresistible chocolate and pecan icing. It is a southern treat that will become a regular part of your dessert rotation.
This Texas Sheet Cake is a southern classic that never gets old. It’s one of those recipes that everyone loves, but no one knows where it came from.
This is my personal adaptation of the Southern Living Texas sheet cake recipe from 2003. However, the original recipe goes back much further than that! I’ve seen many different variations in old Southern cookbooks, but this one has been a winner in my family!
You may be wondering, “Why is it called a Texas sheet cake? Is it from Texas?” To be honest, no one really knows, but it has become a Southern tradition, and it is absolutely delicious! Did I mention that it is also super easy to make? You can’t top that!
This delicious dessert features a layer that is rich and chocolatey with a lovely tangy flavor from the buttermilk. As if that wasn’t tasty enough, once it’s out of the oven, it’s covered with a rich, chocolatey frosting full of southern pecans for the perfect amount of crunch. It’s absolutely irresistible! Just add a glass of milk, and you have the perfect dessert.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: Southern, Vintage
Cooking Method: Stovetop/Oven
Total Time: 35 Minutes
Servings: 20
Primary Ingredient(s): Sugar, flour, cocoa, buttermilk, butter, milk, powdered sugar, pecans
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“My mother used to make this. It was a family favorite. It takes me back in time..”
— Miranda
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on page 278 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
Tools You’ll Need
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- Jelly Roll Pan. That’s simply a 15×10 baking sheet.
- Mixing Bowls. Pyrex mixing bowls are inexpensive and will last a lifetime!
- Medium Saucepan. Cuisinart is always a favorite in my kitchen.
Ingredient Notes
- Shortening – My favorite shortening will always be Crisco. It’s dependable and always available.
- Unsweetened Cocoa – Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is available everywhere. Other brands work just as well. Choose your favorite.
- Buttermilk – Adds a very pleasant and unmistakable “tang” to the batter. It’s a very nice contrast to the sweet chocolate icing.
- Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar or 10X sugar. Dixie Crystals is what I choose for my baking.
- Pecans – One of our many Georgia agricultural products and my favorite nut for baking. If nuts are a problem, simply leave them out.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How I Make Texas Sheet Cake
Make the Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Grease and lightly flour a 15×10 inch jellyroll pan. Set aside.
- Sift together sugar and flour in a large bowl; set aside.
- Combine butter, shortening, cocoa, and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until butter and shortening melt.
👉 PRO TIP: You may be wondering why the recipe uses both butter and shortening. Why not just one or the other? The reason is that when you combine the two different fats, you get a little of the best features of each. Butter gives that wonderful rich, dairy flavor while shortening keeps the cake from being too flat.
- Remove from heat and pour over the sugar and flour mixture, stirring until dissolved. Cool slightly.
- Stir in eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix well.
- Pour into the prepared jellyroll pan.
- Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.
- Start making the icing when the cake has about 10 minutes left to bake.
Make the Icing
- Combine butter, cocoa, and milk in a medium saucepan.
- Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until margarine melts.
- Then, turn the heat up to medium and bring it to a boil.
- Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla.
- Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and the sugar dissolves.
- Stir in pecans. Mix well.
- Pour and spread icing over the top of the sheet cake.
When my sister makes this recipe, she cuts it into tiny little squares about 1.5 x 1.5 inches. Me? I make big old brownie-size squares. About, oh, 4×4. Of course, I’ve never been known for restraint in the kitchen 😆
However you slice it up, it serves a huge crowd of people. I made one for a neighborhood party recently, and the large slices filled two plates with slices stacked three deep.
Storing Leftovers
This cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge (recommended) for up to 5 days. Make sure that it is completely covered and stored in an air-tight container. It also freezes very well in a tightly sealed container for up to three months.
Questions About Classic Texas Sheet Cake
It’s all about the icing! The topping for this cake has an almost fudge-like texture and is crammed full of pecans for a delicious nutty flavor and crunchy texture. It’s just amazing!
Sure! I typically make it the same day I plan to serve it. However, it keeps really well and is a great option for a make-ahead dessert.
I do actually get 20 servings from this recipe, but it all depends on how you cut it! It makes quite a large cake, and it’s very rich, so a smaller serving size is adequate.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake Layer:
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- ½ cup shortening
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 cup water
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Chocolate Icing:
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ⅓ cup milk
- 16 ounces powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Make the Cake Layer:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Grease and lightly flour a 15×10 inch jellyroll pan. Set aside.
- Sift together sugar and flour in a large bowl; set aside.2 cups sugar, 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Combine butter, shortening, cocoa, and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until butter and shortening melt.½ cup butter or margarine, ½ cup shortening, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa, 1 cup water
- Remove from heat and pour over sugar and flour mixture, stirring until dissolved. Cool slightly.
- Stir in eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix well.2 large eggs, ½ cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pour into the prepared jellyroll pan.
- Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.
- Start making the icing when the cake has about 10 minutes left to bake.
Make the Chocolate Icing:
- Combine butter, cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan.½ cup butter or margarine, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa, ⅓ cup milk
- Cook over low heat 5 minutes or until margarine melts.
- Then turn the heat up to medium and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla.16 ounces powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and the sugar dissolves.
- Stir in pecans. Mix well.1 cup chopped pecans
- Pour and spread icing over the top of the sheet cake.
Notes
- Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. Also freezes very well in a tightly sealed container for up to three months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on October 23, 2009. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
This recipe is pretty much identical to mine. I put 2 cups chopped pecans in the icing though. I made it this weekend for my sister’s bday. It was delicious but the crumb was very crumbly. Not dry just crumbly. What causes this?
Hard to say without being in the kitchen with you, but some of the most common reasons why cakes crumble is due to overbaking, overmixing, and inaccurate measuring of ingredients.
yes the cinnamon in the recipe is scrumptuous!!!!!
I rate this one a 5 star, I’ve made it several times and it is just so so yummy
Thanks Mary! We think it’s delicious, too!
My mother used to call it “sheath cake.” I looked it up and that was totally a thing in the 50s -60s. I like a little cinnamon the cake batter. It gives a special flavor but you don’t think cinnamon. Some recipes do call for it.
I think some cinnamon in this recipe would be delicious!
My grandmother and mother always used a touch of cinnamon in this cake. I hadn’t thought of this cake in years, but I will be digging out my mom’s old recipe book to see how close hers is to this one. Thanks!
Love good southern or down to earth everyday recipes.
Truly, named for Texas, because everything is’ Big in Texas’. I am a southerner with deep roots. We also, call recipe ‘Funeral Cake’ due to the fact, when providing meals for funeral gatherings it serves a large crowd. Call it what you like…it is most delish.
I was just trying to decide what kind of cake to make for a get
together this weekend. I love this cake though I haven’t made it in some time. I will make on Saturday!