Texas Sheet Chocolate Cake (Printable)

Delicious thin chocolate cake with warm fudgy icing, perfect for a decadent Southern dessert experience.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
07 - 1 cup water
08 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1/2 cup sour cream
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Fudgy Icing

12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
13 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
14 - 1/3 cup whole milk
15 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13 x 18 inch rimmed baking sheet.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon if using.
03 - In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, and cocoa powder. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until smooth.
04 - Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
05 - Whisk the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla in a separate bowl, then add to the batter and mix until smooth.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the surface, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - While baking, melt butter with cocoa powder and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until smooth and just boiling, then remove from heat.
08 - Immediately whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in chopped nuts if desired.
09 - Pour warm icing over the hot cake soon after removing it from the oven, spreading quickly with an offset spatula.
10 - Allow the cake to cool at room temperature until the icing sets. Cut into squares and serve.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and somehow tastes like you've been baking since dawn.
  • The icing-to-cake ratio is exactly where it should be, which means every bite is fudgy and decadent.
  • It feeds a crowd and actually gets better as it sits, so you can make it ahead without stress.
02 -
  • The icing must go on while both the cake and icing are still warm, or it won't meld into that magical fudgy layer. If you wait too long, you'll end up with a thick icing that sits on top instead of sinking in.
  • Using sifted powdered sugar in the icing is not optional if you want it smooth and lump-free. I learned this the hard way by whisking unsifted sugar for five minutes, wondering why it still felt grainy.
  • Don't overbake the cake. Pull it out at 18 minutes if it passes the toothpick test, because even a couple extra minutes makes it firmer and less moist.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly, so pull your eggs and sour cream out of the fridge about twenty minutes before baking.
  • An offset spatula is worth owning just for the moment when you spread warm icing over hot cake, that smooth glide across the surface is deeply satisfying.
  • If you only have a 9 by 13-inch pan and refuse to buy another, use it and adjust baking time to about 25 minutes. You'll have a slightly thicker cake, which is still delicious.
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