TEXAS SHEET CAKE
this post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more information.
This Texas Sheet Cake is one of my very favorite cakes. I cannot live without chocolate and this one is perfect for any chocoholic. This cake never lasts long at my house.
2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 sticks butter or margarine or 1 cup or 16 tablespoons 1/3 cup 100% cocoa 1 cup water In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside. In a smaller bowl combine eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk and baking soda. Mix well with wire whisk. Set aside. In a pan on top of the stove melt butter, add cocoa and water. Bring to a boil. Remove from stove and pour into flour and mix until all flour is wet with a spoon. Add egg and milk mixture and continue mixing just until all ingredients are wet. Pour into a sprayed (I line my pan with Reynolds wrap and don’t spray. You can do either) 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan.(Could use a 9 x 13 pan, too). Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes testing for doneness at 20 minutes. If you use a 9 x 13 it may take a little longer to cook. Frost with recipe below. Makes one sheet cake.
Texas Sheet Cake Frosting 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 stick butter or margarine or 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons 1/4 cup 100% cocoa 7 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup nuts, Optional (I used walnut pieces) Bring milk, butter and cocoa to a boil on top of the stove. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, vanilla and nuts. Spread over cake. Note: You can either stir the nuts into the frosting or spread on top of the frosting. 
Texas Sheet Cake
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
45 mins
This Texas Sheet Cake is a dessert your family will absolutely love!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, southern
Keyword: Texas Sheet Cake
Servings: 1 sheet cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 sticks butter or margarine or 1 cup or 16 tablespoons
- 1/3 cup 100% cocoa
- 1 cup water
Texas Sheet Cake Frosting
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 stick butter or margarine or 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup 100% cocoa
- 7 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup nuts Optional (I used walnut pieces)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside. In a smaller bowl combine eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk and baking soda. Mix well with wire whisk. Set aside.
- In a pan on top of the stove melt butter, add cocoa and water. Bring to a boil. Remove from stove and pour into flour and mix until all flour is wet with a spoon. Add egg and milk mixture and continue mixing just until all ingredients are wet
- Pour into a sprayed (I line my pan with Reynolds wrap and don’t spray. You can do either) 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan.(Could use a 9 x 13 pan, too). Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes testing for doneness at 20 minutes. If you use a 9 x 13 it may take a little longer to cook. Frost.
Frosting Instructions
- Bring milk, butter and cocoa to a boil on top of the stove. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, vanilla and nuts. Spread over cake.
Recipe Notes
You can either stir the nuts into the frosting or spread on top of the frosting.
Feel free to “share” with your friends by clicking on the Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest buttons below. You can print by clicking on the printer icon below each post. Just a reminder to look on the right hand side of this page and type in your e-mail address so you don’t miss notification of new tips, fun things and recipes when they come out! You will be notified first of anything new on our site. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone. We have over 26,000 e-mail subscribers and they are always the first to know about any new posts. © The Southern LadyCooks photos and text – All rights reserved. No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder
Substitute 1/2 cup sour cream for an even moisture cake.
Just telling my friend about this cake today. I probably haven’t made it in 35 years, but always loved it. The little bit of cinnamon makes it!
I made this with plain yogurt instead of buttermilk same amount ant it was very moist!
I don’t have butter milk so what can I use instead
Do I have to add vinegar to my milk I’m out of that also
I have not made this cake with anything but buttermilk. You can try it just using regular milk and it should work but I have not done so.
Instead of vinegar you can use lemon juice.
You can try regular milk.
If you haven’t any butter milk use regular milk and add a thks of vinigar to I mix well and u have a perfect substitute.
Can I use reg milk instead of buttermilk
Yes, you can Sandy.
Can I substitute half and half for the buttermilk?
I have never tried using half and half so I can’t advise you, sorry.
Looks like the recipie my mother in law used to have
This is my favorite cake for church potluck’s. It makes a lot and it’s delicious!
This is the identical cake that Cracker Barrel makes. They call their’s Chocolate CocaCola Cake. They put Coke in instead of the water! It gives it such an amazing taste…besides making it very moist!!!
There is a recipe on this site if you look under cakes for Coca Cola Cake, Beth. They are not the same cake. The recipes are different or at least mine are.
This recipe is in a very old cookbook I have from my grandmother. It is named differently, but it the same recipe. I have made it for years. I found myself away from home and wanting to bake my favorite chocolate cake. So I am thankful that I found your recipe on here. The only variance is that it calls for 1/2 cup shortening and 1 stick of margarine vs the 2 sticks of butter. Ordinarily, I would argue in favor of real butter, but not in this instance. I have tried this cake both ways. I can tell you that there is nothing more amazinglyrics moist than to make it exactly as the original recipe stated. And another trick was to add your soda last . In other words, not put into the mixture until everything else has been mixed in and well incorporated. Then place immediately into the preheated oven.
I would love to share this old book with you as it is falling apart…has amazing recipes. .and I am a poor typist. So thankful for your site.
Mischelle
I have been making this for years and I use hot black coffee instead of water and the coffee makes it much more moist.
This is thee exact same cake my gramother would make and handed down the r
What if you don’t have buttermilk?
I use regular milk with 1 tab vinegar .
Pour a tsp. of vinegar in your 2% or regular milk and it will thicken some what like buttermilk.
Instead of buttermilk I use sour cream..I also omit the cinnamon, otherwise the recipe is the same
I am looking for a recipe for a cake that calls for cinnamon in the cake and the icing..the icing is like a fudge type recipe..I have seen it on a Texas site once before several years ago…Can you help me..it is a chocolate cake and delicious. thanks Cathey
It sounds like the Texas sheet cake posted here only with cinnamon in it. Sorry, I don’t have another one.
I have also added cinnamon (about 1 tsp.) in mine for a different flavor.
Do you have a recipe for butterscotch torte
I don’t have that one, Amy.
My mother-in-law gave me this recipe many years ago, only she had written “sheath” instead of “sheet.” I always wondered what a sheath cake was, finally figured it out! This is my favorite cake to make and is always a hit at church potlucks. I think I’ll make one tomorrow!
It was called “Sheath cake” when I first heard of it. My aunt got me hooked on it. It is my all time FAVORITE cake (the cinnamon is what got me).
I love a Texas sheet cake and have also used the frosting for other cakes and brownies. However, I always have one problem, no matter how much I stir the powdered sugar, I still have some slight lumps in the frosting. Should I be sifting the powdered sugar first?
You could sift it to make it finer if it is kind of in clumps. I sometimes beat mine in with a wire whisk. That seems to help, too.
I have had that problem so now I sift it and that solved the problem.
this looks so good, going to try it, also was wondering, I saw a recipe for apple spice cake, with a cinnamon frosting, an wanted to see if you might have them, love your site, thank you
This is the only one I have Sherry: https://thesouthernladycooks.com/2012/07/17/apple-spice-cake-with-caramel-frosting/
I’ve made this cake for fifty-something years, and my mother did before me. Love it, but we no longer like the cinnamon in it, so I leave it out. I pour the hot icing over the hot cake in my 9″x13″ pan, and it sets up firmly, like fudge, instead of soft and creamy. I mix my nuts into the icing, usually pecans, but sometimes walnuts. Our children and grandchildren make it now! I’m joining your FB page today; excellent site!
Thank you Mary. Happy to have you on the site.
Thie is a good recipe that Cathryn asked for around Christmas when I made the cake. Always my favorite.
How do you get the corn fritters to not soak up so much oil while frying?
They are bound to soak up some oil but you don’t leave them in long enough to soak up a lot. You can drain on paper towels, too.
Can i get all the recipies you post on facebook sent to my e-mail
I don’t e-mail the recipes. It is something WordPress does and I have no control over it. They only mail out the new ones.
Ive been making this cake for years! Its the best ever. When in doubt…make this!
This was THE birthday cake at our house when the kids were big enough to ask for their favorite! All five of them and their daddy would ask for this for their special day!
It’s so easy and takes so little time to whip up.
I’ve made this many times. Got the recipe from my mother-in-law several years ago. It’s wonderful & turns out perfect every time! It’s delicious & cannot be beat!!!
Been making this cake for years and everyone loves it.
I used to have one recipe like this and lost it. Can’t wait to try it again. Thanks
Oh, what a sweet, sweet memory of times gone by, of church suppers, and potlucks. Thank you for sharing.
Yumm !! Looks good !
Is there a difference between using a cookie sheet or a jelly role sheet?
I think of a cookie sheet as one without the sides. A jelly role pan has sides about 1 inch tall all the way round.
Thanks.. I have sides on my cookie sheets so maybe its a jelly roll pan instead..lol
Robin, both pans may look alike (with sides) but the cookie pan is probably 13 x 9 while the jelly roll is either 10 1/2 x15 1/2 or 12 1/2 x 17 1/2.
Thank you.. I didnt know that.. I dont bake that often.. good to know
This is my very favorite cake