The Texas Sheet Cake That Converted Me

Zoha Malik

by Zoha Malik

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Rated 5.00 out of 5

39 Comments
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This is the Texas Sheet Cake that finally converted me after years of insisting I didn’t like it. Let’s be honest: most Texas Sheet Cakes are sickeningly sweet. This one, though? WOW. It is the softest, moistest chocolate cake with an almost cotton-candy-like texture, topped with a rich, nutty and nostalgic chocolate frosting loaded with pecans. By using less sugar than most recipes and a generous pinch of salt, this recipes creates a perfectly balanced, grown-up, deeply decadent cake that keeps you coming back for more. And the best part? It’s incredibly easy to make, ready in under an hour, and requires zero layering or decorating. In other words, it might just be the easiest crowd pleaser you’ll ever bake!

A tray of texas sheet cake, most cut into squares with a few pieces missing. One slice is placed on a small white plate beside the tray, along with some crumbs and a fork.

I developed this recipe as part of a chocolate cake series, and I was highly skeptical of it. I’m so glad I kept testing and refining it, though, because it actually rose to spot number 2 in the line up! I couldn’t stop munching on it any time I passed by my kitchen, and am so excited to finally share this recipe with you guys.

A spatula lifts a square slice of texas sheet cake with chopped nuts from a tray, all cut into even squares. The cake has a glossy, rich chocolate topping and visible nut pieces.

2 old-school components that make this cake special

This cake is nostalgic in every way, and made with 2 simple components:

  • The chocolate cake: Aside from being baked in a sheet pan, this chocolate cake is actually quite unique! To make the cake, you actually cook butter, oil, cocoa powder and water until they form a bubbling sauce, that then gets mixed into the batter. This steps intensely blooms the cocoa powder, and gives the cake its uniquely soft and moist texture.
  • The frosting. This simple, no fuss frosting is made by cooking together butter, cocoa powder, milk and sugar, then folding in toasted pecans. It’s spread onto the cake, and once it sets, it develops a nostalgic thin, shiny, flakey crust we all loved growing up

Toasted pecans are key!

I know many people skip the nuts in the frosting altogether, but I INSIST you add them, and I INSIST you toast them first. The pecans should be toasted until golden and fragrant. This way, they retain their nutty, crunchy texture in the frosting and take this cake from average to mindblowing. No, really, I’m serious.

Three slices of texas sheet cake with a glossy chocolate and nut topping are stacked on a white tray. More slices are visible in the background.

Step by step photos

Let’s quickly go over the steps with photos to help you visualize this recipe:

A glass bowl filled with flour sits on a wooden surface, with a metal whisk resting inside the bowl.

For the cake, mix together the dry ingredients except the cocoa powder.

A metal whisk rests in a saucepan filled with glossy, dark chocolate mixture on a wooden countertop. The pan has yellow handles and textured interior.

Separately, add the butter, oil, cocoa powder and water to a saucepan. Cook and stir until the butter has melted, and simmer for 1-2 minutes once the mixture comes to a boil.

A glass bowl sits on a wooden surface, filled with a mixture of dark chocolatey liquid and visible patches of white flour, ready to be blended for baking.

Pour the hot cocoa mixture onto the dry ingredients.

A glass bowl filled with thick chocolate batter sits on a wooden countertop. A metal whisk, partially covered in the batter, rests inside the bowl.

Use a whisk to gently combine the ingredients into a thick chocolate batter.

A glass bowl contains a chocolate batter mixture with two raw eggs, milk, and flour. A metal whisk is resting inside the bowl, ready to mix the ingredients, all placed on a wooden surface.

Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.

A glass bowl filled with chocolate cake batter sits on a wooden surface, with a metal whisk resting inside the bowl. Some batter is smeared along the sides of the bowl.

Gently whisk until a smooth chocolate cake batter forms – do not overmix!

A rectangular baking pan filled with a freshly baked, uncut chocolate cake with a smooth, slightly glossy surface.

Pour the batter into a light-colored 13×18″ half sheet pan. Bake for just ~12 minutes until done.

A metal mixing bowl with yellow handles contains a mound of white powdered sugar on top of a brown mixture, set on a wooden surface.

For the frosting, add all ingredients except the pecans to a saucepan. Cook and stir until a smooth chocolate sauce forms.

A hand holding a whisk stirs a glossy, dark chocolate mixture with nuts in a saucepan with gold handles, placed on a wooden surface.

Stir in the toasted pecans.

A baking pan filled with chocolate cake topped with glossy chocolate icing and chopped pecans, spread evenly across the surface.

Pour the frosting on top of the cake and spread it out.

Let the cake set at room temperature for 1-2 hours until the frosting develops a thin crust on it. Then slice, serve, and keep coming back for more!

A baked chocolate sheet cake topped with chopped nuts and chocolate glaze sits in a rectangular pan with a few pieces cut out, revealing the moist cake and a clean edge where slices have been removed.

A few last tips before you make it

I want you to be as obsessed with this Texas Sheet Cake as I am – so please keep these things in mind:

  1. PLEASE weigh your ingredients with a weighing scale. Especially the flour! It’s so easy to add too much when using a measuring cup, which will result in a drier cake. My favorite kitchen scale is only $12.99!
  2. Don’t overmix the cake batter. Mix only until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing creates too much gluten, which can make the cake rubbery
  3. Use a light colored sheet pan. Dark sheet pans may cause the cake to brown too much on the bottom. I have recently been loving this one from Green Pan
  4. Don’t overbake! This cake will bake very quickly. You can poke it with a toothpick – it should come out with light, moist crumbs (no wet batter)
  5. Toast the pecans. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – this is make or break
Print
A metal spatula lifts a texas sheet cake slice topped with chopped pecans from a tray of cake, all covered in glossy chocolate icing.

The Texas Sheet Cake Recipe That Converted Me

by Zoha Malik

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 stars from 15 reviews

A crowd-pleaser Texas Sheet Cake: ultra soft and moist, not too sweet, covered in a delicious nutty frosting, and made in under an hour!

Yield:1 13×18″ sheet cake

Prep Time:
25 min
Cook Time:
12 min
Total Time:
40 min

Ingredients

Chocolate cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (150g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed (170g)
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil (40g)
  • 1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (35g)
  • 1 cup water (240g)
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk (120g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate frosting:

  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (140g)
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa powder (25g)
  • 1/3 cup milk (80g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar (about 260g)
  • 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans (120g)
  • Optional: flakey sea salt to garnish

Instructions

Chocolate cake:

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 350F and line a 13×18″ half sheet pan with parchment paper on the bottom
  2. Add the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine and remove any lumps
  3. Separately, add the butter, oil, cocoa powder and water to a saucepan. Place it on the stove on medium low heat. Cook and stir until the butter melts and a smooth sauce forms. Bring it to a simmer, and cook for another 1 minute. Then remove from the heat
  4. Pour the hot cocoa mixture on top of the dry ingredients. Use a hand whisk to mix until combined. This will be a thick, slightly grainy batter – don’t overmix
  5. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk slowly and gently until a smooth chocolate cake batter forms. Do not overmix
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan. Bake for just 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with light, moist crumbs (no wet batter). Avoid overbaking
  7. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool down

Chocolate frosting:

  1. Toast the pecans in the pre-heated 350F oven for ~8 minutes or until crunchy and fragrant
  2. Add the butter, cocoa powder, milk, salt and powdered sugar to a saucepan. Whisk and cook on medium low heat until the butter melts and a smooth sauce forms. Remove from heat, and stir in the pecans
  3. Pour the frosting on top of the cake in the sheet pan and spread it out
  4. Let the cake rest for 1-2 hours at room temperature until it forms a shiny film on top. Optionally, sprinkle over flakey sea salt. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Video Tutorial

Notes

Make ahead and storage: This cake is great to make ahead! You can keep it covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Just make sure to cover the pan with cling wrap so the cake doesn’t dry out. I like it best at room temperature

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Comments

  1. Bakenchew

    The best , definitely trying this ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

    1. Zoha Malik

      Good luck!

  2. Sara

    Delicious

  3. Roha Rafi

    I made this recipe and it tasted heavenly. Everyone loved it.

    1. Zoha Malik

      Aw, thank you Roha!

  4. Shazmin Ismail

    Hi Zoha!
    If I want to replace pecan to walnuts is roasting required? Or I can use walnuts without roasting?

    1. Zoha Malik

      yes, always roast your nuts! 🙂

  5. Shanza

    Surprising how little time this took to prepare, how no chocolates were required in the making and was easily the most amazing dessert i’ve tried. The frosting was the BEST part. I would only want to know how I can make it in a 9 inch springform pan so I can make it taller, but even as it is, it was divine.

    1. Zoha Malik

      I agree, the frosting on this is so special! The nuts just make it extra yum. I think this might be too much batter for one 9″ pan. Try doing half the quantities in a 9″ round pan. Should make the cake taller 🙂

  6. Farah

    i tried it turned out delicious. Thank you Zoha.

    1. Zoha Malik

      It’s my pleasure, and thank YOU!

  7. Narmeen Rafiq

    Amazing receipe . I tried most of the receipe and i can say your recipes are perfect . Nothing can go wrong if we follow your recipe and trust in process . Your tiramisu i tried 3 times amazing . Thankyou so much

    1. Zoha

      Hi Narmeen, that is so kind of you. Thank you so much for trusting and trying my recipes!

  8. Romanas Šinkūnas

    geras

  9. viji rajmohan

    hi,
    what can be used as egg substitute.
    And is buttermilk mabe by adding vinegar to hot milk,
    Thank you

    1. Zoha

      hi Viji! Try flax seed eggs 🙂

  10. Romanas

    labai geras tas Jūsų pyragas,kepiau jau kelis kartus ir dar vis norisi

  11. H

    lovely recipe

    1. Zoha

      Thank you so much!

  12. Nah

    there’s no way one can fail this one…hands down…best one I have made so far … delicious cake!!!!

    1. Zoha

      I totally agree with you! 🙂

  13. Mahnoor Basit

    The moment I saw its reel on your insta profile I wanted to try it.. but did not have sheet pan so I made choclate cake from your recipes and did frosting from this recipe . The taste of roasted pecans in this frosting turns out like melted ferrero rocher choclate.. I am going to use this frosting in everything choclate now…

    1. Zoha

      Aw, so glad you like this frosting! it’s so crunchy and yummy

  14. Tahiyah Ismail

    I baked it and everyone loved it

  15. Batool

    Love your recipe 🫶

  16. Patricia

    recipe looks delicious cannot wait to.make it greetings from dublin ireland Patricia 🇮🇪💖💐

    1. Zoha

      I hope you love it, Patricia 🙂

  17. Ketaki

    Zoha this was outstanding! I made this on one of the snow locked days and the kids and their friends LOVED it!! You recipes are awesome! More sheet cakes please!! So easy and yummy to put together and kiddo friendly!

    1. Zoha

      AWW thank you!! I totally agree, need to do more sheet cakes!

  18. Sahra

    Do you think replacing the one cup water with one cup hot coffee to bloom the cocoa would yield a deeper flavor?

    1. Zoha

      That should be totally ok, and yes!

  19. Fatima

    Wow this is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve eaten. Thanks for the recipe

    1. Mahelaqa

      I tried this cake turned out so yummy just the frosting is more sweet then my likong next time i reduce powder sugar to 2 cups instead of using more
      Other then that it was perfect
      Thank you Zoha for sharing the recipe and i used walnuts

      1. Zoha

        Thank you for the suggestion, Mahelaqa 🙂

    2. Zoha

      made my day, thank you!

  20. Farah

    Very much looking forward to making this cake after seeing your Instagram video about it.
    Just wondering, could this be made in a 9×13, what would be the temp and time for that approximately?
    I really love that you provide weight of each ingredient, including water.
    🙂

    1. Zoha

      Hi Farah! I am excited for you to try it out. Divide all quantities by half to make a 9×13 cake 🙂

      1. Preethi

        One of the best chocolate cake,so moist so good
        Thank you zoha for the wonderful recipe and technique

        1. Zoha Malik

          Thank you so much, Preethi!

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