Texas Sheet Cake with Chocolate Pecan Frosting

Indulge in the ultimate chocolate lover’s dream with this legendary Texas Sheet Cake that lives up to the “everything’s bigger in Texas” motto! This incredibly moist, rich chocolate cake features an ingenious technique of boiling butter, cocoa, and water to intensify the chocolate flavor, creating a depth that ordinary chocolate cakes can’t match. Topped with a smooth, velvety chocolate pecan buttercream frosting that’s poured over the warm cake, this dessert creates the perfect marriage of textures and flavors. Whether feeding a crowd at a potluck, celebrating a special occasion, or satisfying a serious chocolate craving, this sheet cake delivers maximum impact with surprisingly simple preparation.

Texas sheet cake slice on a plate and a glass of milk.

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What Makes Texas Sheet Cake so Unique

Texas sheet cake is one of the most classic sheet cakes. It is filled with wonderful chocolate flavor. This recipe highlights the chocolate flavor by boiling the butter, cocoa, and water together, activating the flavor.

It also features a wonderfully smooth chocolate pecan buttercream frosting to top off a moist sheet cake.

Why is it called Texas Sheet Cake, and what makes it different?

Texas Sheet Cake has earned its legendary status through exceptional flavor, impressive size, and foolproof simplicity. Unlike complex layer cakes that require multiple steps and precise timing, this cake embraces the beauty of one-bowl baking while delivering restaurant-quality results. The secret lies in the unique technique of boiling butter with cocoa powder, which activates and intensifies the chocolate flavor in ways that simple mixing cannot achieve. This creates a depth of chocolate taste that permeates every bite.

Chocolate Sheet Cake Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake:

  • All-purpose flour – Provides the structural foundation while maintaining a tender texture
  • Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cake and helps create moisture and tender crumb
  • Baking soda – Acts as the primary leavening agent for proper rise and texture
  • Butter – Creates richness and helps bloom the cocoa when boiled together
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder – Delivers the intense chocolate flavor when activated by boiling
  • Water – Combines with butter and cocoa to create the flavor-boosting base
  • Large eggs – Bind ingredients and add richness and stability to the batter
  • Buttermilk – Provides tangy flavor and reacts with baking soda for tender texture
  • Pure vanilla extract – Enhances and rounds out the chocolate flavor profile

For the Chocolate Pecan Frosting:

  • Butter – Creates the rich, creamy base for the smooth frosting
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder – Provides chocolate flavor that complements the cake
  • Buttermilk – Adds tangy richness and helps create proper frosting consistency
  • Powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the frosting to perfect spreading consistency
  • Chopped pecans or walnuts – Adds textural interest and traditional Southern flavor
  • Pure vanilla extract – Enhances the overall flavor and adds aromatic complexity
Texas sheet cake ingredients.
Batter Ingredients
Texas sheet cake frosting ingredients.
Frosting Ingredients

Replace the Buttermilk

You can make your own if you don’t have a jug of buttermilk at home. Combine 1 cup whole milk (or whatever milk is in the fridge) with 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. You’re ready to go!

What size pan is needed to make this Texas sheet cake?

For this recipe, you will use an 18 “x 26″ jelly roll pan. Some people like to use two half-sheet pans. If you would like to make this as a layer cake, then I would suggest using two 8-inch cake pans. You could also make this in a 9″x 13” baking pan.

Check out this guide on cake pan sizes.

How to Make Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

  1. Bring two sticks of butter, cocoa, and water to a boil. Keep on the heat until you melt the butter. Remove from the heat.
butter, cocoa powder, and water in a saucepan.
melted butter, cocoa, and water mixture in a saucepan.
  1. Add in the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, and baking soda, and whisk to combine.
adding flour, sugar, and cocoa powder to a chocolate mixture in a saucepan.
  1. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla, and stir until incorporated.
adding eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to chocolate cake batter mixture in a saucepan.
  1. Pour the batter into a 18×26-inch greased and floured pan. Bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes.
  2. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake if it comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove the cake from the oven.
  3. Rest the cake on a wire rack.

How to Make Texas Sheet Cake Frosting

  1. While the cake is baking, bring 1 stick of butter, cocoa, and buttermilk to a boil.
butter, buttermilk, and cocoa powder in a saucepan.
  1. Add 1 box of powdered sugar, nuts, and vanilla. Stir the mixture until smooth.
Texas sheet cake frosting in a saucepan.
  1. Pour the frosting over the cake.
Texas sheet cake frosting poured over the cake.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

  • Serving Temperature: Serve at room temperature for optimal flavor and texture. Cold cake mutes the chocolate flavor.
  • Room Temperature Storage: Cover tightly and store at room temperature for 3 days. The cake improves in flavor as it sits.
  • Refrigerated Storage: In warmer climates or for more extended storage, refrigerate covered for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.
  • Freezing Instructions: Wrap individual pieces or whole cakes tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours.
slice of Texas cheese cake on a plate.

How many people does this sheet cake serve?

Depending on how you slice it, this cake can yield between 12 and 20 pieces.

The bigger the pieces, the fewer there will be, so slice based on how many people you intend to serve.

This cake is so moist and delicious you’ll want to eat it with a spoon!

a slice of Texas sheet cake with a spoon in it.

Love chocolate cake? Try these recipes!

Favorite Chocolate Desserts and Sweets

Check out my easy cake recipes and the best dessert recipes here on CopyKat!

Texas sheet cake slice on a plate and a glass of milk.

Scratch Made Texas Sheet Cake Easy Recipe with Chocolate Frosting

Rich, moist chocolate sheet cake with smooth chocolate pecan buttercream frosting. Perfect for feeding a crowd at any occasion!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cake Recipes, Chocolate cake, Dessert Recipes, Texas Sheet Cake
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 814kcal

Ingredients

Cake

  • 8 ounces butter plus extra for the pan
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for the pan
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

  • 4 ounces butter
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa
  • 6 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 16 ounces powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts optional

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a baking sheet 18"x26".
  • In a saucepan, bring the butter, cocoa, and water to a boil. Remove from the heat.
  • Add the flour, sugar, and baking soda, and stir to combine.
  • Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Stir until well incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan
  • Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
  • You can check for cake doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.

Frosting

  • While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting: Bring the butter, cocoa, and buttermilk to a boil in a saucepan.
  • Add the powdered sugar. Stir only until smooth.
  • Add the vanilla and pecans and stir to combine.
  • Pour the frosting over the warm cake.

Notes

If you want to bake this cake in an 18 x 13-inch sheet pan, you will need to reduce the baking time. Bake it in a sheet pan for about 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 814kcal | Carbohydrates: 110g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 86g | Vitamin A: 940IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2.4mg

About Stephanie Manley

Stephanie Manley is the creator of CopyKat.com. She has been recreating copycat recipes since 1995. Learn more about Stephanie Manley.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pat

    5 stars
    You left out the tsp. cinnamon in the cake mix. That’s the main reason I love this cake because the cinnamon takes away the heavy chocolate flavor.
    This is the very best cake and I have served it over and over through the years

5 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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