Cake

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake is made using a mix of butter, oil, cocoa powder, buttermilk and a few other pantry staples, to produce an extremely moist chocolate cake.  This cake has that stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth goodness and is enrobed in chocolate fudge sauce to amp up the chocolate flavor.

So today I was totally set on making brownies, but since I already have more than a few classic brownie recipes here on the blog, I figured I would do something different and make brownies using buttermilk.  So I was all set for these to turn out fudge-y and dense just like brownies.  Except they didn’t turn out like brownies at all, but instead a very moist, light chocolate cake.  Because I used baking soda in the recipe.  Duh!  I won’t get all geeky on you and go off on a food science tangent, but that’s the difference leaveners make when added to a recipe.

After trying to figure out what I did, I discovered that what I made was something similar to a Texas Sheet Cake.  I have never had Texas Sheet Cake before, and my accidental version was so good!  This cake is very easy to make…don’t let the first step of boiling together the oil, butter, water and cocoa powder deter you.  I know it sounds weird, but just go with it.  Just don’t skip the step of sifting your flour!

Texas Sheet Cake

Print Recipe
Serves: 24 Cooking Time: 20-minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • TOPPING:
  • 1/2 cup chocolate sundae sauce

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil and spray the sides and bottom with baking spray. Set aside.

2

In a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat, add the butter, cocoa powder, oil and water. Bring mixture to a boil, remove the pan from the stovetop and allow to cool just until warm. Set aside.

3

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, nutmeg, salt and baking soda. This is important. If you skip this step you will end up with clumps of flour in your batter. Set aside.

4

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Once cocoa mixture has cooled, slowly add the cocoa mixture into the sugar egg mixture and stir the two mixtures together until combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the cocoa batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in 400-degree oven for 20-minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out without raw batter on it.

5

Let cake set in the pan until cooled. Once cake has cooled, heat chocolate sundae sauce in a small bowl for 5-10 seconds in the microwave. Pour sauce over the top of the cooled cake. Let fudge sauce set before cutting into desired sized squares. Store cake at room temperature in an airtight container.

Notes

**If your batter does have clumps of flour in it, you can run it through a fine strainer or sieve before pouring the batter into your prepared pan.

Texas Sheet Cake is usually frosted with a chocolate buttermilk frosting, but I just topped my cake with a layer of thick chocolate sundae sauce.

But then I remember I had leftover Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting in the fridge, so I topped a few slices with that frosting too….because chocolate and peanut butter is the BEST combo ever!

Have you ever had Texas Sheet Cake before??  Have you ever made anything in the kitchen expecting completely different results?  Leave me a comment below!

XOXO,

Kelly

PS- I linked this recipe up at the following link parties: Meal Plan Monday, Sugar and Spice, Reader Tip Tuesday, Pretty Pintastic Party, Foodie Friday.

 

[optin-cat id=”528″]

January 22, 2018 By
31
About

I am a self taught baker that enjoys baking from scratch and learning the science behind baking in order to create new recipes! I started this blog so I could share with you the yummy recipes I am making in my kitchen, but also to have some fun and laughs along the way!

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31 Comments

  • Reply
    Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
    January 22, 2018 at 7:40 AM

    I’ve never made a Texas sheet cake before but it’s been on my list for awhile now–and you’ve convinced me to try it VERY soon. This looks delicious!

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 23, 2018 at 7:48 AM

      Thanks Kelsie! You definitely need to try! Super easy and it was a hit! XOXO

  • Reply
    Maria Doss
    January 22, 2018 at 9:26 PM

    Decadence overload!!! It looks so moist, fudgy and that silky smooth sundae sauce is the cherry on top. It would be an ultimate Valentines day treat for school parties. Another fabulous creation Kelly:)

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 23, 2018 at 7:48 AM

      Thank you Maria! It is definitely chocolate overload….but in the best way possible hehehe. XOXO 🙂

  • Reply
    pglooney
    January 23, 2018 at 3:38 AM

    So rich sounding! I’d go with the pb frosting! I’ve never had Texas sheet cake but to be honest I don’t like cake. But it looks Devine

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 23, 2018 at 7:50 AM

      Thank you! I am also not a huge fan of cake….just give me all the cookies! But this is good too 🙂 Have a great week!!

  • Reply
    cakespy
    January 23, 2018 at 5:00 AM

    I’d love to have a slice the size of Texas, please.

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 23, 2018 at 7:50 AM

      Hahaha coming right up Jessie! XOXO 🙂

  • Reply
    Deepika|TheLoveOfCakes
    January 23, 2018 at 7:57 AM

    I have never made a sheet cake before, and now I am tempted to after seeing how moist it is! Love the simple and convenient recipe!

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 25, 2018 at 6:28 AM

      Thank you Deepika! Sheet cakes are great for feeding a crowd too 🙂 XOXO

  • Reply
    heather (delicious not gorgeous)
    January 23, 2018 at 2:59 PM

    some people are very anti-cakey brownies, but i don’t see the problem. just think of it as cake, and you’re good to go! (: i tried boiling down coconut milk once because i thought it would boil off the water, but instead, it just separated into milk solids and coconut oil lol.

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 25, 2018 at 6:31 AM

      Good to know!! Yeah people can be kind of picky about their brownies…but if it’s cakey then just call it cake and they will be fine hahaha 😉

  • Reply
    Ruby_&_Cake
    January 23, 2018 at 6:27 PM

    Never made a sheet cake before, I hadn’t heard of them until I ventured into the food blogging world! They sound seriously decent though and this one looks so rich and delicious! Yum!

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 25, 2018 at 6:32 AM

      Thanks Ruby! This is definitely a decadent and moist chocolate cake/brownie! XOXO 🙂

  • Reply
    Katherine | Love In My Oven
    January 23, 2018 at 7:20 PM

    I want a slice now!! This looks so good Kelly – an accident that turned into something delicious 😉 I will never say no to chocolate cake!!

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 25, 2018 at 6:33 AM

      Thanks Katherine! I so thought it was going to be a disaster, but all my taste testers ended up loving it!! XOXO

  • Reply
    gardeningfoodie
    January 24, 2018 at 9:04 AM

    Kelly, this cake looks absolutely heavenly….I looooooove chocolate cake and this one looks like perfection. And that chocolate sundae sauce looks just too yum 🙂

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 25, 2018 at 6:35 AM

      Thank you!! That chocolate fudge sauce is everything, right?!?! I mean we might as well as add more chocolate to chocolate! Hahaha 😉 XOXO

  • Reply
    Amy
    January 25, 2018 at 7:08 AM

    You’ve done it again my friend this cake looks amazing. So my waist and delicious I wish I could have a piece right now!

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 25, 2018 at 3:17 PM

      Thank you Amy! I wish we were neighbors so I could have brought a plate of these over to you 🙂 XOXO

  • Reply
    Mary | My Spaghetti Head
    January 26, 2018 at 9:55 AM

    I love Texas Sheet Cake. An elderly woman at my church always brings it to potlucks but I’ve never made it myself. I’ll have to give it a try. And I love it when accidents in the kitchen turn out in something different but completely delicious.

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 27, 2018 at 4:16 PM

      Thank you Mary! I hope you try this! Maybe you will even like it better than the lady that brings it to the church potlucks hehehe 😉 XOXO

  • Reply
    Julie @ Back To My Southern Roots
    January 26, 2018 at 2:39 PM

    I could eat the entire sheet of cake! Yum, yum, yum!!

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 27, 2018 at 4:17 PM

      Thanks Julie! So moist and addictive!! XOXO 🙂

  • Reply
    Ben|Havocinthekitchen
    January 26, 2018 at 6:04 PM

    Oh I’ve never tried Texas cake. Although the ingredients are simple and basic for many chocolate cakes, this one still looks unique. I love its moist texture. It looks very light to me too. I bet it doesn’t have any fats and calories at all 😉

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 27, 2018 at 4:20 PM

      Hahahah thanks Ben! Definitely no fat or calories involved in this light and moist cake 😉 XOXO

  • Reply
    Colleen
    January 28, 2018 at 8:09 AM

    Truly a classic and I love that yours is from scratch!!!

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 28, 2018 at 8:27 AM

      Thank you Colleen!! So yummy! 🙂

  • Reply
    laura70ak
    January 28, 2018 at 9:18 PM

    YEAH! I love happy mistakes : ) pinned it <3

    • Reply
      Kelly
      January 29, 2018 at 9:35 PM

      Thanks Laura!! XOXO

  • Reply
    Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting - Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats
    January 22, 2021 at 8:35 PM

    […] frosted two 9-inch round cakes and an entire 9×13-inch pan of Texas Sheet Cake using this […]

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