Texas Sheet Cake
Texas Sheet Cake is a yummy, old-fashioned, tried and true moist chocolate sheet cake with a hint of cinnamon! All the ingredients in this cake are mixed up by hand so there is no mixer needed.
Texas sheet cake is a delicious vintage cake that has been around forever. You mix all of the ingredients for the cake in a large saucepan on the stove and pour it into a jelly roll pan. The sweet chocolate frosting is mixed up in a big bowl and poured over the warm cake. It’s actually so easy!
What I love most about this cake is the hint of cinnamon inside. The cinnamon gives the cake a lovely flavor. The frosting on top has an irresistible fudgy consistency.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love my go-to chocolate cake recipe, but this one is just as amazing!
Ingredients
For the cake
- homemade cake release (optional)
- flour
- sugar
- butter
- vegetable shortening
- cocoa
- water
- milk
- eggs
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- vanilla extract
For the frosting
- powdered sugar
- cocoa
- butter
- milk
- vanilla extract
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
For the cake
Step 1. Grease a jelly roll pan with my homemade cake release. (You can grease and flour, but I prefer cake release.)
Step 2. Set pan aside.
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Step 3. Add flour and sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Step 4. Whisk together and set aside.
Step 5. Add butter, shortening, cocoa and water to a large saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 6. Boil for 1 minute.
Step 7. Remove saucepan from heat and add flour/sugar mixture.
Step 8. Stir to combine.
Step 9. Add milk, cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda and eggs.
Step 10. Beat until combined.
Step 11. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. (Mine is usually done in 15 minutes.)
Step 12. Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire cooling grid while you make the frosting.
For the frosting
Step 1. Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup in 20-second increments.
Step 2. Add powdered sugar, melted butter, cocoa, milk and vanilla to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Step 5. Stir until combined.
Step 4. Add frosting to warm cake.
Step 5. Spread frosting evenly over cake with an offset spatula or a butter knife.
Step 6. Let cake cool completely.
Step 7. Cut into 16 even slices, serve and enjoy!
Hint: I love to use my homemade cake release instead of greasing and flouring my cake pans. It’s truly magical!
Variations
- Nuts – you can add 1 cup of chopped nuts to the frosting.
- Sprinkles – for a festive look, you can add any kind of sprinkles to the top of the cake after it is frosted.
- Mini Muffins – you can use a mini muffin pan instead of a jelly roll pan for a fun change. (Baking time may be less so I would start checking for doneness after 10 minutes of baking.)
Equipment
- jelly roll pan (15 x 10″)
- large saucepan
- medium-sized mixing bowl
- 2-cup glass measuring cup
- whisk
- measuring cups and spoons
- wooden spoon
- large cooling grid
- small offset spatula
Storage
Texas sheet cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or at room temperature for up to 2 days. It can be wrapped in an airtight freezer bag or container and frozen for up to 1 month.
Top tip
After making the frosting, you don’t want to wait too long before frosting the cake. The frosting tends to thicken up and set pretty quickly.
Related
Looking for other cake recipes? Visit my cake page!
Texas Sheet Cake
- jelly roll pan 15 x 10"
- large cooling grid
- large saucepan
- medium-sized mixing bowl
- 2-cup glass measuring cup
- whisk
- measuring cups and spoons
- wooden spoon
- small offset spatula
For the cake
- homemade cake release (optional)
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (396g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter 1 stick
- 1/2 cup (96g) vegetable shortening
- 4 tablespoons (21g) cocoa
- 1 cup (227) water
- 1/2 cup (113g) milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting
- 1 lb (454g) powdered sugar 4 cups
- 4 tablespoons (21g) cocoa
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter 1 stick
- 6 tablespoons (84g) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cake
- Grease a jelly roll pan with my homemade cake release. (You can grease and flour, but I prefer cake release.) Set pan aside.
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Add flour and sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Whisk together and set aside.
- Add butter, shortening, cocoa and water to a large saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove saucepan from heat and add flour/sugar mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add milk, cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda and eggs. Beat until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. (Mine is usually done in 15 minutes.)
- Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire cooling grid while you make the frosting.
For the frosting
- Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup in 20-second increments.
- Add powdered sugar, melted butter, cocoa, milk and vanilla to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Stir until combined.
- Pour frosting onto warm cake.
- Spread frosting evenly over cake with an offset spatula or a butter knife.
- Let cake cool completely.
- Cut into 16 even slices. Serve and enjoy!
Texas sheet cake is a wonderful dessert to bring to a party, barbecue, potluck, to serve as a birthday cake or to make for a weeknight dessert.
My family loves it when I make this cake. I hope you love it too! Please let me know in the comments below if you try it!
Sweet regards,
Michele
