This Texas sheet cake recipe is a blue ribbon winner that’s been passed down from generation to generation. The perfect chocolate sheet cake with a pourable frosting that sets up so you can stack cut squares of cake for picnics or party dessert!
My Mom’s Blue Ribbon-Winning Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
If a perfectly sweetened chocolate cake and the best frosted brownies had a baby… you’d get my Mama’s Blue Ribbon Chocolate Sheet Cake. It’s the perfect no fork required, not too sweet mash-up of thin chocolate sheet cake and frosted brownie heaven. And it’s one of my all time favorites.
The kind of recipe that’s been passed down from home cook to home cook. The kind of recipe that will one day be framed and hung on my kitchen wall. And the kind of recipe that *gasp* uses Crisco AND margarine! Just like they did in the good ol’ days.
The good ol’ days… When “oleo” was a pantry staple. I mean, what the heck is oleo? I had to call my Mom after she sent me the recipe, because I thought that I was misreading it. Come to find out, oleo was another term for margarine back in the day. Who knew?
And seriously, if the actual recipe card looks like this, you know it’s got to be the best Texas sheet cake recipe:
A Blue Ribbon Winner of a Chocolate Cake
So, a little back story:
My Mama made this chocolate cake recipe, originally her Aunt Karen’s, for the Central Florida Fair when she was 7 years old – before Texas sheet cake was as popular as it is now. She won a blue ribbon. And she’s been making it ever since for birthdays and holidays and just because.
As you can tell from the photo above, my Mom was a baking beauty back in the day (and she still is!), posing with her blue ribbon and the four different desserts that she entered into the fair that year.
Confession – I did substitute unsalted butter for the margarine. I knew that my former-chef husband would disown me if I dared to bring a box of margarine into the house. But, I didn’t cut out the Crisco, so I was only half cheating. Either way, the finished Texas chocolate sheet cake tasted just like I remembered it. So feel free to use butter or margarine, whichever you prefer… the measurements stay the same.
And, can we discuss this icing?! It’s pourable. You cook it on the stove, and then pour a beautiful chocolatey-nutty waterfall onto the fresh-from-the-oven cake. And then, just like a magic chocolate shell, the icing hardens… but not too hard. Like the perfect amount of stiffness so that you still get the soft fudgy-ness, but you can also cut the cake into squares and stack them in a Tupperware. Which also makes this cake great for picnics… as noted by my Donda (Grandma) on the original recipe card.
*By the way, be sure to check out my Donda’s Cherry Coconut Snowball Cookies next – this is one of my absolute favorite cookie recipes ever!
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
Here’s a look at the ingredients needed. The measurements and complete instructions are provided in the recipe card at the end of this post… and yes, I realize that it looks like a lot of ingredients measured out, BUT remember that you’re making a homemade chocolate cake from scratch AND a homemade frosting.
And trust me, it’s worth it!
- unsalted butter or margarine – The original recipe calls for “Oleo” which is what we call margarine today. Margarine is not as widely used today as it was back in the 1970’s when my Mom first made this cake recipe. I used unsalted butter and it worked just fine.
- Crisco
- cocoa powder – You can use regular cocoa powder. I consulted my Mom on what type of cocoa powder to use for her blue ribbon-winning cake, and she said that she uses the Hershey’s brand of natural cocoa powder.
- salt
- cinnamon – This is the secret ingredient that gives my mom’s Texas chocolate cake that undeniably perfect flavor – don’t skip it!
- water
- all-purpose flour – Be sure to use all-purpose and note that this recipe calls for the flour to be unsifted.
- sugar
- baking soda
- eggs
- buttermilk
- vanilla extract
For the Icing:
- unsalted butter or margarine
- milk
- cocoa powder
- salt
- powdered sugar – I recommend getting a 16 ounce box, because it will save you some measuring.
- vanilla extract
- chopped pecans – The addition of the chopped pecans in the icing and the cinnamon in the cake batter are what really set my Mom’s recipe apart from other Texas sheet cake recipes.
What size pan do I need for Texas chocolate sheet cake?
This cake is called chocolate sheet cake because it’s baked in a sheet pan, sometimes called a jelly roll pan, rather than a taller glass or metal baking dish. And using the right baking sheet size is key to the perfect results.
Be sure that your sheet pan has sides that are about 1″ deep. The overall size of the sheet pan should be about 16-18″ long – giving your cake squares a brownie-like size and the perfect cake to icing ratio.
How to Make the Best Texas-Style Chocolate Sheet Cake
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the unsifted flour, sugar, and baking soda together in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Make the chocolate sheet cake batter. Add the stick of butter or margarine, Crisco, cocoa powder, water, salt, and cinnamon to a medium saucepan. Bring these ingredients to a boil while mixing. Then, boil the cocoa mixture for about 2 minutes, being careful not to let it burn.
Stir the cocoa mixture into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients from step 1. Mix well, then stir in the beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk to form the cake batter.
Step 3: Bake the cake. Grease your baking sheet with cooking spray, then pour the cake batter in, spreading it around with a spatula so that the batter is in an even layer. Bake at 400°F for approximately 14-16 minutes.
Step 4: Make the frosting. While the chocolate sheet cake is baking, make the pourable frosting. Add a stick of butter or margarine, milk, cocoa powder, and salt to a saucepan and boil for 1 minute. Then remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and nuts. Mix to combine.
Step 5: Pour the frosting on the Texas sheet cake. When the cake is done baking, pour the icing onto the warm cake. Allow the cake to cool and the icing to set up. Then cut the chocolate sheet cake into squares and serve.
Storage Instructions
The great thing about this Texas sheet cake recipe is that it stores and travels perfectly! In fact, my Mom has made this picnic cake many times for family functions, days on the lake, or surprise “just because” dessert!
After cutting the cooled cake into squares, you can store in an airtight container either in the fridge or on the counter. If storing on the counter, enjoy within 2-3 days. If you keep it covered in the refrigerator, the leftover cake will stay good for a bit longer, about 4-5 days. If you keep your house warm or if you live in a humid area, then it’s best to store the cake in the refrigerator.
To save room, you can also stack the cake squares in the container, layering squares of parchment paper in between each to preserve the perfect frosting.
Okay, I won’t keep you waiting any longer… Here’s the recipe that will surely be a hit with your crowd:
Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake (Blue Ribbon Winner)
Equipment
- large sheet pan about 1" deep and 16-18" long
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (unsifted)
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick unsalted butter or margarine
- ½ cup Crisco
- 3 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Icing:
- 1 stick butter or margarine
- ⅓ cup milk
- 3 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 16 ounce box powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Grease a large sheet pan and set aside.
- Mix the unsifted flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add stick of butter or margarine, Crisco, cocoa powder, water, salt, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil while mixing.
- Boil cocoa mixture for about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn it.
- Pour cocoa mixture over your dry ingredients from Step 2, and mix to combine.
- Add beaten eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract, and mix to combine.
- Pour the cake batter into the greased sheet pan, spreading it around with a spatula so that the batter is in an even layer. *See notes on sheet pan size.
- Bake at 400°F for approximately 14-16 minutes.
For the Icing:
- While the cake is baking, make the pourable icing. Add stick of butter or margarine, milk, cocoa powder, and salt to a medium saucepan and boil for 1 minute. Then remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and nuts. Mix to combine.
- When the cake is done baking, pour the icing onto the warm cake. Allow the cake to cool and the icing to set up. Then cut the chocolate sheet cake into squares and serve.
Notes
- Storage – After cutting the cooled cake into squares, you can store in an airtight container either in the fridge or on the counter. If storing on the counter, enjoy within 2-3 days. If you keep it covered in the refrigerator, the leftover cake will stay good for a bit longer, about 4-5 days. You can also stack the cake squares in the airtight container, layering squares of parchment paper in between each to preserve the frosting.
- Sheet pan size – Sheet pan should be about 1″ deep and about 16″ to 18″ in length.
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
What is the best way to store the cake? I’m making it two days in advance from my event. Will it be ok on the counter covered or should I refrigerate it?
Hi Debbie! We have stored it both ways. My Mom also will sometimes cut into squares and place in a Tupperware with parchment paper in between the layers – that way I can sneak in the fridge and grab out a square. 🙂
How many ounces is a BOX? lol I started making this and now im stuck.
Hi Jessica! A box of powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar) is 16 ounces. Sorry, I should have made that more clear! 🙂