Texas Sheet Cake is spectacular. Attention all chocoholics! Here’s a recipe for you! It’s everything drool-worthy and what you could ask for in a dessert. Plus, it’s not overly difficult to make either. It’s the perfect dessert for company or holiday dinners because it provides so many servings!

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The ingredients in this chocolatey, fudgy cake are partially cooked on the stove before baking in the oven. Then the hot cake is topped with a fudge-type icing that includes chopped walnuts. Spectacular is an understatement! It is just incredibly irresistible.

The cake is incredibly rich and decadent. If you like fudgy chocolate flavors in your desserts you will love this recipe!  This batch makes a large 12×17″ half sheet pan, so it’s a big sheet cake.

Last year my neighbor brought a batch of this wonderful Texas Sheet Cake over to us when we got back from our North Carolina trip. She said she had missed us and wanted to welcome us back! A year has passed and she is moving to North Dallas in a couple of weeks. I wanted to surprise her with some of her delicious cake.

She had a huge group of family over to help her clean out her large barn-type shed on the back of her property. I asked if I could make a meal for all of them. I know what moving is like and the last thing you have energy for is cooking. So Texas Sheet Cake was on the menu along with a bunch of other stuff.

Texas Sheet Cake is a really easy dessert to make. This is a simple chocolate cake recipe that’s sure to please your family. Consider making up this sweet chocolate fudge cake recipe and watch your family drool. Even though it makes a lot, this cake will be cleaned out before you can blink your eyes!

I initially posted this recipe in July 2012. I remade the recipe in August 2013. I was still new with using my Canon camera, so the pictures were not as clear as I would have liked. I recently remade the recipe again (January 2020) for our Sunday night college group. Our hostess made Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken and a tossed salad. I added Garlic Mashed Potatoes, a fruit tray and this delicious dessert.

The kids ate a bunch of it. Because there are so many servings, John took the rest of it out to his office where it was immediately devoured. This chocolaty, fudgy cake is sure to have you drooling in no time. Yes, indeed!

Texas Sheet Cake is a wonderfully tasting chocolaty, fudgy sheet cake your family will love.

This luscious cake has a fudge-type icing. 

Every bite of Texas Sheet Cake will have you drooling!

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients for the cake.

Melt butter over low to medium heat on stove. Add Crisco shortening, sugar and UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour. Bleached flour toughens baked goods.

Stir ingredients to combine. Mixture will be dry.

Add cocoa powder and half and half.

Whisk ingredients to combine and remove from heat. Pour mixture into glass mixing bowl.

Add baking soda to buttermilk or soured milk. The baking soda will cause the milk to foam!

Add buttermilk mixture to the chocolate mixture in mixing bowl.

Add eggs and vanilla to chocolate mixture. (It is better if the eggs are beaten first).

Whisk or stir to combine.

Pour chocolate mixture into a greased 12×17″ cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Mine took 30 minutes which was when a toothpick inserted in the center came out clean.

I used these ingredients for the icing.

About 5-10 minutes before cake is done, make icing: Place cocoa powder in a saucepan over low heat. Add butter and half-and-half.

Whisk over low heat to combine. Melt completely. Bring sauce to a boil so it thickens a little.

Once the sauce has come to a boil and has started to thicken, turn heat to low. Add vanilla and chopped nuts.

Whisk in powdered sugar and stir well to combine.

The icing is thick and fudge-like. You may have to keep it at a very low temperature until you are ready to spread it on the cake or it will harden prematurely.

Spread icing over top of hot cake. Work quickly because the icing will harden soon.

Cool cake completely before cutting into squares to serve.

Once the icing has totally set, you can cut the cake into serving pieces.

Texas Sheet Cake is a great dessert to serve company. 

I cut the cake down into 48 large servings. If you like fudge you will love having a fudgy, chocolate cake with fudge icing!

Here’s the recipe.

TEXAS SHEET CAKE

(Recipe adapted from my former neighbor, Chris Velasco, Dallas, TX)

Texas Sheet Cake

Teresa Ambra

Texas Sheet Cake is an irresistible, mouthwatering dessert that will knock your socks off! This is a delicious fudgy, chocolaty cake with a nutty, fudge icing on top. It's rich, decadent and heavenly. This chocolaty dessert will make chocolate lovers swoon! It's also great for potlucks, holiday or tailgating parties, or anytime you need to serve a dessert. It makes 48 servings so it's a terrific go-to recipe when you need a large dessert.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cheesecakes, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 48

Calories 141 kcal

Equipment

• 1 11x17" jelly roll pan
• 2 medium sauce pans
• 2 wooden spoons
• 1 whisk if desired
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

SHEET CAKE:

• 2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup half-and-half or cream
• 4 tbsp. cocoa
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (Or, sour a half cup of milk with 1 tbsp. white vinegar for 5 minutes)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE FUDGE ICING:

• 4 tbsp. cocoa
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 16 oz. box powdered sugar
• 1 cup walnuts chopped, pecans are also good (measure after chopping)
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

 

SHEET CAKE:

• Combine flour, granulated sugar, shortening and butter and let mixture come to a boil in saucepan over medium heat.
• Add half-and-half and cocoa.
• Stir in thoroughly.
• Remove from heat.
• Let cool five or ten minutes.
• Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk.
• Add to cocoa mixture with eggs and vanilla.
• Mix all together and pour into greased 11x17” jelly roll pan.
• Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE ICING:

• Five minutes before cake is done, bring cocoa, half-and-half and butter to a boil in saucepan at medium heat.
• Remove from heat.
• Add powdered sugar, nuts and vanilla.
• Spread over cake while still hot.
• Garnish with whole walnuts, as desired.

Notes

NOTE: You can make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk and letting it set for a few minutes until curds start to form.

 

NOTE: I actually had to keep the icing on a very low heat to keep it spreadable because my cake didn’t cook in 20 minutes.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 40mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 161IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cake, chocolate, chocolate dessert, dessert, fudge, sheet cake, texas sheet cake, walnuts

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Texas Sheet Cake is a cake for chocolate lovers! This is one of the few cake recipes I’ve ever made where you actually cook part of the ingredients on the stove top before baking the cake.

This cake is addictive – especially if you like fudge.

Texas Sheet Cake is a great cake to take to office or tailgating parties, potlucks or holiday gatherings. Everyone loves it and the recipe makes a lot. Are you drooling yet?

You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!

Chocolate Chunk Bundt Cake

Chocolate Chip Cake

Chocolate Butter Pecan Pound Cake

Texas Sheet Cake

Teresa Ambra

Texas Sheet Cake is an irresistible, mouthwatering dessert that will knock your socks off! This is a delicious fudgy, chocolaty cake with a nutty, fudge icing on top. It’s rich, decadent and heavenly. This chocolaty dessert will make chocolate lovers swoon! It’s also great for potlucks, holiday or tailgating parties, or anytime you need to serve a dessert. It makes 48 servings so it’s a terrific go-to recipe when you need a large dessert.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cheesecakes, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 48

Calories 141 kcal

Equipment

• 1 11×17" jelly roll pan
• 2 medium sauce pans
• 2 wooden spoons
• 1 whisk if desired
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

SHEET CAKE:

• 2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup half-and-half or cream
• 4 tbsp. cocoa
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (Or, sour a half cup of milk with 1 tbsp. white vinegar for 5 minutes)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE FUDGE ICING:

• 4 tbsp. cocoa
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 16 oz. box powdered sugar
• 1 cup walnuts chopped, pecans are also good (measure after chopping)
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

 

SHEET CAKE:

• Combine flour, granulated sugar, shortening and butter and let mixture come to a boil in saucepan over medium heat.
• Add half-and-half and cocoa.
• Stir in thoroughly.
• Remove from heat.
• Let cool five or ten minutes.
• Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk.
• Add to cocoa mixture with eggs and vanilla.
• Mix all together and pour into greased 11×17” jelly roll pan.
• Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE ICING:

• Five minutes before cake is done, bring cocoa, half-and-half and butter to a boil in saucepan at medium heat.
• Remove from heat.
• Add powdered sugar, nuts and vanilla.
• Spread over cake while still hot.
• Garnish with whole walnuts, as desired.

Notes

NOTE: You can make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk and letting it set for a few minutes until curds start to form.

 

NOTE: I actually had to keep the icing on a very low heat to keep it spreadable because my cake didn’t cook in 20 minutes.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 40mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 161IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cake, chocolate, chocolate dessert, dessert, fudge, sheet cake, texas sheet cake, walnuts

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!