Grandma's Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

4.6
(58)

This Texas sheet cake is hands down my all-time favorite cake! I fell in love with making it after my grandmother shared the recipe with me. This dessert is super quick, easy, and fun to make. I definitely recommend this for first-time bakers and anyone else who would love to take a bite out of a delicious chocolate treat.

mid angle looking at a slice of chocolate Texas sheet cake, with a piece taken off by a fork
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Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Additional Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
24
Yield:
1 10x15-inch cake
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 24 servings

Cake:

  • 1 cup salted butter

  • 1 cup water

  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups white sugar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup buttermilk

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter

  • 6 tablespoons milk

  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15-inch cake pan.

  2. Prepare the cake: Combine butter, water, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter has melted and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

    A small pan with a brown liquid inside and a whisk propped up on the side wall of the pan

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Meanwhile, mix flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Beat buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl.

  4. Add melted butter mixture to flour mixture, then add buttermilk-egg mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan.

    A view from above of a small pan with brown batter with tiny bubbles throughout

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

  6. While the cake bakes, make the frosting: Combine butter, milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until butter melts, then stir in powdered sugar.

    A view from above of a pan with brown bubbly batter with a whisk propped up on the side of the pan

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Spread frosting over the warm cake.

    Sheet pan with brown cake batter inside and chopped nuts sprinkled on top with a small bowl of chopped nuts on the side

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Recipe Tip

If using a dark-coated pan, bake the cake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) instead.

68 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

259 Calories
12g Fat
36g Carbs
2g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 24
Calories 259
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g 16%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol 47mg 16%
Sodium 170mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 2g 5%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 20mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 55mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.