This easy Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake is so soft, moist and fudgy with rich chocolate flavor and a smooth chocolate icing that isn't too sweet. Whenever you're in charge of "bring dessert", you can rely on this simple recipe which is a definite crowd pleaser. This moist chocolate cake stores very well so you can make it ahead and bring it to parties and potlucks. It is easy to serve and looks beautiful without any fancy decorations, although many traditional Texas sheet cakes will have chopped pecans on top. If you prefer a smaller cake, try my single layer Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake and you can also check out this One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Simple ingredients - you only need a few pantry ingredients to make this delicious cake. I use my Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix as the base which is very convenient, and you can also add all the ingredients individually following the full recipe below if you don't have my mix already prepared.
- SO EASY to make - all you need is a bowl and a whisk! You don't need a stand mixer, although sometimes I use my electric hand mixer. Either way it works just as well. You can also use one batch of my Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix which is so convenient and I always have it on hand.
- Fudgy and moist chocolate cake - the cake is SO super moist. It has the softest texture and stays moist for days without drying out.
- Smooth chocolate flavor - you will love the smooth chocolate taste that shines through this cake. The flavor gets even better by the second and third day.
- Fudgy chocolate icing- I make a silky smooth milk chocolate icing that isn't too sweet. This is different than the classic Texas sheet cake which typically has a boiled icing, however I find it is often way too sweet for my liking and it forms a gritty crust that doesn't travel well. If you tip the pan, the icing tends to wrinkle as it moves and shifts leaving the surface rather less attractive.
WHAT IS TEXAS SHEET CAKE?
Texas sheet cake is a style of chocolate cake originating in the Southern states of the USA. It is a very thin, single layer cake baked in a half sheet pan and meant to feed a crowd. You'd serve it straight from the sheet pan which makes it a great option for travelling and bringing to parties and potlucks. The cake is typically very moist and soft, topped with a boiled chocolate frosting similar to fudge. It's also common to sprinkle chopped pecans on top. Since it stores so well and stays so soft, it is great recipe to make for the family, leave it on the counter and nibble on it all week.
INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE
Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- All purpose flour - you do not need specialty cake flour to make wonderful chocolate cake. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour is the most common mistake and leads to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off. This batter is meant to be quite runny so refrain from adding more flour to make it thicker.
- Granulated sugar - simple white sugar keeps this cake moist and perfectly sweet.
- Cocoa powder - try to get your hands on some good quality cocoa powder! It's the main flavor and you want it to shine so use the best you can find. I love to use this Dutch Process cocoa powder for this recipe. Make sure you use unsweetened cocoa powder and not cocoa mix.
- Baking powder - use a double acting baking powder. This means it will react and produce gas upon hydration when you mix in the wet ingredients to make the batter, and it will react again when exposed to heat in the oven during baking.
- Baking soda - sodium bicarbonate is a pure, standard ingredient so any form will work.
- Salt - salt is one of the most important ingredients to enhance the flavor of chocolate cake, so be sure to use the right amount.
- Eggs - two whole eggs will set the structure of this cake and help emulsify the batter.
- Yogurt - use full fat plain yogurt. It contributes tangy dairy undertones which balances the flavor and gives more complexity. You'll use yogurt in the cake batter and the chocolate frosting.
- Oil - this is an oil-based cake. Although I LOVE BUTTER, oil makes cakes ultra soft since it is an unsaturated fat that is liquid at room temperature.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is not in the mix as it is a liquid ingredient, so you will add it with the other wet ingredients.
- Hot water - you can use hot water or hot coffee in the batter. The hot liquid dissolves the sugar and activates the leavening agents so that the cake begins to rise and set instantly. It is also the reason why this cake is so moist.
- Milk chocolate - you'll need pure milk chocolate to make the icing. Use a high quality brand with 30-35% cocoa solids.
- Cream - I use light cream, such as coffee cream (half & half) with 10-18% milk fat. It makes a more fluid and fudgy frosting.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE TEXAS SHEET CAKE
This recipe is SO EASY and you can make it all with a bowl and a whisk - no mixer required if you don't have one!
- STEP 1). Blend the dry ingredients. Use a fine mesh sieve to sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend very well so the ingredients are evenly combined.
- STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Combine eggs, oil, yogurt, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well.
- STEP 3). Mix wet and dry ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with an electric handheld mixer on medium-low until mostly blended. It will be thick and somewhat dry. You can also mix by hand with a wire whisk.
- STEP 4). Add hot water. Add the hot water gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and mix until evenly combined and the batter is smooth. The batter will be quite thin.
- STEP 5). Bake. Pour batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan on the counter top to allow any large air bubbles to surface and pop. Bake for 25-28 minutes until the cake springs back when pressed gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- STEP 6). Make the icing. Chop chocolate. Finely chop the milk chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl. If you are using these couverture milk chocolate chips then there's no need to chop them.
- STEP 7). Combine hot cream and chocolate. Pour cream into a 1-quart stainless steel saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil over medium-low heat. Once it reaches a boil, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl and let stand for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and stir in concentric circles using a spatula or a whisk until smooth and glossy.
- STEP 8). Mix and cool. Sift in cocoa powder, add yogurt and salt and whisk it through gently. Do not whisk vigorously because incorporating air at this stage will cause the ganache to split. Set it aside to cool and thicken slightly for 20-30 minutes.
- STEP 9). Ice the cake. Once it is thick like the consistency of custard, pour it over the cooled cake and spread it out evenly. Place the cake in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to let the icing set up then slice and serve!
BAKING SCIENCE: HOW INGREDIENTS AFFECT CAKE QUALITY
- Sugar:flour ratio - there is more sugar by weight compared to flour in this recipe which is what allows it to be so moist. Sugar is hygroscopic which means that it strongly binds water and will hold onto all the liquid in this batter. Mixing sugar into the flour breaks up the flour particles interferes with gluten development. That's because sugar competes for water and will pull moisture away from flour to prevent gluten network formation during the mixing stage.
- Cocoa particles - cocoa powder has some starch and does contribute some function of flour to provide structure to the cake, however it does not contain gluten proteins. When the cocoa is dispersed into the flour, it helps to break up the flour particles and also interferes with gluten development.
- Water:sugar ratio - there is a lot of moisture in the prepared cake batter and that wouldn't work if there was less sugar in the mix. The sugar binds the water to prevent it from evaporating out, and during baking the starches in the flour and cocoa powder slowly hydrate and swell. They eventually set into a gel network to create the soft moist crumb structure.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DUTCH COCOA POWDER AND NATURAL COCOA POWDER?
Dutch cocoa powder is cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkalizing agent (a basic ingredient) such as potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate. This treatment, combined with certain parameters of pressure and temperature will increase the pH (decrease the acidity) of the cocoa powder to give it a less sour taste, darken the color and help it become more dispersible in water. My preferences for Dutch cocoa powder ones with a higher fat content and they are this Cacao Barry Extra Brute, Ghirardelli Majestic and Green & Blacks Organic.
Natural cocoa has not been alkalized and is 100% cocoa powder. It has a lighter color and has a very lovely fruity flavor with some pleasant acidity and slight bitterness that is inherent to the cocoa bean. My preferences for natural cocoa are Ghirardelli 100% Cocoa and Hershey's Unsweetened.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Sift the ingredients. It is important to evenly distribute the ingredients to ensure an even crumb and tender texture. I use a fine mesh sieve to sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. This removes lumps and separates the particles as well as distributes the leavening agents. Add the sugar and salt after if they don't pass through the sieve.
- Blend the ingredients thoroughly to minimize the amount of mixing required after you add the wet ingredients.
- Use a neutral tasting oil like vegetable, canola or pure sunflower oil for the cleanest flavor to let the chocolate taste stand out.
- Do not reduce the sugar. The right amount of sugar will make cake moist because it binds water so that it stays tightly in the batter and doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.
- Keep an eye on the baking time. Set a timer for the first time stated in the recipe and check with a skewer - it should come out clean.
- Use a kitchen scale. For best results, weigh your ingredients according to the measurements in the recipe card below using a kitchen scale.
- Use pure milk chocolate for the frosting with between 30% and 35% cocoa solids for best results. Do not use compound milk chocolate melting wafers - it will not work.
- Chop the chocolate finely. When making ganache, it is important that all of the chocolate melts gently and evenly. The smaller the pieces, the more evenly it will melt and it result in a smooth, homogeneous emulsion. If you are using these particular pure milk chocolate callets then there's no need to chop them.
RECIPE FAQ
Firstly - use a fresh oil! Do not use anything that's been opened for a long time and when you store oil, it should be in a cool dark place. Light and heat accelerate oxidation reactions that can make the flavor turn rancid. My oil of choice for baking is sunflower oil for its clean and neutral taste, but any other oil such as canola or safflower will do. You can even use olive oil, but keep in mind that it will add the taste of olive oil to the cake.
This recipe works with both Dutch process and natural cocoa powder. For a darker color like in this photo, I use high fat Dutch cocoa powder. My preference is this one and this one. Natural cocoa has a wonderful fruity flavor and I like to use it as well. You can use Hershey's natural cocoa or this one that I love.
You can also use light or full fat sour cream in this recipe. I have tested this and it worked well. Another suitable substitution is crème fraîche which is a type of fermented dairy product somewhere between yogurt and sour cream.
The hot water should be very hot. Bring a kettle to the boil, measure it out and then start making the batter. It's fine if it cools for 2-3 minutes.
This batter is supposed to be quite fluid from the hot coffee or hot water that is added in. It will bake up to create a wonderfully moist crumb.
It's not more fat! Moisture comes from liquid, not fat. So you can add more butter and more oil, but it will really just make the cake more dense and more tender by shortening the texture. Fat will not make a cake moist as only liquids can add moisture. This cake is moist because of the amount of liquid.
I normally scoff at a cake recipe that uses only oil and no butter since butter is superior for its flavor. However, oil makes the texture very soft and in turn gives the perception of "moistness". That's because oil is made up of mostly unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature. Butter contains more saturated fats that are solid at room temperature, therefore the texture of a butter cake will be more crumbly and firm.
Yes you can add nuts to this cake by folding about ¾ cup chopped pecans into the icing before pouring it over, or you can sprinkle pecans on top after applying the icing.
This frosting recipe is ideal with milk chocolate between 30 and 35% cocoa solids. Using darker chocolate will introduce more cocoa solids which will throw off the cocoa:liquid balance to affect the final consistency.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
Store this cake at room temperature, covered or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also store it in the fridge for up to 1 week and bring it to room temperature before serving.
This chocolate sheet cake mix will keep well for up to 3 days at room temperature, or up to 1 week in the fridge.
Yes! I often make this cake in advance and freeze it for later. To do this, let the cake cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and then wrap it in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHOCOLATE FROSTING
I love to make ganache based frostings for chocolate cake. They're smooth, rich and creamy and best of all easy to make without a mixer! I highly recommend you top this cake off with this recipe for the BEST Chocolate Frosting or my creamier Milk Chocolate Frosting.
If you love cake, check out these recipes!
Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Lemon Pistachio Cake Sticky Toffee Date Cake Moist Lemon Blueberry Bread Olive Oil Chocolate Bundt Cake Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe with Chocolate Fudge Frosting Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting Blueberry Peach Upside Down CakeFor the love of chocolate
Looking for more decadent chocolate recipes? Try these:
Chocolate cake love
Here are more delicious cakes to try:
Video
Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
NOTE: you can prepare this recipe using 1 x batch of Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix along with the liquid ingredients listed below (oil through to hot water)
Chocolate Cake batter:
- 1 cup (237ml) hot water or hot coffee
- 1 ¾ cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (56g) cocoa powder (I prefer this Dutch cocoa or this one)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil (I prefer sunflower oil)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60ml) full fat plain yogurt
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
Milk Chocolate Ganache icing:
- 10 ½ oz (300g) pure milk chocolate
- ⅓ cup (80ml) light 10% cream
- 1 tablespoon (6g) cocoa powder (I prefer this Dutch cocoa or this one) (optional)
- 2 tablespoon (30ml) full fat plain yogurt
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 13x18 inch half sheet pan with cooking spray or lightly grease it with butter and then line it with parchment paper. It is very important spray the pan laying down the parchment paper so it sticks. This is a very runny wet batter and it can leak underneath the parchment if it is not flush with the pan.
- Begin by bringing a kettle to a boil and prepare the coffee if you choose to use it. Keep warm.
- Use a fine mesh sieve to sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend very well so the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Combine eggs, oil, yogurt, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with an electric handheld mixer on medium-low until blended. You can also mix by hand with a wire whisk. It will be quite thick and somewhat dry at this point.
- Add the hot water or coffee gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and mix until evenly combined and the batter is smooth. The batter will be quite thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan on the counter top to allow any large air bubbles to surface and pop. Bake for 25-28 minutes until the cake springs back when pressed gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Make the icing. Finely chop the milk chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl. If you are using these couverture milk chocolate chips then there's no need to chop them.
- Pour cream into a 1-quart stainless steel saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil over medium-low heat. Once it reaches a boil, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl and let stand for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and stir in concentric circles using a spatula or a whisk until smooth and glossy.
- Sift in cocoa powder, add yogurt and salt and whisk it through gently. Do not whisk vigorously because incorporating air at this stage will cause the ganache to split. Set it aside to cool and thicken slightly for 20-30 minutes.
- Once it is thick like the consistency of custard, pour it over the cooled cake and spread it out evenly. Place the cake in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to let the icing set up then slice and serve!
Autumn
Another solid recipe, I did sub for your chocolate ganache on top but the cake itself was a lovely flavor and texture.
christina.marsigliese
Thank you so much Autumn! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Sheila
Hi
The instructions don't mention the hot water/coffee. I assume they go in with the wet ingredients. Is this correct?
I'm looking forward to making this
christina.marsigliese
Hi Sheila! You add it at the end. The instructions have been updated. Thanks!
Sheila
Delicious. Very cocoa forward. A great cake for a crowd
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Sheila! Glad you enjoyed the cake!