This easy texas sheet cake is made simpler by using cake mix and the icing is to die for. Simply pour this delicious icing over the cake, let cool and enjoy.
Before I begin, I know there will be those of you out there who will start criticizing me because I used cake mix. I know this is such a faux pas in the food blogging world. Well I’m sorry, but I have a full time job besides blogging, so I look for shortcuts wherever I can. I’m sure many of you already have busy lifestyles so if you can find a way to “cheat” or make your life easier, why not! And honestly, why mess with a good thing? Have you ever used Betty Crocker’s super moist chocolate cake mix? It’s the bomb!
But yes I know this is a food blog, so you don’t need a recipe you can get on the back of a box, so that’s why I turned this little morsel into a Texas sheet cake, so you’ll get the recipe here to make the most amazing chocolate icing ever. And by the way, my picky husband who won’t eat many of the desserts I make, claimed this as the best cake he’d ever had. Out of a box??? He thought I made a mistake and that’s why it turned out so good. So much faith this one has in me!
To be honest though, I did make a small boo boo. I lined my baking sheet with parchment paper because I didn’t want the work of cleaning up the pan. So after I cooked the cake I realized I had to take it out of the pan, remove the parchment paper and put the cake back in the pan, but now the cake was a bit smaller, so the sides were not touching the pan. When I poured the chocolate icing over the cake, some of it spilled over to the sides. But, as a lot of good things happen by mistake, all that delicious warm chocolate icing went under the cake thereby causing the bottom of the cake to become so moist, and juicy and delicious. So you see it was a good thing, but of course I didn’t admit to this mistake at first, however, he would not stop questioning me how this cake turned up so delicious, so I had to fess up.
Now my poor husband is afraid that next time I make this cake I will make it “the way it’s supposed to be made” therefore not being as good as the “mistake”. What’s a girl to do? But if you want to recreate this little marvel here is the recipe.
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Easy Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 box chocolate cake super moist
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup milk
Chocolate Icing
- 8 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Mix all the cake ingredients together on medium speed for 2 minutes. If you don’t have Betty Crocker’s super moist chocolate cake mix, make sure you follow the instructions on the back of the box.
- Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until done. If you stick a toothpick in the center of the cake it should come out clean.
- While the cake is baking, bring butter, cocoa, and cream to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Use while still warm. Remove cake from pan and remove the parchment paper from the cake. Place the cake back in the pan and pour warm chocolate icing over the cake. Let cool completely.
Nutrition Information:
Enjoy!
My thought is that it might increase the authentic Texas Sheet Cake flavor to change the milk to buttermilk, a standard TSC ingredient. THANK YOU for a great icing recipe — my last attempt was lackluster. BTW, your recipes are always fab. This is one of the really great cooking blogs. And now I see some rolls to try as I practice up for Thanksgiving.
Would you use a white cake mix for the White Texas sheet cake? Do you have a recipe for the White Texas sheet cake using the cakemix? Thanks
You can, and then just your favorite frosting for it. I don’t have a recipe yet for it.
Can you freeze this cake with the icing on it? I am wanting to make several of these for an event in 2 weeks and I’d love to bake, ice and freeze ahead!!
To freeze this cake, place in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until the icing is hard. Remove from the freezer and cover the cake with 2 layers of plastic wrap. Return to the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months.
I was so glad to find this recipe, as I need a cake for tonight and wanted a Texas sheet cake, but did not want to take that much time, so I thought I’d check and see if there were any on the internet and you were the first I found, so I am going to trust you and make it. Thanks, hope it passes the test !
Don’t let them beat you up about using a cake mix! I hate to burst their bubble but most pastry chefs use a commercial mix – and this is delicious. I live in Texas and get the “real” thing all the time and this recipe stands right along side the best
Should the cake cool completely before icing?
No you don’t have to, let it cool with the icing on it.
So quick and easy. Just FYI, I did not use the parchment paper and the cake pulled up on all sides and is currently SOAKING in frosting 🙂
curious—Does it REALLY matter which brand of cake mix is used?? can you not use 3 eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup milk in any brand? What will happen if its a different brand??
The 3 eggs, 1/3c veg oil, and 1 cup milk is simply what was called for on the brand of cake mix we used. Just follow the instructions on whatever box you buy.
Yes, I use Betty Crocker Devil’s Food cake mix and I agree, it’s the bomb. I make the chocolate frosting on the Hershey’s Cocoa container and everyone thinks it is super good. Now I am going to try the icing you make and I know it will be a hit.
I made this recipe about a week ago. Absolutely delicious! I looked all over the web using different search engines for a month and couldn’t find a Texas Choc. Sheet Cake just a plain Texas sheet cake. I tasted the Chocolate Sheet Cake years ago at a prayer meeting held at someone’s home and really was amazed at the taste. I was craving this cake (have for years) so I decided I’d look for the recipe with no avail till I finally came across yours totally by accident. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! This is definitely a keeper!
My pleasure!
Even if you bake your next Texas Sheet Cake, without putting parchment on the bottom, the sides will still pull away from the edges of the pan. (Every baked cake does this, and as it cools the opening increases.) Having the parchment under the cake will in no way change how the sides bake. So, one way, or the other, the topping is still going to ooze down the sides of the cake.
The significant factor here, is the warm frosting (not an icing), which moves and flows, and gravity pulls it into any nooks and crannies. If you had made a stiffer frosting, like a buttercream, it would have not oozed down the sides, with or without, parchment paper.
In Culinary School, in my pastry classes, I was taught that an icing is different than a frosting. A frosting has body, like a buttercream. An Icing is a glaze, of soft and moving ingredients, like a glaze on a sweet roll, or a tea cake. An icing is usually made with just a couple of ingredients – a 10X sugar, and a liquid.
Hope this helps. When you make your next Texas Sheet Cake, leave out the parchment, and pour on that frosting. Sounds great. I’m going to have to try out your recipe. Thanks for your post.
I love the Pioneer Woman’s Texas Sheet Cake, but it a little more work to make.
Thanks for the tips Bunny!
Thank you Chef Ramsey.
I made this last night for my chocolate loving best friend and oh my goodness it was a huge hit . I did poke holes while it was piping hot and poured the icing all throughout the holes and it was delicious! !!!
Glad you liked Jen!
Good for you. 🙂
I don’t think it matters at all that you used a cake mix – this is your blog and your life, and the only rules that count are the ones you set yourself – if any.
It’s a beautiful looking cake, Jo – you can come to dinner at mine any time, if you bring dessert with you 😉 x
Lol, thanks Abbe! Will do! I can make some good desserts, love to bake. 🙂
Has nobody commented on this cake? Here go the questions.
We don’t get Betty Crocker here but something else. I’m sure if it’s Israel it’ll be disgusting.
What sort of oblongy dish thing did you use that it was easy to take out?
To make it even more chocolaty you should make holes in the case for it to soak in more or you can do what I once did thousands of years ago. I took it out not completely done and, oh my, it was sooo good. There were little pieces of chocolate in there. That I did by mistake. My parents were visiting then and came in one day and my dad said ‘Jude. Your mother’s been dreaming of your cake all the way here. Go make her a nice cup of tea and while you’re at it you can make one for me too.’. Now you see where my funniness/silliness comes from. They wouldn’t stay with us anymore, they did when the kids were small, but then said it was too much for me and them. I was working.
Oh my daughter, the lovely Joanna, was born during a war. My mum came for 2 months and my dad came the last three weeks and told me if I have any more – screams of hysterical laughter – he won’t let mum come for so long. One day I had to pop out for a minute. I told him Joanna was on the bed, 2 months old and not rolling, anf to leave her there. When I came home he was sitting in the sitting room with her in his arms. He said ‘what could I do. She called grandpa I’m lonely! So I went in and got her’!!!! My God that was 40 years ago.
One more question, for now. You use Pam cooking spray. We have two (my that’s a turn up for the books). One canola oil flavour and the other butter flavour. Which one to use?
Hi Judy,
Always a pleasure to hear from you. The reason it was easy to take out the cake is because I lined my baking dish with parchment paper, so all I had to do is pull out the cake with the parchment paper, but I just used a baking dish that’s 9×13 inches. I agree that making holes in it would have made the cake even more delicious, didn’t think of that one, will have to try that next time. I didn’t use Pam cooking spray in this recipe, but usually I use the butter flavored one. 🙂
Thank you for your reply. Yesterday I bought a 26cm cake pan and today I found my old ones. Joanna’s birthday today and I sang her happy birthday like Marilyn did to ‘Mr. President’ which made her laugh. Have a good weekend.
Thanks Judy, same to you and happy birthday to Joanna. 🙂
My word. Did you read the whole of my dissertation?
Sure did Judy! 🙂
Hi! I’ll be making this in a 9×13 pan and am just wondering if you know how tall the finished cake will be? Looking for somewhere around 2” thick. This is for a very specific cake I’m making in a couple of weeks otherwise I wouldn’t ask about the dimensions. Thanks!
This was made in a 9×13 pan! It’s around 2″, if not a tiny bit taller.
What kind of comment is, “if it’s Israel, it will be disgusting?” This is a “disgusting” thing t say. Jo should have replied to this negative comment.