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Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe - Classic Crowd-Pleasing Southern Dessert

This Texas chocolate sheet cake is the ultimate party dessert featuring an incredibly moist, fudgy texture with rich cocoa flavor. The classic Southern sheet cake uses sour cream for an unbelievably tender crumb and bakes beautifully in a single sheet pan for easy crowd feeding.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 6 tablespoons milk or cream
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or a similar-sized baking sheet.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
  3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and water, stirring constantly until smooth. Bring the mixture just to a boil, then remove from heat.
  4. Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. The batter will be thick at this stage.
  5. Add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract to the batter. Mix until smooth and well incorporated.
  6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. While the cake bakes, prepare the frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, and milk. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth.
  8. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in chopped nuts if using.
  9. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the warm frosting over the hot cake. Spread evenly with a spatula.
  10. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving. This allows the frosting to set perfectly.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients ensure smooth batter; don't overbake - cake is done when it springs back lightly; pour warm frosting over hot cake for signature Texas sheet cake texture; stores well in airtight container; Greek yogurt can substitute for sour cream