This Texas sheet cake is a dessert steeped in tradition and flavor, embodying the heart of Southern hospitality and indulgence. Renowned for its rich chocolate cake base and glossy, pecan-studded icing, this cake offers a nostalgic blend of simplicity and decadence that’s perfect for celebrations, potlucks, or a family treat.
You can make it with all-purpose, whole wheat or gluten-free flour, and it’s also easy to make it dairy-free!
Whether you’re preparing it for a family dinner, a festive celebration, or just because, this cake never fails to impress. Its simplicity, versatility, and timeless flavor make it a true classic that earns its place as a staple in any baker’s repertoire.
The inclusion of buttermilk and oil ensures the cake remains super moist and tender, while the natural cocoa powder and cinnamon lend a warm, deep chocolate flavor that sets it apart. The icing, poured warm over the slightly cooled cake, seeps just enough into the surface to create a luscious layer that stays distinct while complementing the cake.
And the toasted pecans add crunch and a nutty richness that balances the sweetness perfectly.
I made this cake multiple times over a week, meaning I had to share it with a lot of people. Everyone wanted the recipe and was super excited to make it for their families. If you’ve never had Texas sheet cake before, you really have to give it a try!
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Why’s this a good Thanksgiving dessert?
I know it’s not a typical choice, but it does have pecans and cinnamon, so I thought someone might consider it appropriate for Thanksgiving. 🙂
It’s made in a jellyroll pan (I use this one and love how sturdy it is), making this Texas sheet cake ideal for large gatherings like Thanksgiving. Its thin layers of cake and icing make it easy to slice into numerous servings, ensuring everyone gets a piece without requiring multiple desserts.
But if you do have multiple desserts, which I’m guessing is likely, then you can cut this cake up into tiny pieces! Although that’s probably a waste of time because I’m pretty sure everyone will want seconds.
It’s also straightforward to prepare, with a simple batter and an icing that comes together quickly.
I would happily eat these Cheesecake Pecan Pie Bars every day of my life, but that’s not going to happen for many reasons. One being that the thought of toasting pecans, making a crust, a cheesecake filling, and a caramel pecan topping makes me groan.
Now that I think about it, for this cake recipe, you do have to toast the pecans, make the batter and the icing. But it’s still WAY faster.
This cake can also be made a few days in advance, making it convenient for busy Thanksgiving schedules. Its flavor and texture often improve after sitting, as the icing seeps slightly into the cake.
So I think this would make for a great Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert!
Ingredients
The beauty of Texas sheet cake lies in its simple, pantry-staple ingredients. Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients.
- Granulated sugar – or coconut sugar.
- Flour – you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat, regular whole wheat or gluten-free flour.
- Cinnamon – adds a subtle warmth that pairs perfectly with the chocolate. It doesn’t make the cake taste cinnamony, but it does add something special!
- Natural cocoa powder – not cacao and not Dutch-process! More on this below.
- Butter – used in both the cake and icing. I tried it with vegan butter, and it worked great.
- Canola or vegetable oil – I think olive oil would be too strong here.
- Buttermilk – adds a slight tanginess and ensures a tender crumb. You can use homemade buttermilk. For the dairy-free version, I added 1/2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Then I filled it with unsweetened cashew milk, but you can use whatever type of milk you’d like except for coconut milk, which would have a negative effect on the flavor.
- Eggs – I, unfortunately, didn’t get around to trying a vegan version, but I think chia eggs would probably work here.
- Powdered sugar – no sub for this.
- Pecans – toasted and chopped, add crunch and nutty flavor to the icing. You can use walnuts, almonds, or just omit them if you have to.
- Water, baking soda, milk (I used cashew milk for dairy-free), salt and vanilla
Use natural cocoa, please!
Natural cocoa powder, like Hershey’s, is cocoa that has not been treated with an alkalizing agent, meaning it retains its natural acidity. This type of cocoa is commonly used in recipes that rely on its acidic properties to react with alkaline leavening agents, such as baking soda, to create the rise in baked goods.
Natural cocoa powder has a sharp robust chocolate flavor, which tends to be smoother and milder than Dutch-process. The rich, slightly tangy taste of natural cocoa enhances the bold chocolate flavor that Texas sheet cake is known for, complementing the sweetness of the icing.
I did try it with Dutch-process, but it wasn’t nearly as good. It wasn’t special. Which is surprising coming from me, as I use Dutch-process cocoa almost exclusively in my recipes.
How to make it
I’ll let the pictures do the talking. Please scroll down to see the full recipe.
Do I have to toast the pecans?
Yes! Toasting pecans releases their natural oils, intensifying their nutty flavor. The heat caramelizes the natural sugars within the nuts, giving them a richer, slightly sweeter taste that complements the sweetness and chocolate notes of the cake and icing.
Toasted pecans become crisper, adding a great crunch to the icing. I don’t like raw pecans, the taste or texture, but toasted and on this cake – I love them.
How to make ahead and store
You don’t normally have to refrigerate Texas sheet cake, but because I used a lot less sugar than typically called for in the icing, I prefer to keep mine refrigerated to be on the safe side.
If you want to make it today and serve it tomorrow, it’d be fine for a day at room temp. But I wouldn’t do any longer than that.
For longer storage, you’ll want to place the covered cake in the refrigerator and store for up to 5 days. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture.
The cake will become slightly denser as the icing firms up. Some people enjoy this fudgy texture, but you can always bring it back to room temperature before serving if you prefer the original softness.
How to freeze
Texas sheet cake freezes beautifully, making it a great option for those who like to plan ahead or save leftovers.
- Allow the cake to cool completely and the icing to fully set. This prevents condensation and ensures the icing stays intact during freezing.
- Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, ensuring no part of the cake is exposed. For added protection, wrap it again in aluminum foil.
- Alternatively, cut the cake into individual portions, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, and store them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. This method is perfect for quick, single servings.
- The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the cake in the refrigerator overnight or leave individual portions at room temperature for 1–2 hours before serving.
Recipe origin
When I first started looking at Texas sheet cake recipes, I noticed that all the top results were pretty much the same one or two recipes. I did find one person who made something that looked original. Kudos to them!
I was wondering if there was something like a definitive Texas sheet cake recipe since all the recipes were basically the same, and credit was never given.
I found this interesting site that talks about the history of different recipes. It says recipes with the name Texas sheet cake only started to appear in the 1980s.
Today’s recipe was originally found in a book called Food Editors’ Hometown Favorites published in 1984 by the Newspaper Food Editors and Writers Association.
Dotty Griffith, a food editor of the Dallas Morning News, submitted the recipe to be included in the book. But the recipe headnote says that this recipe was also submitted by food editors from all over the country.
Thank you, Dotty, and all the other editors! We’re still loving your recipe. ♥️
I only made a few changes to the recipe.
- Instead of using 3 3/4 cups (1 whole pound!) of powdered sugar in the icing, I used 2 1/2 cups. Everyone who tried this cake agreed it was already quite sweet with 2 1/2 cups. I have no idea why all the Texas sheet cake icing recipes call for so much sugar.
You can’t go much lower than 2 1/2 cups, though. The first time I made it, I only used 2 cups and forgot to add the rest.
I poured it over the cake 5 minutes after taking it out of the oven. So the icing (which was too thin – thanks to the lack of sugar) saturated the cake, and it was all goo. The next morning, after chilling it it was still goo but SO good. Then I made it again with 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes before pouring on the icing, and that resulted in what you see in the photos.
- I added a teaspoon of cinnamon. I normally don’t enjoy the cinnamon and chocolate combination but found it of utmost importance in this recipe! The first time I made the cake, as written on that food history website above, I made it without the cinnamon. It really made a world of difference.
- I increase the pecans to 1 1/4 cups because 1 cup wasn’t enough.
- I used unsalted butter and oil in place of margarine and shortening.
- I toasted the pecans.
- Added salt to the icing.
- Tested a gluten-free and dairy-free option.
Gluten-free and dairy-free version
This cake came out great with both Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour and King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour.
To make it dairy-free, I used homemade buttermilk and cashew milk as I mentioned above. I also used vegan butter in the cake and icing.
I hope you’ll enjoy this Texas sheet cake! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments if you try it out. Thanks! 🙂
❀
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 16 slices
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (250 grams) flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (29 grams) natural cocoa powder
- 1 cup (236 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs (50 grams each, out of shell), slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (29 grams) natural cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk
- 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups (138 grams) pecans
- flaky sea salt
Cake:
Icing
Optional garnish:
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes. Stir and bake for another 3-6 minutes or until fragrant.
- Remove the baking sheet to a cooling rack to cool for about 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle and then chop. Not super fine and not super coarse.
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F (205 °C) and grease a 10.5”x15.5” (27 cm x 39 cm) jellyroll pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, mix together the butter, oil, cocoa powder and water. Bring to a rapid boil, then pour over the dry mixture and stir until combined.
- Stir in the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla until combined.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 20 minutes (start the icing after 15 minutes of baking) or until the edges of the cake pull away from the pan and the center springs back when gently pressed. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
- Five minutes before the cake is done, prepare the icing.
- In a medium saucepan, mix together the butter, cocoa powder and milk over medium-high.
- Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in the pecans. If it starts to firm up once you add the pecans, put it back on the heat for about a minute to thin out again
- After the cake has cooled for 10-15 minutes, evenly pour the icing over the cake, trying to distribute the pecans somewhat evenly.
- If you’re serving right away, I like to sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top. Otherwise, wait until just before serving to add it as it’ll dissolve.
- If you want to make it today and serve it tomorrow, it’d be fine for a day at room temp. But I wouldn’t do any longer than that. For longer storage, you’ll want to place the covered cake in the refrigerator and store for up to 5 days. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving for the best taste and texture. It also freeze great!
Toast the pecans:
Make the cake:
Make the icing:
Notes
- You can use all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, or whole wheat flour. For gluten-free, use 2 cups (276 grams) Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour OR 2 ups (250 grams) King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour.
- By natural cocoa powder, I mean something like Hershey’s and not Dutch-process cocoa powder.
- For the icing, you can use whatever milk you have, except canned coconut milk.
- For a dairy-free version, I added 1/2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Then I filled it with unsweetened cashew milk, but you can use whatever type of milk you’d like except for coconut milk, which would have a negative effect on the flavor. You can make dairy buttermilk the same way. I also used vegan butter instead of regular butter and cashew milk instead of milk.
Adapted from a recipe by Dotty Griffith, a food editor for The Dallas Morning News, featured in the 1984 cookbook Food Editors’ Hometown Favorites, published by the Newspaper Food Editors and Writers Association
