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Texas Sheet Cake

A crowd-pleasing dessert that combines chocolate and ease, baked in one large pan with a fudgy frosting on top, perfect for family gatherings.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 20 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
Frosting Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts optional

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a large sheet pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Whisk well so the cocoa dissolves into the dry mix.
  3. In another bowl, mix together buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
  4. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Stir in boiling water until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin.
Baking
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Frosting
  1. While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting by melting butter in a saucepan. Stir in cocoa powder and milk, bring to a boil.
  2. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla, whisking until smooth.
  3. Once the cake has cooled slightly, pour the frosting over the cake and sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.
Cooling and Serving
  1. Allow the cake to cool before serving, letting the frosting firm a bit.
  2. Serve family-style and pair with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or fresh berries.

Notes

You can use boxed cake mix for a quicker version. If you don’t have buttermilk, use a mixture of milk and vinegar. Nuts are optional and can be substituted with mini chocolate chips.