Texas Sheet Chocolate Cake (Printable)

A moist chocolate cake topped with warm, fudgy icing and optional nuts for a rich, melt-in-your-mouth experience.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
07 - 1 cup water
08 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1/2 cup sour cream
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Fudgy Icing

12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
13 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
14 - 1/3 cup whole milk
15 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheet.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon if using.
03 - In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, and cocoa powder; bring to a gentle boil over medium heat while stirring until smooth.
04 - Pour hot chocolate mixture over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract together, then add to batter and mix until smooth.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth the surface, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
07 - While cake bakes, melt butter with cocoa powder and milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth and just boiling; remove from heat.
08 - Whisk in sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in chopped nuts if desired.
09 - Pour warm icing over hot cake immediately after baking and spread quickly using an offset spatula.
10 - Allow cake to cool at room temperature until icing is set. Cut into squares and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The icing-on-hot-cake trick creates this fudgy, almost melted layer that feels indulgent without being heavy.
  • One sheet pan means minimal cleanup, but somehow it looks like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • It feeds a crowd and actually tastes better the next day when the flavors settle.
02 -
  • The timing of pouring the icing is everything—if the cake is too hot, the icing melts completely into the cake; if it's too cool, the icing sits on top and hardens like frosting instead of fusing into that fudgy middle layer.
  • Sifting the powdered sugar for the icing prevents those little grainy bits that catch when you bite; it's an extra thirty seconds that transforms the texture completely.
03 -
  • Use an offset spatula for spreading the icing—it keeps the cake surface smooth and prevents you from accidentally digging into the crumb layer.
  • If you're worried about timing, prepare everything and have helpers ready, because going from oven to icing to spread takes maybe ninety seconds if you're organized.
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