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Everything’s bigger in Texas. And while I’m not from nor do I live in Texas it is hands down the state with the most pride ever. EVER. When I lived there for a brief moment I discovered that every license plate, house, doorstep, etc. bears the state or the state flag. Good mercy. And yet, I loved it. In fact, I would love to move there.
I’m going to enjoy Grandma’s chocolate cake that she passed down to my mom and could totally be from Texas given the size. Just look at it…it’s absolutely perfect…
The Best Cooked Chocolate Frosting
I hate to admit this, but I could drink cooked chocolate frosting. Actually my favorite part is after you’ve frosted the cake and the saucepan has frosting setting up in it. I lick it. I full on dip my finger and lick the pot clean. Don’t judge. It takes this cake over the top and through the roof!
It’s so unbelievably good. And Creamy. And warm. Oh, it’s so warm and perfect. I know, you’re all confused. The frosting is made stove top and oh my gosh, it’s so delicious. I just pace while my mom makes it, and then I steal that spatula as fast as I can. I totally hate when she uses every last bit of frosting. Such a waste. 😉 See section below for making the cooked chocolate frosting of the gods.
My mom grew up eating this easy chocolate sheet cake and it made an appearance at my house every holiday season growing up. It’s easy to make, sets up perfectly, stays moist, and it feeds an army. Isn’t that exactly what you need around the holidays, easy to make food that feeds a ton of people? Plus, just wait until you smell all of that chocolate cooking, you’ll thank me. Promise.
How to Make Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
Make a cake doesn’t get any easier! The ingredients are simple, expected…no surprises. Here is how you do it:
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and then mix the flour and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Grab a saucepan and add the margarine, shortening, cocoa and water in it and bring it to a light boil over medium high heat.
- In another bowl, combine the buttermilk eggs, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and whisk everything together until it is nice and smooth.
- Take the cocoa mixture from the stove and pour it over the flour mixture in the stand mixer and mix it together until smooth.
- Add the buttermilk mixture and mix it again until smooth.
That’s it! Easy peezy! Lightly spray a 12×18″ cookie sheet with cooking spray and pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
How to Make Cooked Chocolate Frosting
You might think that something so good has to be difficult to make. Nothing could be more untrue when it comes to this frosting. While the cake is baking, you can get to work on this easy cooked chocolate frosting:
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Grab another sauce pan, or quickly clean the one you just used for the cake, and add the margarine, cocoa and milk and bring them to a soft boil over medium heat.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla to the cocoa mixture and whisk everything together until smooth.
Your cooked chocolate frosting is done! Let the finger dipping and licking begin….errrrr, I mean, I never would do that! Spread the frosting onto the cake while both the frosting and cake are still warm.
Now cut yourself a piece the size the Texas and you’ll be the happiest camper that ever has been! This is the classic chocolate Texas sheet cake you know and love! Enjoy it for holidays, family reunions, birthdays or just an average Wednesday…everyone needs chocolate on an average Wednesday!
More CAKE RECIPES You Have to Try:
- Apple Cake with Caramel Frosting
- Better Than Anything Cake
- Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Classic Banana Cake
- Strawberries and Cream Jello Cake
- Banana Bundt Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake
- Gingerbread Cake
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Lemon Jello Cake
- All our Cake Recipes here!
Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake with Cooked Chocolate Frosting
Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 Cups Flour
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Margarine
- 1/2 Cup Shortening
- 4 Tablespoons Cocoa
- 1 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Buttermilk, Or 1/2 Cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of vinegar
- 2 Eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Pinch Salt
Warm Chocolate Frosting
- 1/2 Cup Margarine
- 4 Tablespoons Cocoa
- 6 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 lb Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the Cake
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- In the bowl of a kitchenaid, mix the flour and sugar.2 Cups Flour, 2 Cups Sugar
- Place the margarine, shortening, cocoa and water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a light boil.1/2 Cup Margarine, 1/2 Cup Shortening, 4 Tablespoons Cocoa, 1 Cup Water
- In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, soda, cinnamon, vanilla and salt whisk until smooth.1/2 Cup Buttermilk, 2 Eggs, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Vanilla, 1 Pinch Salt
- Take the cocoa mixture and pour it over the flour mixture and mix until smooth.
- Add the buttermilk mixture and mix again until smooth.
- Lightly spray a cookie sheet (12x18") with cooking oil (Pam).
- Pour the mixture in the pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Warm Chocolate Frosting
- Add the margarine, cocoa and milk to a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a soft boil.1/2 Cup Margarine, 4 Tablespoons Cocoa, 6 Tablespoons Milk
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until smooth.1 lb Powdered Sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Spread onto the cake while both the frosting and the cake are still warm.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Apple Butter Spice Sheet Cake
Warm fall flavors with a hint of brown butter frosting.
Is margarine a strict requirement in this recipe? I would rather use butter if possible. Margarine is made w hydrogenated oil, which is much worse for us than the fat in butter. I read in other comments, that u replied to, that it makes the cake more moist. Maybe I could add water while using butter. What r ur thoughts?
We agree butter is better but for some reason we prefer the margarine in this. However, you definitely can use butter no need to add water!
This cake is fantastic! I would love to make a few in 8×8 pans to give as gifts. Would you know how I could divide the batter up and how many pans one recipe would make? I’d love your feed back. 🙂 Thanks!!
Thank you so much Charlie! I’ve never tried this so I’m not sure exactly, but my guess it that it would make three 8×8 cakes. Bake at the same temp for 15 minutes.
Do you use all purpose flour or cake flour?
Just all purpose flour for this recipe! Enjoy!
hi dear i want ask what the replace for Shortening
Hi, you can use butter.
Looks wonderful. What size pan are you using?
a 12×18″
Is the nutrition information accurate? Over 7000 calories!!! Yikes!!!
oh dear! It seems to be pulling for the entire cake! I’ll fix that
Texas Sheet Cake!!!
I’m gonna have to see how this one turns out. I have a huge family so anytime the family got together my grandma would make it and anytime we had a potluck after church service. The only thing my grandma would do differently is add some chopped walnuts and or cherries (around the holidays).
Oh yes!! I remember my grandma doing that!
I am 72 yrs of age and this cake has been around for a long time, I’d say as least 30 yrs. We called it Texas Sheet Cake.It was the frosting that everybody raved about.
Yes, isn’t that frosting the best?!
This cake sounds fabulous! I was wondering about substituting the margarine for butter and the water for coffee…your thoughts?
Hi Christine, I’ve used butter quite a bit and while I have to admit that it doesn’t come out as moist, I love the butter flavor. I would probably do half water, half coffee to start with. It should enhance the chocolate flavor but you want to make sure that it doesn’t take away from that typical sheet cake flavor. 🙂
Could you cook it in a 11×13 pan? I don’t have a pan the size you said to do it in
Unfortunately this cake really is meant for a cookie sheet, but you could always lower the temperature a little and try baking it longer however you would have to just watch it as I don’t know the baking time since it would be a thick cake.
Let me first say the frosting is AMAZING!!! Everyone loved it. That being said, the cake is not good. For starters, the cinnamon throws everything off and I wish I had omitted it. It’s also too sweet. I would reduce the amount of sugar by at least 1/4 cup, if not 1/2. Lastly, (and my oven temperature is correct), I would reduce the cooking time by a couple of minutes. The cake was very dry.
The frostng will be wonderful on my next batch of brownies though.
Hi Katie,
You shouldn’t be able to taste the cinnamon as it’s just to enhance the chocolate. It should give a little something to the cake, but not be detectable. As for the cake, I would test the oven as this is a very moist cake (I’m a bit of a weirdo about that. I detest cakes even a little dry). I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it.