When one has a large family, recipes that feed a crowd, yet taste delicious, are always on my radar. The Texas Sheet Cake certainly fits that the criteria, and what’s even better is that is bakes in TEN minutes. Yes, ten! I had to double check just to make sure. I love Simple Holiday Recipes.
Typically, I am not a huge chocolate cake lover, but the Texas Sheet Cake offers a whole new dynamic, one that you do not want to miss trying. It’s almost more like one large brownie that I could sit and eat all day.
My reader, Maggie, shared her Grandma’s version of the Texas Sheet Cake, and the story behind it. She knows LARGE families for sure.
My grandmother is the youngest of 13—yes, you read correctly—13 children. She was raised on a farm and as a young girl, grandma spent hours in the kitchen helping her mother and sisters prepare meals for the family and continuous stream of visitors. Knowing your way around a kitchen must be genetic, because fortunately, Grandma passed down her love of cooking and baking to my father.
My dad’s all-time favorite dessert is Grandma’s Texas Sheet Cake. Over the years, the cake has become a staple at football tailgates, parties, and barbeques. In college, dad even mailed me a batch for Valentine’s Day—did I mention he’s the best?
If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing, daughter-approved dessert for your next event, or just a special Wednesday night treat, try Grandma’s Texas Sheet Cake.
Recipe: Texas Sheet Cake
Summary: Grandma’s Texas Sheet Cake is the perfect recipe when you need a crowd pleasing dessert to serve.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 Cups flour
- 2 Cups sugar
- 1 Stick butter
- 4 Heaping tablespoons of Cocoa
- 1 Cup Water
- ½ Cup vegetable oil
- ½ Cup buttermilk
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
Icing
- 1 Stick butter
- 6 TBs milk
- 4 heaping Tablespoons of cocoa
- 1 Pound (typically one box) powdered sugar
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix flour and sugar together in a large bowl.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt butter with cocoa, water, and vegetable oil.
- Bring the items in saucepan to a boil then mix in with sugar and flour.
- Add buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, eggs and cinnamon with mixture in the bowl.
- Stir well.
- Pour batter into a greased and floured sheet cake pan.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean. It bakes quickly, so watch it.)
- When cake is done baking, begin making the icing.
- In a saucepan, add butter, milk, and cocoa. Bring to a boil.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until smooth.
- Spread over cake with a spatula while cake is still warm.
- Add chopped nuts, candy crumbles, etc. if you wish. Enjoy!
LOVE Texas Sheet Cake. Such an easy yet absolutely delicious dessert. Every time I make it people comment on how moist and yummy it is.
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This is my all-time favorite cake! It’s even better with chopped pecans added to the icing. My mom always made this for my birthday growing up. Down here in Texas, it is definitely a favorite at any gathering!!!
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Do you seriously only bake this cake for 10 minutes?!!
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Jen Reply:
December 6th, 2011 at 7:43 am
Trust me, I know. YES, only ten minutes. It’s no typo. 🙂 Great when time is an issue and you don’t want to do a box mix.
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My mom used to make a cake very similar to this when I was growing up. She lost the recipe about 20 years ago. After my dad passed away my aunt – his sister- sent me a copy of my grandmothers recipe book and there was my mom’s recipe in her handwriting. Pretty cool since my parents divorced 25 yrs ago. Her recipe called for oleo, and I substituted coconut oil – so very, very yummy!
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Jen Reply:
December 6th, 2011 at 7:43 am
I JUST wrote a post for another site ( and I’ll post it here), which talks about the magic of handing down old family recipes (in their own hand writing). That is so neat, Angi. What a gift.
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I grew up eating this cake…it is SO good. Of course I’m now gluten, grain, dairy and refined sugar-free so all I have are wonderful memories of it but I loved reading the post. I can even still close my eyes and imagine the taste!
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I believe there is a typo in the icing ingredients shouldn’t it be 6 tablespoons of milk not 6 teaspoons?
Thanks just wondering.
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Recipe states to bake for 15 to 20 min yet you say in your commentary to bake only 10 minutes. Will you kindly clarify?
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Jen Reply:
September 12th, 2017 at 4:42 pm
This was a recipe submitted and while the person said 10 minutes, you’re right, it should be 15-20 minutes. I don’t think it can bake in just ten. I’ll need to remake it. Lots of people have said they loved it.
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