Pioneer Woman Texas Sheet Cake

Pioneer Woman Texas Sheet Cake is widely considered the best chocolate sheet cake recipe in existence. It is a thin, incredibly moist chocolate cake made in a large jelly roll pan, topped with a rich, fudgy cooked icing that is poured over the cake while both are still warm. The result is a dessert where the frosting seeps into the top layer of the sponge, creating a decadent, brownie-like texture that melts in your mouth. It is the ultimate potluck dessert because it feeds a crowd and stays moist for days.

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🤎 Why You Will Love This Texas Sheet Cake Recipe:

• Feeds a Crowd: Baked in a large 18×13-inch sheet pan, this single recipe yields 24 to 30 servings, making it perfect for parties, holidays, or church gatherings.
• The “Pour” Technique: Unlike traditional cakes that must cool before frosting, you pour the warm icing directly onto the hot cake. This creates a magical fusion between the cake and the glaze.
• Incredibly Moist: The batter uses buttermilk and a boiled cocoa mixture, ensuring the crumb is dense, soft, and never dry.
• Fudgy Icing: The frosting isn’t a fluffy buttercream; it is a cooked fudge glaze loaded with pecans that sets into a sugary, slightly crisp shell.
• No Mixer Needed: You don’t need a stand mixer or electric beaters. The batter and icing are both made easily in a saucepan and a bowl.

🧈 Pioneer Woman Texas Sheet Cake Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
• 4 heaping tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Icing:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
• 4 heaping tbsp cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lb (approx 3 ¾ cups) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), sifted
• 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)

🎂 How To Make Pioneer Woman Texas Sheet Cake

1. Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet (often called a jelly roll pan) generously with butter or cooking spray.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Set aside.
3. Boil Chocolate Mixture: In a saucepan, melt the 2 sticks of butter. Add the 4 heaping tbsp of cocoa powder. Whisk in the 1 cup of boiling water. Let the mixture boil vigorously for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
4. Combine: Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the flour mixture. Stir gently just until combined and slightly cooled.
5. Add Wet Ingredients: In a separate measuring cup, mix the 1/2 cup of buttermilk, 2 beaten eggs, 1 tsp of baking soda, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Pour this into the chocolate batter and stir until smooth and uniform.
6. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and spread it evenly into the corners. Bake for 20 minutes. (Do not overbake).
7. Make Icing: While the cake is in the last 5 minutes of baking, make the icing. Melt the 1 stick of butter in a saucepan. Add the 4 heaping tbsp of cocoa powder and stir. Add the 6 tbsp of milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whisk thoroughly until smooth. Stir in the pecans.
8. The Pour: Remove the cake from the oven. Immediately pour the hot icing over the hot cake. Spread it gently to the edges using a spatula.
9. Set: Let the cake sit for at least 20 minutes so the icing can set and crystallize slightly before slicing.

💭 Recipe Tips

• Pan Size Matters: You really need an 18×13-inch jelly roll pan. If you use a standard 9×13 pan, the batter will overflow and the ratios will be wrong. If you only have a 9×13 pan, you must halve the recipe.
• Sift the Sugar: For the icing, it is highly recommended to sift the powdered sugar. If you don’t, you may end up with little white lumps in your smooth chocolate glaze.
• Timing: The magic happens when warm icing meets warm cake. Do not let the cake cool down before icing it, or the frosting will just sit on top rather than melding with the surface.
• Buttermilk Substitute: If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1/2 cup of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.

🍦 What To Serve With Texas Sheet Cake?

This Texas Sheet Cake is extremely rich and sweet, so it pairs best with a cold glass of milk to wash it down. For dessert, a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is traditional. It is also excellent with a strong cup of black coffee to balance the sugar intensity.

🎚 How To Store Leftovers Texas Sheet Cake?

• Room Temperature: This cake keeps beautifully at room temperature. Cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and it will stay moist for up to 3 to 4 days.
• Refrigerate: You can refrigerate it to extend the life to 1 week, but it tastes best at room temperature.
• Freeze: The cake freezes well. Cut into squares, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 2 months.

🥵 How To Reheat Leftovers Texas Sheet Cake?

Important Tip: Because of the butter content, the icing can become firm when cold.

• Microwave: Place a square on a plate and heat for 10 to 15 seconds. This makes the cake incredibly soft and the frosting melty and gooey again.

❓FAQs

More Recipes:

• Pioneer Woman Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
• Pioneer Woman Orange Monkey Bread
• Pioneer Woman Sheet Pan Pancake

📊 Texas Sheet Cake Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 square (serves 24)

• Calories: 340 kcal
• Total Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 9g
• Cholesterol: 45mg
• Sodium: 220mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 48g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g
• Sugars: 36g
• Protein: 3g

Pioneer Woman Texas Sheet Cake

Recipe by Imen DridiCourse: Dessert, Breakfast, SnacksCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

24

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

340

kcal

Pioneer Woman Texas Sheet Cake is widely considered the best chocolate sheet cake recipe in existence. It is a thin, incredibly moist chocolate cake made in a large jelly roll pan, topped with a rich, fudgy cooked icing that is poured over the cake while both are still warm. The result is a dessert where the frosting seeps into the top layer of the sponge, creating a decadent, brownie-like texture that melts in your mouth. It is the ultimate potluck dessert because it feeds a crowd and stays moist for days.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter

• 4 heaping tbsp cocoa powder

• 1 cup boiling water

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• For the Icing:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter

• 4 heaping tbsp cocoa powder

• 6 tbsp milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 lb (approx 3 ¾ cups) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), sifted

• 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)

Directions

• Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet (often called a jelly roll pan) generously with butter or cooking spray.
• Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Set aside.
• Boil Chocolate Mixture: In a saucepan, melt the 2 sticks of butter. Add the 4 heaping tbsp of cocoa powder. Whisk in the 1 cup of boiling water. Let the mixture boil vigorously for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
• Combine: Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the flour mixture. Stir gently just until combined and slightly cooled.
• Add Wet Ingredients: In a separate measuring cup, mix the 1/2 cup of buttermilk, 2 beaten eggs, 1 tsp of baking soda, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Pour this into the chocolate batter and stir until smooth and uniform.
• Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and spread it evenly into the corners. Bake for 20 minutes. (Do not overbake).
• Make Icing: While the cake is in the last 5 minutes of baking, make the icing. Melt the 1 stick of butter in a saucepan. Add the 4 heaping tbsp of cocoa powder and stir. Add the 6 tbsp of milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whisk thoroughly until smooth. Stir in the pecans.
• The Pour: Remove the cake from the oven. Immediately pour the hot icing over the hot cake. Spread it gently to the edges using a spatula.
• Set: Let the cake sit for at least 20 minutes so the icing can set and crystallize slightly before slicing.

Notes

• Pan Size Matters: You really need an 18×13-inch jelly roll pan. If you use a standard 9×13 pan, the batter will overflow and the ratios will be wrong. If you only have a 9×13 pan, you must halve the recipe.
  Sift the Sugar: For the icing, it is highly recommended to sift the powdered sugar. If you don’t, you may end up with little white lumps in your smooth chocolate glaze.
  Timing: The magic happens when warm icing meets warm cake. Do not let the cake cool down before icing it, or the frosting will just sit on top rather than melding with the surface.
  Buttermilk Substitute: If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1/2 cup of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.