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This Texas Sheet Cake is a family tradition, we grew up eating it and my kids are growing up devouring it. I’ve had many Texas Sheet Cakes or Texas Chocolate Cakes or Chocolate Sheet cakes, as everyone down here as their own version of it.
This is hands down the best one that I’ve ever eaten and everyone that we make it for falls instantly in love with it.
It’s quite addictive, you can’t eat just one bite, trust me… you keep going back for more.
For the cake you need; flour, sugar, salt, margarine (the original recipe calls for Oleo), water, Cocoa, eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, vanilla and cinnamon.
Put the margarine, cocoa and water into a pan and bring to a boil
While it’s boiling mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Once the cocoa, margarine and water mixture has come to a boil you will pour it over the flour mixture. Stir eggs, soda, buttermilk, cinnamon and vanilla together. Add to mixture. Pour everything into a greased sheet pan and bake at 350 for 18 minutes
When there’s 5 minutes left in the baking time, you’ll make the insanely delicious, chocolate (pecan or walnut) frosting.
Milk, walnuts (or pecans), vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa, powdered sugar.
Remove the cake from the oven and after two minutes, pour on the icing
Resist the urge to dive in and devour this chocolate-y piece of heaven until it has cooled. Then, slice and serve or just dig in with a fork like we did this past weekend
 Whomever you share this cake with will be forever devoted to you and thanking you for showing them the light. This is after all, the chocolate cake that shames all other chocolate cakes.
This delicious Texas Sheet Cake is a family tradition in the South. Nearly every Church, Junior League and Neighborhood cook has a recipe for this Southern Classic. This recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember.
Ingredients
- 2 C flour (but not really.. more like 1 C and just a hair shy of another cup..1 C and 1 not quite level cup)
- 2 C sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 sticks margarine (The original recipe calls for oleo.)
- 1 C water
- 3 Tbsp. Cocoa
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 C buttermilk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 stick margarine
- 3 Tbsp. cocoa
- 6 Tbsp. milk
- 1 box confectioners sugar
- 1 C chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 tsp. vanilla.
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Stir flour (I use a little less than 2 full cups), sugar, salt.
- In sauce pan put margarine, cocoa and water. Stir while bringing to a boil. Pour over the flour mixture.
- Stir eggs, soda, buttermilk, cinnamon and vanilla together. Add to the flour/cocoa mixture.
- Bake in greased sheet cake pan for 18 minutes on 350.
- 5 minutes before cake is done make the icing.
- Mix together; cocoa, margarine and milk. Heat and then add nuts, powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Pour over hot cake and allow to cool.
Serve when cooled, grab your own piece and watch with a knowing smile as people experience the tonguegasmic delight of this Texas Sheet Cake. You will have their eternal love and adoration, trust me.
Featured on Williams Sonoma Blog
* Big chocolate-y thanks to my Mama for sharing our family recipe with me so that I can share it with y’all!
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Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect - This looks gooood! I don’t know if I’d love the nuts, but I definitely would love the chocolate!!!
Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect´s most recent brilliance ..Who cares what it’s called as long as it tastes good?
AmazingGreis - OMG, must try this cake!!!
AmazingGreis´s most recent brilliance ..Daddy…
Tweets that mention Texas Sheet Cake — A Southern Fairytale -- Topsy.com - [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by SthrnFairytale, Bluebonnets&Brownies. Bluebonnets&Brownies said: RT @sthrnfairytale: FINALLY! Texas Sheet Cake: Mouthwatering Monday recipe and linky is up! http://bit.ly/cnsSXc [...]
Kristia@FamilyBalanceSheet - My mom has a great texas sheet cake recipe too. A family favorite. I’ll have to dig out the recipe to see how they compare.
Thanks for the meme.
Kristia@FamilyBalanceSheet´s most recent brilliance ..Summer Grilling Recipe Exchange
Liberty - Looks Scrumptious! you could easily add a bit of cayenne to the icing for the grown ups who like it spicy….*blessings*
Liz@HoosierHomemade - I have been wanting to bake A Texas Sheet Cake forever! Thanks for the recipe and for hosting!
~Liz
BTW – remember you can link up your Delicious Dishes over at my new Blog, It’s A Blog Party! Every Tuesday
http://itsablogparty.com
Liz@HoosierHomemade´s most recent brilliance ..Weekly Menu Plan ~ Fruit Pizza
elz - This is almost the same exact recipe as the Pioneer Woman’s sheet cake (I make it ALL the time now). Hers has a scooch more butter in it and no cinnamon. Clearly great cooking minds think alike (you and Ree). Anything with butter and chocolate is my kind of recipe.
Sandi - I love Texas Sheet cake.
Sandi´s most recent brilliance ..Spinach Dip
April Harris - Oh my heavens that icing sounds divine! What a great cake recipe!!
Kristen - We eat Texas sheet cake, too, though we haven’t ever lived in Texas! I totally agree with icing the cake hot and then waiting for it to cool. It forms the most fudgy wonderful layer just above the cake. MMMMM!
Kristen´s most recent brilliance ..Homemade Egg McMuffins: Make Your Own Monday #24
Liz - Okay, I gave in and made this for my family tonight!! It’s cooling now, and everyone is drooling over it!! Thanks for the recipe.
Liz´s most recent brilliance ..Ronzoni-Delicious and Healthy Pasta!
Rachel - No nuts???? {gasp}
It would still be awesome without them
Rachel - Yes, yes you must!
Rachel - You’re welcome!
I can’t wait for you to find your mom’s recipe. You’ll have to let me know if they’re similar!
Rachel - Oh my sweet friend, you do so know the way to my heart!!!
Rachel - You are SO welcome! I hope that you make this!!! I know you’ll make it and it’ll be stupendous!!!
I will be sure to drop by in the AM and link up!!!
Rachel - LOL. Interesting
A few minor differences.
Texas Sheet Cakes are all VERY similar
The cinnamon and vanilla are what make this one memorable and stand out from the rest.
The original Texas sheet cakes started with Oleo and so staying true to the original… I make it with margarine… it makes a difference in the texture and flavor
This one is from way back in the day with my family
If you make it, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
xoxoxo
Rachel - ME too!!!!
I hope you love this one!
Rachel - Thank you! Divine is an excellent description!
Natalie - I have never made a Texas sheet cake, even though I am Texan and love cake! It reminds me of the cake I ate all through school. I can imagine the lunch ladies making sheet tray after sheet tray of this cake. Looks so good, it’s on the ‘to make’ list!
Rachel - YAY! Texas crossing borders
EXACTLY! moist delicious cake, delicious fudge-y layer and then the amazing slightly crunchy, totally creamy, chocolate-y cinnamon-y vanilla tinged icing.
NOM NOM
Rachel - I can’t wait to hear the verdict!
You *can* eat it warm.. but, for some reason… it’s even better when it’s cooled!
Rachel - Oh yes.. this was a Texas lunch lady favorite.. although there’s can’t compare
I cannot believe that you’ve never made this!!! You MUST!
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!!!!!!
ender - I grew up thinking this was my grandma’s special recipe. She made it without nuts in the frosting and in a 9×12 pan instead of as a sheetcake and it was literally the only cake I liked as a kid. It wasn’t until I moved to Indiana instead of Texas that I ever saw anyone else make this, and they made this sheetcake version. I was so confused at these people who had changed my Grandma’s recipe.
When I told her about this, she laughed and laughed and laughed and explained how she’d gotten the recipe from her husband, a cattle buyer for Armour who picked it up from a rancher’s wife when he was out looking at cattle. He loved the cake so much, he went back to that ranch the next day for the recipe! Here I’d thought all these years that this was Grandma’s own special recipe!!
It’s still the only chocolate cake I want to eat.
Rachel - That may be the most awesome recipe story, ever.
<3
LOVE it
My mom still makes it on a cookie sheet, and that’s how it’s supposed to be done however, I have no cookie sheets with sides. (I have one cookie sheet.. it’s sad) and can you IMAGINE the mess?
I love my sheet pan!
I love that you commented on this! MADE my night!
Doll Clothes Gal Pal - OOOOH thanks for sharing! Looks yummy!!! cant wait to try making one myself
Doll Clothes Gal Pal´s most recent brilliance ..Monday Musings – Maturity
mrs4444 - ooooooooohhhh. Looks yummy! Is this a regular meme?
mrs4444 - or feature, or whatever you call it
mrs4444´s most recent brilliance ..Favorite Things: Bathroom Edition
Piper of Love - It’s my most favorite cake in the world, I’m serious. Yours looks sinfully yummy, just like the one’s on pot luck Sunday
Piper of Love´s most recent brilliance ..Some Girls Have Their Dads, Some Girls Have Something Just as Good.
Katina - How wonderful!!!! Gooey and Yummy!
Weekend Cowgirl - I have made this for my cowboy every year for several decades and it is still his all time favorite cake. I think it gets better the second day. We love it with ice cream!!!
Weekend Cowgirl´s most recent brilliance ..Girl’s Road Trip
Mr Lady - DUDE.
SERIOUSLY.
That cake changed my life.
Mr Lady´s most recent brilliance ..Conundrum
Jason @ JL Health Tulsa - That cake is a southern delight! Definitely one of our family’s traditional favorites. Yours looks amazing!
Jason
Jason @ JL Health Tulsa´s most recent brilliance ..Tasty Tuesdays! GF Venison Steak
Diabetic Chocolate Cake Recipes - Wonderful Treat? - [...] Texas Sheet Cake — A Southern Fairytale [...]
Jennifer (Savor) - Now this cake is the perfect indulgence during family game night. Naturally, I would not bring it out to share until after kids in bed .
Jennifer (Savor)´s most recent brilliance ..Summer Picnic Salad
How Do I Make It? | Tea - [...] Texas Sheet Cake — A Southern Fairytale [...]
Musings of a Housewife - DYING. That looks so good.
Shrimp Étouffée | Musings of a Housewife - [...] submitted this recipe to the Tasty Tuesday blog carnival at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Mouthwatering Mondays at A Southern Fairytale. If you liked this post, you may want to subscribe to Musings of a [...]
Queen of the House - You always have such FABULOUS desserts for us to see!!! Yum! Who doesn’t love chocolate???
Queen of the House´s most recent brilliance ..Creamy Potato Salad Made Over
Rachel -
Rachel - Thank you, my love
xoxo
SO nummy!
Rachel - That describes it perfectly!
Rachel - It is, I think, the only cake that gets better better when it’s cold.
Rachel -
Told you.
Miss you and your motley crew.
Rachel - Thank you, sir.
It’s definitely a southern delight!
Rachel - WEll, of course you wouldn’t
No need to spoil the kids with all that rich gooey goodness!
Rachel - MWAH!
Rachel - You’re so sweet! Thanks!
I love chocolate!
Paula - bell'alimento - OH my gosh! This look exactly like one my Grandma made too! Ah, sweet sweet DELICIOUS memories.
Texasholly - This is my absolute favorite food in the whole world and I could live on it.
With some coffee…
Chef Dennis - now thats a great looking cake!! I love the nuts in the frosting!
Chef Dennis´s most recent brilliance ..From The Farmer’s Market to Your Fork – Provençal Ratatouille
Liz@Its A Blog Party - Looks tasty!
Thanks for linking up!
~Liz
Erin @ Making Memories - I can’t wait to make this. It looks so delicious!!!
http://www.makingmemorieswithyourkids.blogspot.com
Jenna @ Newlyweds - Oh I love Texas Sheet cake I could eat the whole thing myself. Delicious.
Glad to see you got the print function to work, looks great!
Jenna @ Newlyweds´s most recent brilliance ..Lemon Buttermilk Pudding Cake
Krissa - That’s the cake this Texas girl has been eating… well, since she was a little girl! And it is called “Birthday Cake” over here, just because it is demanded for every single birthday. It IS the best cake in the world! SOOOOO MOIST!
Krissa´s most recent brilliance ..I recieved the Amberen- we went to San Antonio and I’m having a baby-
Rachel - I LOVE that it’s called Birthday Cake for y’all!!!!!!! It is divine and really hard to say no to!
Jodi - My Grandma has been making these for years. I had no idea it was a know recipe, being from Seattle I have never had them outside of family functions (and they are at every family gathering!). We always called them “Awesome Brownies” b/c in high school some guys were fighting over the last ones yelling “these brownies are AWESOME!!” I am excited to try them with the cinnamon, that is about the only difference between your recipe and hers. mmm, excited for tomorrow night:)
Rachel - Jodi, that’s too funny!!! Awesome Brownies
LOVE IT!
I’m telling you, the vanilla and the cinnamon are what separate this recipe from all the rest and make it simply the best
(not that I’m proud of my family’s recipe or anything *wink*)
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! I truly hope you come back, or email me and share
Greetings from Texas!
Dixie Caviar - Hi there! We’re fellow ThinkFood bloggers, as well as Southerners! I’m having fun exploring your blog…
Texas Sheet Cake has always been a family favorite of ours. I think it’s time to dust off the recipe.
Liz - I have to tell you I have made this cake 4 times now since that first night that i made it! Delicious!!!
Liz´s most recent brilliance ..Eggo Fruit Pizza Blog Tour
Rachel - YES! Hi Dixie! Nice to *meet* you
Rachel - YAY!!! You certainly know how to make a girl’s day, y’know that
<3
Amy - I had my first Texas Sheet Cake a long time ago when my boss’s wife brought one in for us to eat. Sooooo delicious! I asked her for the recipe and she told me she had a policy of not giving hers out. It was like a slap in my face! Really odd, but what do you say to the boss’s wife?!? Anyway, a couple of years after that, when they were moving to another state, she came in to the office specifically to give me the recipe — I guess she’d felt bad about doing that and it had stuck with her. So, I finally got my recipe and now I see it here too! Thanks for being generous with the recipes for the food you love to make. Sharing good recipes makes you feel almost as good as eating the food in the first place, doesn’t it?
)
Rachel - Yes ma’am!
You know, I have NEVER understood not sharing recipes, it’s akin to witholding love!!!
I’m so glad that she came back and shared it with you.
I plan on making this for quite a few people for gifts this year
Thank you so much for leaving this comment!
Amy - Oh, and question: The recipe I have calls for a 10×15 pan. Do you use a 9×13 for yours? Thanks again….
Rachel - hmmm Amy, I’ve never measured my sheet pan… hold on…
It is indeed a 10X15 metal sheet pan, these can be purchased pretty much anywhere that sells kitchen stuff: HEB, Target, Wally etc…
Amy - I know, it’s crazy, isn’t it? I had an aunt (by marriage) who lived in Alabama who made a really really good blueberry / cream cheese / jello-ey layered thing that was wonderful. When I gushed over it and asked her for the recipe, she said “Oh, you just let me know the next time you’re in town and I’ll be sure to make it for you again” just as sweet as could be. But she didn’t give me the recipe…. She was so good and kind in so many ways, but whenever I think of her, I always think of that too. And I still haven’t found anything that comes close to what I remember that dessert tasting like. “Withholding love” — that’s the truth!!
Amy - Thanks, Rachel. I’ve tried making this in the 9×13 and adjusting the temp and time, but it comes out a little gooey in the middle. Which isn’t all bad I guess…. Thanks for checking
Rachel - sure thing! That’s one of the tricky things about this cake (actually, it’s the only tricky thing) it MUST be cooked in sheet pan so that it’s all even and spread out.. thus sheet cake
Gooey in the middle is NOT a bad thing but, it’s better when it’s not
unless you just serve it gooey and hot over blue bell vanilla ice cream and then it’s on!
Jason - Simple enough. Im going to try this.
http://www.blairlockout.com
Great BBQ Desserts: Texas Sheet Cake - [...] mom Rachel Matthews is the blogger behind A Southern Fairytale, where she posted a Texas Sheet Cake recipe that’s been in her family for more than 40 years. Matthews shared with me her secrets [...]
Mary Jo Vick - I’m so excited for you! Congrats!!!
April - Congrats on being featured!
Becky - So…you only bake it for 18 minutes? I wanted to make sure that was not a typo.
Rachel - Becky, because it’s so thin it doesn’t take long to cook at all. For me, 18 minutes is perfect. You can use a spaghetti stick or a toothpick to check for doneness, when crumbs are shown, you’re good.
It’s very thin.
Thank you for commenting and visiting!
Rachel - Thank you, April!
Rachel - ME TOO
!!!! 
Rachel - It’s very simple, Jason
I hope you tried it!
Mindy - My favorite as a kid growing up in Texas! IF there were leftovers we would put them in the freezer, individually wrapped, so you could pull one out, unwrap, and enjoy. Yum! Going to try your recipe. Thx.
Lea Ellen Warden - Hello!!
I ate a few pieces of this cake at our monthly book club last month & absolutey LOVED it! I could have eaten the whole cake it was soooo good!
I’ve been eating Chocolate Sheet Cake all my life, made by my 2 grandmothers. I never thought I would taste a better sheet cake than theirs, but….I did!!! This is the best tasting Choclate Sheet Cake I have ever had & cannot wait to make it myself!
Thank you for sharing your receipe!!
~Lea Ellen
Kristen - What size sheet cake pan do you use? I just bought. 12.25×17.25 Bakers Half Sheet pan and I’m hoping I have room for frosting once the cake rises. It’s for my husbands birthday this weekend. I’m so excited to try it!
Texas Sheet Cake, Y’all « Midsummer Night's Eats - [...] recipe is adapted from A Southern Fairytale and Pioneer [...]
Homemade Blueberry Crisp | Hoosier Homemade - [...] I wanted to share with you, there are tons of yummy choices! At first I thought I would try her Texas Sheet Cake, because well…she’s from Texas and it looks amazing! But I finally settled on her [...]
Natalie - This is almost EXACTLY the recipe that has been handed down in my family for GENERATIONS!
I’m from Texas. 
This is sooo funny to me. My Mom and Nanny will be so disappointed.. Hahah. This cake is delicious. My sister and I have had this memorized since we were very young. It’s our go-to cake recipe!
Kriss - Hi! I can’t wait to try this recipe….it looks delicious! Question; every Texas Chocolate Sheet cake recipe I have seen calls for the flour, cocoa, and baking soda to be sifted, but this recipe doesn’t or am I missing something?
Thanks!
Kriss
Rachel - Hi Kriss,
Nope – you aren’t missing anything
This is made exactly as written. The measurements don’t require sifting for this recipe 
audrey - I first made this about 40 yrs ago, shortly after being married and hosting a famiy cookout. I called it AuntAudrey’s chocolate cake and gave the receipe to my nieces who then tried it and one 8th grader even gave a speech about how he made it at home and brought samples to school. It is still a winner. I lost the original one and refound you today. Can I substitute sour milk for buttermilk? knowing this site is not visited a lot, I do not expect a spedy answer on this.
Rachel - Sour milk and buttermilk, from what Granny says, are interchangeable in this recipe. Good luck, Audrey.. I hope you let me know
Donna - Love this recipe! I just made this cake for my hubby’s 60th birthday party, and can’t wait to share it with the family.
Jones sabo they have got five vendors international - Cheers! It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy.
Tisha - My Grandma used to make a cake that she called chocolate cinnamon cake. Unfortunately when she passed she took the recipe with her my aunts could not find it anywhere. Every year she would bake birthdays cakes for everyone on their birthday, she would always ask what we wanted and everyone always said the same Chocolate Cinnamon. So thank you for posting this recipe because it looks like it is the same or very close to hers and I am going to make it for my sons 13th Birthday tomorrow.