Texas Sheet Cake
Last Updated on March 26, 2020 by Annie
This unbelievably moist Texas Sheet Cake covered in a fudgy chocolate frosting is a chocolate lover’s dream!
I am a strong believer that every person has a recipe. There is that one recipe that when people think about you, that’s the dish they associate with you. I think for many people they will remember the delicious sugar cookies I always bring to events. For my grandmommy, it’s her chess pie. For Mimi, I will always think of Texas Sheet Cake.
One of the first times I met Mimi and Poppy was over Christmas. Mimi came walking in with her hands filled with the largest sheet cake I had seen outside of a banquet event, a tub of Texas Trash, and two small pups following at her heels. She informed me that Mr. MLAD just LOVED Texas Sheet Cake so she always made it for him when she visited.
A thin, moist, chocolate cake glazed with a fudgy chocolate frosting… It didn’t take me long to understand why he loved that cake, and pretty soon found myself loving it just as much!
WHY IS IT CALLED TEXAS SHEET CAKE?
There are many different reasons people call this cake a Texas sheet cake. Some people believe it’s because the cake is so large and since everything in Texas is bigger, our cakes must be bigger, too.
The more popular reason this cake tends to be called a Texas sheet cake is because of a similar recipe being shared in the Dallas Morning News in 1957. This recipe “went viral” at the time and spread like wildfire all over Texas.
HOW TO MAKE TEXAS SHEET CAKE
Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F. Prepare a 1/2 sheet pan by covering with parchment paper or spraying with canola oil.
In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda. Set aside for later.
Next, prepare the buttermilk by pouring nondairy milk into a liquid measuring cup and adding a splash of apple cider vinegar. Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes before using.
In a medium sauce pan melt together vegan butter, coconut oil, cocoa powder, and coffee (or water if you are not using coffee). Bring this mixture to a light boil.
Once boiling, remove from heat and pour over the flour mixture. Whisk together until smooth. Then whisk in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Pour into a prepared 1/2 sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
In the last 5-8 minutes of baking prepare the frosting. In a medium sauce pan melt together coconut oil, cocoa powder, and nondairy milk. Once hot and fully mixed together, remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla.
Pour the frosting over the cake while hot and allow time to cool and set, roughly 30 minutes.
DAIRY FREE CHANGES
Since going dairy-free, many of the desserts and indulgences from my dairy filled life needed updating. To convert Mimi’s chocolate sheet cake into a dairy-free dream I:
-Swapped out butter for vegan butter in the cake batter.
-Used coconut oil in place of lard in the cake batter.
-Made a non-dairy buttermilk for the cake batter.
-Used coconut oil in place of butter in the frosting.
-Replaced the milk with non-dairy milk in the frosting.
WHY DO YOU USE COFFEE IN A CHOCOLATE CAKE?
Fun fact, coffee actually intensifies the flavor of chocolate, thus why mochas are such a popular drink. By adding coffee into the cake batter the chocolate intensifies and makes the cake even more chocolatey.
Don’t want to include coffee in the recipe? You mean you weren’t addicted to it at the young age of 8 like me, no problem. You can do one of two things. If you don’t want the caffeine kick, use decaf. If you prefer to omit coffee entirely use water instead.
HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE
If consuming immediately, once frosted, allow the cake to cool completely uncovered. Once set, meaning you can touch the top of the frosting and not get chocolate on your fingers, cover with aluminum foil.
After consuming your desired amount it will depend on how much you have left and what your counter or storage situation looks like. If you have plenty of the sheet cake left, simply cover with aluminum foil and keep on counter for up to 3 days (like it will last that long…)
The cake can also be cut and stored in Tupperware with a sheet of parchment paper in between each layer of cake squares. Might I suggest cutting and using the parchment paper you used to line the sheet pan? The cake can store up to 5 days in the Tupperware. I also crown you king/queen of self-control as I would have devoured every last bite in a day tops.
Did you make this delicious chocolate sheet cake? Leave a comment below to tell me how you liked it! Also share a picture or video on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can share your life after dairy adventures!
OTHER CHOCOLATE DESSERTS TO LOVE
Fudgy Brownies- These indulgent fudgy chocolate brownies are quick to whip up and so incredibly moist.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies– These chocolate cookies are just BURSTING with chocolatey goodness!
Double Chocolate Chip Pancakes- Chocolate pancakes with chocolate chips make the perfect way to start the day!
Texas Sheet Cake
This chocolate cake is a quick and delicious dairy free dessert prefect for feeding a crowd!
Ingredients
- 2 c. Sugar
- 2 c. Flour
- ½ c. Vegan Butter
- ½ c. Coconut Oil
- 4 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
- 1 c. Coffee or water
- ½ c. Non-dairy buttermilk
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
Texas Sheet Cake Frosting
- ½ c. Coconut Oil
- 4 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
- 6 Tbsp. Non-dairy Milk
- 3 c. Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
Instructions
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Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F. Prepare a ½ sheet pan by spraying with non-stick spray, greasing with vegan butter, or covering with a parchment paper.
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In a liquid measuring cup, prepare non-dairy buttermilk by pouring non-dairy milk just below the ½ c. measurement and fill to ½ line with apple cider vinegar. Stir and let sit.
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In a medium saucepan melt together vegan butter, coconut oil, cocoa powder, and coffee.
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While melting, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon.
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Once the cocoa mixture melts, pour over the flour mixture and whisk to combine.
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Whisk in buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Once smooth, pour into sheet pan and bake 20-25 minutes.
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5 minutes before the cake comes out, make the icing. In a medium saucepan melt coconut oil with cocoa powder and non-dairy milk over medium heat. Bring to a slow boil.
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Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla.
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When the cake comes out of the oven pour the frosting over the hot cake and allow to set.
Recipe Notes
If you do not want to use coffee, replace with hot water.