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Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake: The Ultimate Crowd-Pleasing Dessert

This Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake features a moist, fudgy texture with rich cocoa flavor, made tender with sour cream. It's perfect for feeding a crowd with minimal effort and delivers maximum flavor for gatherings and celebrations.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup butter
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or a 9x13-inch baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, and cocoa powder. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  3. Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract, mixing until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan while you prepare the frosting.
  5. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, milk, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. If using nuts, stir them in now.
  6. Pour the warm frosting over the warm cake, spreading evenly with a spatula. Allow the frosting to set for about 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

Notes

Temperature matters: Pouring warm frosting over warm cake creates signature fudgy texture. Sour cream gives incredible moisture - don't skip it. For thin cake texture use 15x10-inch pan, 9x13-inch gives thicker cake.