Texas Sheet Cake Made Smaller

Today I’m sharing my Texas Sheet Cake made smaller. I love chocolate, and this is the cake I always want on my birthday. It’s made with flour, sugar, butter, cocoa, buttermilk, and a little vanilla. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. The frosting is like fudge spread on top. It’s the perfect birthday cake. Just add some candles.

This Texas sheet cake has been around for a long time. I see almost the exact same recipe in old cookbooks, new cookbooks, and also on Pinterest. It’s hard for me to picture anyone not loving chocolate, no matter how it’s presented. This recipe and the post are very similar to the one I did for a half-sized sheet cake, but I felt a smaller cake might serve couples like us better than the full one.

Smaller Pan This Time

This cake is made totally made from scratch, just how I like it. The cake is moist and even tastes better the second day as the moisture seems to come out. It is a perfect recipe for dessert on a Sunday, or any other day, for that matter. I’ve tried different approaches to making this cake, including using a 9″ x 13″ pan like you use to make lasagna and using a pan with a lid to help keep the cake as fresh as possible. I’ve been making mine that way, but wanted a new size and approach this time.

The typical Texas sheet cake is made in a pan often called a jelly roll pan and it is 11″ x 17.” That’s where it gets its name, it is a thin cake on a large cooking sheet/surface, thus a “sheet.” I always found those to be hard to transport, like to a church party or dinner. Now with this smaller sheet cake, the size is much more manageable. Besides, if you covered the sheet cake with plastic wrap or foil the cake seldom looks the same since the covering would often stick to the frosting.

Give this smaller sheet cake a try at your home, you’ll be glad you did! 1/4 Sheet Cookie Sheet (13.5 x 9.8 x 2.25 inches). Please stock cocoa, you can make so many things with it. Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa (100% cacao)

In case you missed the original post, World’s Best Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients – Texas Sheet Cake Made Smaller

• All Purpose Flour (I use bread flour!): All-purpose white flour has a lower protein content. Bread flour has more protein which helps to hold the shape of the cake and adds more nutrients.
• Sugar: Used to maintain moisture, creating a softer cake and adding sweetness and flavor.
• Butter (the original recipe calls for margarine): Due to the fat content, butter helps to produce a softer cake and enriches the flavor; browns the cake batter while cooking. Due to the added salt in the recipe, salted or unsalted butter can be used, based on preference.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Finely ground dried cocoa solids. Adds a deep, rich chocolate flavor to the cake.
• Water: Water helps to keep the Texas Sheet Cake moist.
• Buttermilk: The remaining milk after cream has been churned into butter. Helps baked goods to rise and to be light and fluffy.
• Baking Soda: Adds carbon dioxide to the dough which helps to create a delicious soft and chewy Texas sheet cake.
• Salt: Used to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients; helps to make the cake chewy and strengthens the protein in the cake; offsets the flavor of the sugar.
• Large Eggs: Great source of protein, helps to bind the Texas sheet cake together which creates a moist and soft cake. Increases browning during the cooking process. Adds a deliciously rich flavor and helps to extend the life of the cake.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds and enhances the flavors of the butter, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and buttermilk.

Ingredients – Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting

• Butter: Due to the fat content, butter helps to produce a creamy frosting and enriches the flavor.
• Buttermilk or Regular Milk: The remaining milk after the cream has been churned into butter. Adds creaminess and delicious flavor to the frosting.
• Unsweetened Cocoa: Finely ground dried cocoa solids. Adds a deep, rich chocolate flavor to the frosting.
• Powdered Sugar: Helps to create a smooth consistency; adds sweetness; preferred sugar in baked goods.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds and enhances the flavors of the butter, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and buttermilk.
• Chopped Nuts (optional): Chop pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts, if desired.

Kitchen Items You May Need:

• 4-Quart Saucepan
• 1/4 Sheet Cookie Sheet (13.5 x 9.8 x 2.25 inches)
• Hand Mixer
• Measuring Cups
• Mixing Bowls

Texas Sheet Cake Made Smaller

Step One – Preheat Oven and Gather Ingredients

Preheat the oven to (350°F)= (176°C) degrees. Gather up the ingredients so you’re ready to make the recipe. Grease the 1/4 sheet cookie sheet. (13.5 x 9.8 x 2.25 inches)

Step Two – Combine Flour and Sugar

Combine the flour and sugar in a bowl.

Stir until mixed through.

Step Three – Bring Butter, Cocoa, and Water to a Boil

Bring the butter, cocoa, and water to a boil. 

Step Four – Add Buttermilk, Baking Soda, Egg, and Vanilla Extract

Turn the stove off. Add the buttermilk, soda, egg, and vanilla extract to the pan with the boiling mixture. Use a hand mixer to combine the dry ingredients flour and sugar in the pan, blend until smooth.

Step Five – Pour into a Greased Pan

Pour into a greased pan.

Step Six – Bake and Allow to Cool Before Frosting

Baking time: 1/4 sheet jelly roll/cookie sheet, 20-25 minutes (when a toothpick comes out clean).

Frosting

Step One – Gather Frosting Ingredients

There are only five ingredients for the frosting. Gather those so you’re ready to mix them together.

Step Two – Melt Butter. Add Cocoa, Milk, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla Extract and Nuts

Grab a medium saucepan and melt the butter, add the cocoa and the milk. Bring to a boil while you stir or whisk constantly. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and nuts (optional).

I make this frosting while the cake is baking and then spread it on the semi-cooled cake. This frosting is almost like fudge!

Finished Product

Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack before frosting.

I love the cover that comes with this pan.

Texas Sheet Cake Made Smaller Recipe

Can I make these Gluten-Free?

Yes, I have family members who have gluten issues and they use the 1:1 flour from King Arthur. It works great! King Arthur Measure for Measure

How do I store the cake?

I store the leftover cake on my kitchen counter with a lid on top. I’ve used foil and plastic wrap too, but as I mentioned, sometimes they stick.

Does the cake do better in the refrigerator?

This Texas sheet cake doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and as mentioned above, will do well on your counter at room temperature. I’ve had mine out for several days. Store it in an airtight container and that will help lengthen the time it should stay good.

Can I freeze the Texas sheet cake?

Sure you can. I’d suggest cutting the cake into small serving-size pieces that you can place in a Tupperware type of container. That will protect the cake from getting crushed while in the freezer. The cake should be good to eat after 2-3 months in the freezer.

Is this cake ever called a Texas Stealth cake?

Some people have referred to the cake using that name, but they are the same cake using the same ingredients.

Where did this Texas sheet cake get its name?

It’s rumored that when the cake first came out it was highlighted in a Texas newspaper. Others have taken the adage that “everything is bigger in Texas” and applied it to the cake due to its typically large size.

Where does the term “sheet” come from in the name?

The pan used to bake the cake is referred to as a sheet cake pan. Basically, a sheet cake is any cake that’s usually made in an oversized rectangular pan. Some still call them a jelly roll pan.

When did this particular Texas sheet cake become popular?

It seemed to catch on sometime in the 1950s, primarily in the Southern States. At first, they called it a Sweet Chocolate Cake, and others referred to it as German’s Sweet Chocolate Cake as it was named after a brand of chocolate cake mix. I got my recipe from my mom’s older cookbook.

Is there an ice cream named after this cake?

Yes, there is, Blue Bell came out with Texas Sheet Cake Ice Cream a while back. I’ve never had it, but it has to be delicious.

Do you love chocolate as much as I do? Check out these other chocolate recipes!

• Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
• The Best Chocolate Chip Parfait Cookies
• Easy To Make Chocolate Covered Oreos
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
• Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Final Word

I sure hope you try making this recipe for a Texas Sheet Cake Made Smaller recipe. I think your family will love it as much as mine does, no matter what the size. It is a great recipe to help introduce your kids to cooking from scratch since it’s so easy to make. Remember, it will taste even better the second day as the moisture comes out. Be ready to pass out this recipe to others if you serve it for a neighborhood party or church gathering, people will love it and appreciate the fact it’s homemade. May God Bless this world, Linda