Desserts / Cakes & cheesecakes
Texas Sheet Cake with Coffee and Pecans
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Warm pecan frosting goes over the cake the minute it leaves the oven, so it sinks in and sets thin and fudgy. Hot coffee deepens the chocolate, and one pan feeds the whole family and then some.
The short version
Boil butter, cocoa and hot coffee, stir into flour and sugar, then add sour cream and eggs. Bake in a half-sheet pan at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Boil the frosting while it bakes and pour it over the hot cake.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Swap the water for hot coffee. Coffee doesn't taste like coffee here; it makes the cocoa taste darker and more chocolatey. Use leftover brewed coffee or instant stirred into hot water.
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Add sour cream to the batter. A little sour cream keeps the thin cake tender and moist even after a day, and its tang balances all that sugar.
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Toast the pecans. Five minutes in the oven turns soft, bland nuts into crunchy ones that taste like pecans. Do it while the cake bakes.
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Frost the cake while it's hot. The warm frosting soaks into the top layer of cake and sets into a thin, fudgy glaze, with no crumbs and no waiting.
What you need
the usual suspects
- All-purpose flour2 cups
- Granulated sugar2 cups
- Unsalted butter1 cup
- Unsweetened cocoa powder¼ cup
- Sour cream½ cup
- Eggs2 large
- Vanilla extract1 teaspoon
- Whole milk6 tablespoons
Cake
Frosting
tap each one as it goes in. no double-salting.
Steps
deep breath. you’ve got this.
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Heat the oven, grease the pan
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Grease an 18×13-inch half-sheet pan with butter or oil, including the corners and sides. Toast the pecans on a small tray for 6 to 8 minutes until they smell nutty, then chop them.
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Whisk the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and salt together until no clumps of flour remain. Set it near the stove.
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Boil the butter and cocoa
In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa and hot coffee. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, whisking until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Pour it right away over the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
About 4 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Add sour cream and eggs
Whisk in the sour cream, eggs, baking soda and vanilla until the batter is smooth and thin. It should pour like heavy cream. Let the cocoa mixture cool a minute before the eggs go in if it's still steaming hard.
Whisk the eggs in quickly. Hot batter can scramble them if they sit.
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Bake the cake
Pour the batter into the pan and tilt it so it reaches the corners. Bake until the cake springs back when you press the center lightly and a toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Start the frosting when the cake has about 5 minutes left.
Thin cakes overbake fast. Check at 18 minutes.
About 20 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Boil the frosting
In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa and milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking, then take it off the heat. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and glossy, then stir in the pecans.
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Frost the hot cake
Pour the warm frosting over the cake the moment it comes out of the oven. Spread it to the edges with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. It will look thin and shiny at first.
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Let it set
Cool the cake in the pan until the frosting is set and no longer wet to the touch, about 30 minutes. Cut it into squares right in the pan.
About 30 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
read this before somebody asks for seconds
- You can bake this in a 9×13-inch pan, but the cake is thicker. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes and make the same amount of frosting.
- No sour cream? Use plain yogurt or buttermilk in the same amount.
- Skip the pecans for a nut-free cake, or swap in walnuts.
- Storage. Covered at room temperature, 3 days. Refrigerate in a warm, humid kitchen and bring to room temperature before serving. Frozen unfrosted or frosted, wrapped well, 2 months.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Why is my Texas sheet cake dry?
It baked too long. This is a thin cake, so it's done in 18 to 22 minutes in a half-sheet pan. Pull it when the center springs back and a toothpick comes out clean.
Can I make a Texas sheet cake in a 9×13 pan?
Yes. Bake it at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake will be taller and the frosting layer thinner in proportion, but it tastes just as good.
Do I have to use coffee?
No. Hot water works and the cake is still good. Coffee makes the chocolate taste richer, and the cake won't taste like coffee.
Why do you frost the cake while it's still hot?
The hot frosting spreads thin and soaks slightly into the cake, then sets into a fudgy layer. Cold frosting sits on top and won't spread as easily.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It tastes even better the next day. Cover the pan tightly once the frosting has set.
From the table
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one star means we talk. five means I tell Dad.
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Published October 29, 2026.