Baking,  Party Food,  Recipes,  Sarah

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcake Recipe

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcake Recipe

We love a good Texas Sheet Cake at my house. Growing up, my grandmother made them frequently. Bummer for me though because she always put pecans in the frosting. Yes, I realize that most people love the chocolate & pecan combo, but not me. I’m what my momma would call a purist.

Quickly, I honed my Texas Sheet Cake skills as I wanted my own cake sans pecans. For as long as I can remember this is the cake that is suitable for any and all occasions. I never thought about changing it up until Amanda Faber, of my favorite baking podcast, Flour Hour mentioned a Texas Sheet Cake Cupcake.

Why Haven’t I Thought Of This Before?

Well, like I said, I’m a purist. I don’t like to mess with a good thing. But as soon as Amanda mentioned these cupcakes, I set out to make them. Surely, I could adjust my grandmother’s recipe into Cupcake form, right?

Texas Sheet Cake Recipe Really Into This
Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake Basics

Luckily for me, the task was fairly simple. If you haven’t made a sheet cake before, the best part is the warm icing! You’ll mix your ingredients & pour them into a half sheet pan. While you can half the recipe & make a smaller 8×8 pan, or use a 9×13 casserole dish, I love using the half sheet pan. The cake is bigger & thinner, & I love rolling into a party carrying a half sheet of cake! My grandmother always used her 9×13 & you can too. Just know the cake will be quite a bit taller and take longer to cook. Any way you bake it, the Texas Sheet Cake is delicious.

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcake Recipe Pinterest Chocolate Cake Really Into This

Warm Frosting Is Where It’s At

While the cake is cooking, you mix the icing in a pot on the stove. While the cake is warm, you pour the icing on top of the cake & it sets up pretty quickly. I LOVE this about a Texas Sheet Cake. The worst part about making a cake is waiting for the cakes to cool before icing them. Maybe one day I will get a Master Blaster Cooler like they have on Nailed It!, but until then I’ll make my Sheet Cakes when I’m in a hurry.

A Purist Takes a Chance

While recipe testing this Texas Sheet Cake Cupcake Recipe, I changed it up even further & experimented with different types of chocolate. I encourage you do do the same. Growing up, I always used Hershey’s Cocoa Powder & believe me, it is wonderful. These particular cupcakes featured a darker cocoa & I must tell you, I really liked the flavor. The difference is subtle, but it’s fun to take a risk, especially on an old favorite.

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcake Recipe Pinterest Chocolate Cake Really Into This

Does It Work As A Cupcake?

Yes! You can see that I tried 2 different types of cupcake liners. While the paper liners are prettier, the aluminum liners held up better with the warm icing. If you make this cake recipe into cupcakes, be prepared to have a LOT of cupcakes! That’s not a bad thing, right?

Only fill the cupcakes up about halfway, You’ll want to leave room for the icing to set up. The easiest & cleanest way to get the icing on the cupcake is with a scooper. If you bake AT ALL, please get yourself a smaller and a larger scooper. My favorite is the Oxo brand. I bought them years ago & use them with pancakes, cupcakes, icing, muffins, etc. This way, my cupcakes are even, which means they bake more evenly. Also, I make less of a mess.

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcake Recipe Really Into This
Even a T-Rex likes this cake

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This Texas Sheet Cake Cupcake Recipe. It’s a winner! This cake is a go-to birthday cake, great for any party or picnic & even the pickiest of eaters are sure to enjoy it!

If chocolate isn’t your thing, be sure to check out my Strawberry Buttermilk Cake or even this super tasty Banana Daiquiri Cake!

Do you have any family baking recipes you’ve made your own?

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Texas Sheet Cake Cupcake Recipe Handwritten Part 1 Really Into THis Blog

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcake Recipe

This is our go-to birthday cake & a perfect cake for any party! I've adapted this by using my grandmother's recipe as well as Joy the Baker's recipe. 

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter 2 Sticks
  • 6 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1 Cup Water or Hot Coffee
  • 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 2 Cups Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
  • 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

* Frosting:

  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter 1 Stick
  • 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
  • 4-5 Cups Powdered Sugar Sifted
  • 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup Chopped Pecans Optional

Instructions

The Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter & flour a half sheet pan (15x11) or prepare a cupcake pan.

  2. Heat the butter, cocoa & water over medium heat & whisk until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together.
  4. Add the warm cocoa mixture to the flour & fold in with a rubber spatula.
  5. Whisk the eggs in one at a time. Add the sour cream & lastly, the vanilla.

  6. Add the sour cream, then the vanilla.

  7. Pour the batter into your greased pan or lined cupcake pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Frosting

  1. Melt the butter, cocoa, and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat.

  2. When melted, remove from heat & whisk in the sifted powdered sugar.
  3. Add the vanilla last & adjust your milk/sugar ratio to create a pourable, icing.
  4. If you like, you may add the nuts here.

  5. As soon as the cake is finished, remove from the oven & top with the warm frosting. Serve when cooled, if you can wait that long! 

Momma, wife, baker, reader & smart ass. I am Really Into doughnuts, inside jokes, trash TV, pizza, 48 Hours & George Michael.

2 Comments

  • Pam Ebarb

    I wonder where Mammy got her recipe? I know there are LOTS of Texas sheet cake recipe out there. Our Aunt Sis (Ebarb side) got us all hooked on this cake at our Toledo Bend family reunions. Like yourself, I prefer sans pecans (though I 💙💙💙 pecans and even chocolate covered pecans — just don’t want em on my TSC!!) But I think the recipe I use is more in line with Aunt Sis’ cake. No brown sugar, no sweetened condensed milk. I’ll have to copy my recipe and send it to you. It’s my fave and ALWAYS a crowd pleaser! I love the cupcake idea. It’s crossed my mind before but I’m just too old and lazy!!! 💙💙💙😘😘😘

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