Yesterday was my daughter, Hannah’s, 19th birthday. She’s a huge fan of Texas sheet cake, like me. This year instead of making one in a big rectangle pan, I baked her birthday cake in three 8-inch cake pans. Texas sheet cake is notorious for tasting amazing, but never has a big wow factor in appearance. I followed my usual recipe, but simply divided it by three, and it worked. 

Step One

Combine the following ingredients together in a Kitchen Aid or large bowl, then set aside.

• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Step Two

Whisk the next two ingredients together in a small bowl, then set aside.

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Step Three

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan on medium, then add water and cocoa. Bring to a boil, then stir in the step one ingredients until well combined. Stir in the step two ingredients next.

• 1-1/2 cups butter
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 6 tablespoons cocoa powder

Step Four

Preheat oven to 350° F (or 375° F in my oven). If using three 8-inch pans, line each with a parchment circle, then spray interior with Baker’s Joy. Otherwise a rectangle pan, approximately 13 x 18, is standard for this Texas sheet cake recipe. Grease and flour pan or use a spray such as Baker’s Joy, my go-to. 

I use butter if I’m making a traditional Texas Sheet Cake in a jelly roll pan, buttering the sides and bottom of the pan with my hand while wearing a disposable glove.

Pour batter into pan or pans. For three 8-inch round pans, bake for 18 minutes. For one rectangle jelly roll pan, bake 20 minutes. 

Step Five

For the frosting, melt butter on low, then add milk and cocoa. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat. In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, combine vanilla, powdered sugar and the hot mixture, then mix until smooth. 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 4 cups (16 ounces) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Step Six

Pour warm frosting over top of cake into a rectangular pan. 

For three layers, turn one baked cake layer onto a 1/2-inch thick cake drum on a wire rack. Spoon on 3 to 4 tablespoons of warm frosting, then evenly spread over top of the cake.

For layer two, add an additional 3 to 4 tablespoons of frosting, evenly distributing over top again. 

For the final layer, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of warm frosting over the top. Continue to add frosting to the top and allow it to freely cascade down the sides. Place cake, still on a wire rack, into the freezer to help stop the flow of warm frosting. 

After a short time while cake is no longer dripping, remove from freezer and serve. 

These cakes are never really show stoppers in appearance, but they are always the best tasting. A few times, I have used a Texas shaped cookie cutter to slice a piece of it — what can be more Texas sheet cake-ish than if it were a slice of the actual Lone Star Star?