Salted Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake October 11, 2025 by admin INGREDIENTS Cake 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for baking dish.

 

What Is a Texas Sheet Cake (and What Makes This One “Salted”)?

A Texas sheet cake is a single-layer, thin chocolate cake baked in a sheet pan (or large rimmed baking tray) with a poured frosting that glazes the cake while warm. The cake tends to be moist, tender, fudgy, and relatively simple in structure. After baking, the warm frosting is poured over the hot cake, and it seeps slightly into the top while setting into a fudgy glaze.

What makes this version “salted”? It introduces salt (kosher or flaky sea salt) into the cake and/or frosting, and often adds chopped nuts (e.g. pistachios or walnuts) or chopped roasted nuts on top. The salt cuts through the sweetness and enriches the chocolate flavor. Several versions include ½ teaspoon fine sea salt in the batter and 1 tbsp flaky sea salt as a finishing garnish on top of the frosting. Yappy Kitchen

Bon Appétit’s version notes that the title “Salted Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake” was chosen because “Salted? Yes. Texas? Yes. Chocolate? Yes. Sheet cake? You had me at sheet cake.” Bon Appétit Their editors adapted the recipe from a reader, adjusted it to use a 9×13 pan, and swapped nuts for more visual appeal (using pistachios rather than walnuts) Bon Appétit.

Thus, our goal: produce a thin, fudgy chocolate sheet cake with a silky glaze, finished with chopped nuts and sea salt, balancing sweet + savory.

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Ingredients (for ~12–24 servings, depending on slice size)

Below is a robust ingredient list. I also include optional substitutions & local‑friendly notes.

Cake / Batter

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 1 cup (240 ml) water

• ¼ cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 cups (all-purpose) flour (~240–260 g)

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or fine sea salt)

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk (or alternative, see notes)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting / Glaze

• ½ cup (unsalted) butter

• 6 tablespoons (≈ 90 ml) whole milk (or substitute)

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 pound (≈ 450 g) powdered sugar (sifted)

• ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or pistachios) — optional

• 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt (e.g. Maldon) or coarse salt for garnish

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Equipment & Prep Notes

• A sheet cake pan (for example, ~15×10 in, jelly roll pan, or standard rimmed baking sheet), or a 9×13 in baking dish (the Bon Appétit version uses 9×13 as adapted) Bon Appétit+2Punchfork+2

• Mixing bowls

• Saucepan

• Whisk, spatula

• Measuring cups & spoons

• Sifter for powdered sugar

• Knife / board (for chopping nuts)

• Cooling rack

Notes & tips:

• Butter & eggs at room temperature help with mixing smoothly.

• Sift powdered sugar to avoid lumps in the frosting.

• Be careful with pan size: too large a pan → cake becomes very thin and may overbake; too small → batter too deep and may not set well.

• Use fine salt in the batter (kosher salt or fine sea salt) and flaky salt for finishing (sprinkling) to enhance texture.

• If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute: e.g. ½ cup milk + ½ tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar, let it curdle for ~5 min.

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Step‑by‑Step Instructions

Below is a detailed walkthrough, including timing, cues, and rationale.

1. Preheat & Prepare Pan

1. Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C).

2. Grease your sheet cake pan lightly (but with enough that the cake will not stick). Some recipes say you don’t need to grease it if using enough butter, but it's safer to apply a light coating.

3. Optionally, line with parchment or lightly flour edges.

2. Heat Butter + Water + Cocoa

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the 1 cup butter, 1 cup water, and ¼ cup cocoa powder.

2. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking or stirring constantly to ensure cocoa dissolves and nothing burns on the bottom.

3. Once boiling, remove from heat. This liquid cocoa-butter mixture is your “liquid chocolate base” to be incorporated into the batter.

3. Mix Dry Ingredients

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together:

• 2 cups flour

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients for the wet additions.

4. Combine Wet & Dry

1. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla into the well. Start blending gently.

2. Gradually whisk in the warmed cocoa‑butter‑water mixture, adding in thirds and stirring to incorporate smoothly. Stir until no dry lumps remain.

3. The batter should be smooth, pourable but not overly thin.

5. Pour & Bake

1. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, spreading evenly with a spatula.

2. Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is set and springs back slightly to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Typical bake time: 15–20 minutes (for thinner sheet pans), or up to ~25 minutes for deeper pans. (Some versions use ~15–20 min) Yappy Kitchen+3Salt & Baker+3Cooked by Julie+3

3. Keep an eye — because these cakes are thin, they bake quickly. Avoid overbaking.

While the cake bakes, you can begin preparing the frosting (see next step).

6. Make the Frosting / Glaze

1. In another saucepan, melt ½ cup butter over low heat.

2. Add 6 tablespoons milk and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, whisk until combined and smooth (do not let it boil vigorously).

3. Remove from heat, then whisk in vanilla extract.

4. Gradually add powdered sugar (sifted), stirring until smooth and glossy. The glaze should be pourable but thick enough to coat the cake.

5. Optionally, stir in chopped nuts (pecans, pistachios, walnuts) if using.

7. Glaze the Cake

1. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven (still hot), pour the warm frosting over the top, spreading slightly if needed so it covers evenly.

2. While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle flaky sea salt (or coarse salt) over the top to get that salted contrast.

3. If using nuts, sprinkle extra chopped nuts on top while glaze is still soft so they stick.

8. Cool & Serve

1. Let the cake cool completely (or at least until the glaze sets) before cutting clean slices.

2. For clean cuts, you can warm your knife slightly (dip in hot water) and wipe between slices.

3. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.

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Tips, Tricks, & Troubleshooting

Here are many extra tips to help you nail this cake:

• Don’t overmix once combining wet + dry — overmixing causes gluten to develop and can make cake tough.

• Bake quickly — because the cake is thin, it bakes fast. Be vigilant in last few minutes.

• Glaze while cake is hot — that’s critical. If the cake becomes cold, the glaze won’t sink in and meld properly.

• Salt timing and amounts: too little salt and the cake may taste flat; too much and it becomes overly savory. Stick to ~1 tsp kosher salt in batter + ~1 Tbsp flaky salt on top (or adjust to your taste).

• Nuts: if using, toast them lightly before chopping — it deepens flavor and helps them stay crisp.

• Pan size: using a larger pan will thin the batter and reduce bake time; smaller pan will make it thicker and require more time. Adjust accordingly.

• Storing: Cake keeps at room temperature for 2–3 days, or in fridge for 4–5 days (covered). The glaze softens in very humid climates.

• Freezing: Freeze fully cooled slices, wrapped in plastic + foil, for up to ~2–3 months. Thaw in fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.

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Variations & Adaptations

You can tweak this base in many ways to suit your tastes or ingredient availability.

1. Nuts & Garnishes

• Use pistachios instead of pecans or walnuts (for color & flavor) — the Jo Cooks version uses pistachios + sea salt: “Salted Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake with Pistachios.” Jo Cooks+1

• Use toasted almonds, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts.

• For a stronger salt contrast, drizzle salted caramel over slices.

• Add chocolate chips on top or embedded in batter.

2. Chocolate Intensity & Cocoa Tweaks

• Increase cocoa slightly for deeper chocolate flavor, but balance moisture.

• Use Dutch-process cocoa in the glaze (but not in the batter, unless you adjust acidity) — darker color in glaze.

• Add a bit of instant espresso powder (½ teaspoon) to amplify chocolate depth.

3. Buttermilk / Sour Cream / Milk Variations

• If you don’t have buttermilk, use ½ cup milk + ½ Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice, let sit to curdle.

• Some versions use sour cream instead of buttermilk for richness.

• Combine half buttermilk, half milk for milder tang.

4. Salt Adjustments

• You may adjust salt in the batter down to ¾ tsp if you use salted butter.

• If using salted butter, reduce or omit salt in the pan.

• For finishing, choose coarse salt or flaky salt rather than table salt — the texture contrast is more satisfying.

5. Alternative Pan Sizes & Scaling

• To scale down, halve all ingredients and use a smaller sheet pan (e.g. half-sheet).

• To scale up, you may need a full baking tray or two 9×13 pans. Adjust bake time accordingly (larger volumes may need slightly more time).

• You can also make this as cupcakes (fill liners ½–⅔ full) — bake ~12–15 minutes, then glaze each top. But note glaze won’t soak in as much.

6. Flavor Additions

• Add a touch of cinnamon, cardamom, or orange zest to the batter for a twist.

• Incorporate chocolate chunks or peanut butter chips in the cake layer.

• Stir in sea salt + caramel bits for salted caramel chocolate version.

• Use dark chocolate glaze (melted dark chocolate + butter + powdered sugar) rather than the standard glaze.

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Full Narrated Example & Bake Plan

Here’s a fully narrated plan you can follow in your kitchen:

1. You begin by gathering ingredients: butter, cocoa, sugar, flour, eggs, buttermilk, salt, vanilla, milk, powdered sugar, nuts, flaky salt.

2. Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease a sheet cake pan, line if desired.

3. In a saucepan, combine butter + water + cocoa, bring to boil, whisking to dissolve cocoa. Remove from heat.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk flour + sugar + baking soda + salt. Make a well.

5. In another bowl, beat eggs + buttermilk + vanilla. Pour that into the dry mix. Then gradually stir in the cocoa‑butter liquid until smooth.

6. Pour batter into the pan, smooth top.

7. Bake ~15–20 minutes (or up to ~25, depending on your pan depth). Keep an eye during last few minutes.

8. While cake is baking, make the glaze: melt butter, add milk + cocoa, whisk to combine, remove, then whisk in powdered sugar + vanilla until smooth.

9. As soon as the cake comes out (still hot), pour glaze over, spreading slightly. Immediately sprinkle flaky salt and chopped nuts over the glaze so they stick.

10. Let cake cool until glaze is set, then cut into squares. Prefer slicing when slightly cooled.

11. Serve at room temperature, with optional whipped cream or ice cream if you like.

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Approximate Nutrition & Serving Notes

Because this is a rich chocolate cake with glaze and nuts, the nutrition will lean toward indulgent. Here's a rough ballpark per serving (assuming ~24 servings):

• Calories: ~300–350 kcal

• Carbohydrates: ~40–45 g

• Fat: ~12–18 g

• Protein: ~3–4 g

• Sugars: ~25–30 g

Because the glaze is poured over and sets thin, slices are often lighter than a multi-layer cake.

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Troubleshooting Common Problems

Problem	Likely Cause	Solution / Prevention
Cake too dry or overbaked	Bake too long, cake too thin, pan heat too high	Reduce baking time, test early, use correct pan size, watch closely
Cake sinks in center	Underbaked, too much liquid, pan movement	Check doneness sooner, reduce liquid slightly, avoid opening oven early
Glaze too runny	Not enough powdered sugar, glaze liquid too thin	Add more sugar gradually, let glaze cool slightly before pouring
Glaze sets too hard / cracks	Too much powdered sugar or overcooked glaze	Slightly undercook glaze, use enough liquid, pour promptly
Nuts sink into glaze	Glaze too thin or nuts too heavy	Toast nuts, use glaze of medium thickness, wait few seconds before sprinkling
Salt flavor too strong	Too much salt in batter or finishing salt	Reduce salt in batter or finishing amount
Cake sticks to pan	Pan not greased enough	Use parchment or grease well, or dust with cocoa powder

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If you like, I can convert this recipe for you into metric units (grams / ml), or provide a Moroccan‑ingredients version (with local nut options, local salt, etc.). Would you want me to send you that now?