Rich, moist chocolate sheet cake topped with chocolate frosting and toasted pecans. Made in a cast iron skillet in just a little over 30 minutes!!
Texas sheet cake has always been a favorite of mine. It’s so easy to whip up, especially in a hurry. A few Sundays ago we were craving something sweet. Usually we stick with our favorite cookies or brownies, but we wanted something a little different. This was a huge hit with everyone!
I didn’t want to make a gigantic sheet of cake, so instead I scaled down the recipe to fit in our 10-inch cast iron skillet. The cake batter is made on the stovetop in the skillet and then gets transferred to the oven to bake. I loved that- one less dish to wash! The cake baked perfectly, then as it was cooling I made the frosting.
The frosting gets made on the stovetop as well. It’s kind of like a mix between a glaze and a ganache. I mixed in some toasted chopped pecans (my mother-in-law had just given us a big bag of them from Georgia) and then poured it over the warm cake. About 10 minutes later the top had set and it was ready to be devoured! We served ours up with some vanilla bean ice cream and a pinch of sea salt. It was sooo good!
Here’s why we loved this recipe:
✔️ We had all of the ingredients in our pantry/fridge
✔️ It was ready to go in a little over 30 minutes (that’s kind of a BIG deal)
✔️ Clean-up was a breeze
✔️ The chocolate flavor was rich but not overwhelming
✔️ The “frosting” moistened the cake nicely & the toasted nuts added a nice crunch
✔️ It made the perfect amount for our family for the week
Give this skillet a try, you’re gonna love it!
Texas Sheet Cake Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup +2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans - chopped
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt; set aside.
- In a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet, bring the butter, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, and water to a boil. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the dry ingredients along with the buttermilk, egg and vanilla.
- Place in the oven and bake for 18-25 minutes or until the top springs back when touched.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, boil the butter, cocoa and milk. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, chopped pecans and vanilla. Continue whisking until smooth. Pour over the warm cake, spread into an even layer and allow the frosting to set, about 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream if desired.
Would you please respond regarding the amount of sugar in this recipe? Is it suuposed to be teaspoon or cup? It certainly makes a huge difference when making the recipe! Thank you!
I’m so sorry for the typo in the recipe. The correct amount is 1 1/4 cups sugar, not teaspoons. I have changed the amount in the recipe. Thanks for catching that!
The recipe still says 1 1/4 teaspoon of sugar instead of cup.
Yes – you are correct. I am having some technical issues trying to get the new information to save in the recipe section of the post. I’m hoping it will be updated soon.
Is the sugar supposed to be 1 1/4 cups instead of tsp? I made this and my mother in law and wife (both from Texas) said the batter didn’t taste right. Checked other recipes and they all have 1+ cup of sugar in them.
I am thinking the same thing and added 1 1/4 cup sugar and it came out good….
I thought the same thing. 1 1/2 tsp sugar is not even enough to sweeten my coffee. Will try cups instead of tsp.
Buttermilk is always tricky to come by for me…. Could I use sour cream as a substitute you think?
You can buy buttermilk or make some, but if you are not wanting to use it, I would loon on google. Because, it gives different options & measurements for what you choose. I haven’t tried just using sour cream.
Can this be made in a round cake pan?
I personally have not tried, but I am sure it could 🙂
This is my favorite cake, but I have not tried it in the skillet. It looks amazing!