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.
Made this for our early family Thanksgiving. It was a big hit! Everyone loved it. Made my own buttermilk using vinegar and milk. It was the perfect size with just a small piece leftover for later. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Ok, this is my new favorite frosting! I absolutely love the flavor, texture and pecans! I love that this is made in a skillet too. Everything just seems to taste better when cooked in a skillet!
We sure love Texas sheet cake, but warm & served in a skillet? So much better!!
Thanks a lot for sharing your amazing recipe! Super tasty and really easy to make! It’s really helpful and I highly recommend this. Will surely make this one again!
Thank you for such a great cake recipe. I love that it was made in a cast iron skillet too because it’s not too big. Perfect size for sharing with company… with no leftovers. So perfect and chocolatey! We all loved it.
Love a recipe that is perfectly portioned and great for sharing!