White Texas Sheet Cake
This classic White Texas Sheet Cake recipe is a moist and delicious cake with a sweet glaze topping and crushed walnuts. Great for serving a crowd and special occasions, this dessert is packed with sweet Southern flavor!
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Next time you're craving something comforting and sweet, this white sheet cake is easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes!
Why This Recipe Works
This traditional Texas sheet cake is an easy dessert recipe for any occasion, featuring a sweet homemade icing and a moist vanilla base.
Packed with classic comforting flavors, this is a foolproof dessert that will be a hit with any crowd! Everyone will love the amazingly moist cake and vanilla frosting.
And for even more cake recipes, try my Traditional Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake or these Gooey Butter Cake Bars.
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted Butter
- All-Purpose Flour: I have only tested this using all purpose flour.
- Granulated Sugar: This is the same as regular white sugar.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cake take on a nice fluffy texture.
- Salt
- Sour Cream: Gives the cake a bit of tangy flavor and helps keep it moist.
- Eggs: Room temperature recommended.
- Clean Vanilla Extract: You can use regular vanilla extract, but clear extract will help preserve the white color of the cake.
- Milk
- Confectioner's Sugar: Also called powdered sugar.
- Almond Extract: You can also use vanilla extract for the frosting, but almond extract helps give it a warm and nutty flavor.
- Walnuts: A crunchy topping that adds texture to the cake.
How to Make this White Texas Sheet Cake
- Step 1: Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Whisk in the water, boil for 30 seconds, and remove from heat to cool.
- Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt).
- Step 3: Pour the butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir.
- Step 4: Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract to the batter.
- Step 5: Pour sheet cake batter into a greased cake pan and smooth out with a spatula. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Step 6: While the cake bakes, melt the butter for the icing in a large saucepan. Add milk and whisk until combined.
- Step 7: Add 1 cup of confectioner's sugar at a time, whisking to mix in each time.
- Step 8: Repeat this process until all of the sugar is incorporated, then mix in almond extract.
- Step 9: Remove from heat and stir half the chopped walnuts into the icing.
- Step 10: Pour the frosting over the warm cake and spread out evenly, then top with the other half of the walnuts.
Recipe Tips
- Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for about an hour so the icing has time to cool and set.
- If you don't have clear vanilla, regular extract can be used. It will just make the white cake a little bit darker.
- Don't pour in all the powdered sugar at once when making your icing! Adding 1 cup at a time results in a lighter and brighter icing.
- The frosting will set up fairly quickly as you spread it, so start at the corners and then pour the rest in the middle to ensure you get an even spread.
- If you don't like walnuts, you can use pecans or almonds instead.
- Another option, instead of nuts is to use fresh berries. Make this a strawberry sheet cake by slicing strawberries in half and adding them to the frosting as it sets.
- Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for a day or so or transferred to an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.
Recipe FAQ's
How is Texas sheet cake different from regular cake?
A Texas sheet cake is typically baked in a large jelly roll pan instead of a typical cake pan, which leads to a larger but thinner cake. Sheet cakes also typically have a thick layer of icing on top that's slightly different from the kind of frosting you might put on a typical cake.
Can you make a sheet cake ahead of time?
Yes, you can bake your cake a day or two ahead of time. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it's time to serve. I recommend making the icing fresh so it's hot and easier to spread.
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White Texas Sheet Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
For the Icing
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cubed
- ½ cup milk
- 6 cups confectioners sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups walnuts chopped and divided
- Fresh berries for garnish optional (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease an 18x13” (large jelly roll baking sheet) rimmed ½ sheet pan well with nonstick spray or shortening.
- a. Note: A large rimmed cookie sheet, or a jelly roll pan works best for this recipe. Using a 9x13 standard cookie sheet is too small.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium/low heat. Once melted, whisk in the water then bring to a low boil for 30 seconds.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool for 2 minutes, stirring in intervals.
- In a large glass mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt with a spoon or spatula and stir to combine.
- a. Note: Use a glass that can allow some* heat when the butter/water mixture is added.
- Pour the warmed butter mixture into the flour and mix by hand with a spatula. Once combined, add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Continue mixing, and make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until the cake is cooked. While the cake is cooling, make the icing.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the milk and continue whisking until combined.
- Add 1 cup of confectioner sugar at a time, whisking each time until the sugar is combined. This process will take approximately 5 minutes. Add the almond extract with the final cup of powdered sugar, and then mix until smooth and blended.
- Remove the frosting from heat and fold in 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
- Pour the cooked frosting over the warm cake and spread evenly over the top using the back of a spoon or spatula. Garnish the cake with the remaining walnuts.
- a. *This step requires you to work quickly- the frosting will start setting up while you spread it over the cake.
- Let it cool at room temperature for about 1 hour for the icing to set up.
- Serve immediately at room temperature.
Notes
- Regular vanilla can be used if you don’t have clear vanilla, yet it might deepen the cake color.
- When the frosting is made by adding 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, its color will lighten to a beautiful, slightly tinted white.
- The frosting, while warm will have the consistency of a loose sauce or gravy.
- When spreading, the frosting sets up quickly! Pour the frosting starting at the corners and then ending in the middle so it can be pushed and spread evenly all over the cake.
- The walnuts can be substituted for chopped pecans or sliced almonds, or omitted completely by garnishing with fresh berries.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 344kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 4gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 98mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 568IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
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