Texas Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Texas Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is an easy and delicious chocolate cake baked in a jelly roll pan and topped with a thick layer of luscious peanut butter frosting. Chocolate and peanut butter heaven!

Slice of Texas Sheet Cake on plate with rest of cake in background.

And the best part? This cake is incredibly easy to make and takes just 35 minutes from start to finish. No mixer is needed for the chocolate cake batter, and because it’s baked in a large jelly roll pan, you get plenty of pieces to feed a crowd.

It’s the perfect dessert for potlucks, birthdays, bake sales, family gatherings, or anytime you’re craving chocolate and peanut butter.

The cake layer has plenty of chocolate flavor and the frosting is bursting with peanut butter flavor. I love making sheet cakes because they are so easy to make and this one is no exception.

What Is Texas Sheet Cake?

exas sheet cake is a thin chocolate cake that’s traditionally baked in a large sheet pan and topped with frosting while the cake is still warm. It’s a classic Southern-style dessert that’s especially popular for feeding a crowd.

This version takes traditional Texas sheet cake up a notch by swapping the classic chocolate frosting for a thick layer of creamy peanut butter frosting.

If you’re a chocolate and peanut butter fan, this version is hard to beat!

Love a Texas Sheet Cake? Try this White Texas Sheet Cake recipe.

What Size Pan To Use For This Recipe?

This sheet cake is baked in a 18×13-inch pan which is referred to as a jelly roll pan. It makes a nice, not too thick cake that is easy to cut into lots of pieces to feed a crowd. It also means you can have a large ratio of frosting to cake and I’m all about the frosting. You can bake the cake in a 9×13-inch pan, but you will need to increase the baking time to 30 to 35 minutes.

Texas Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting in a sheet pan.

Tips For The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake

The cake batter can be made without a mixer. Unsweetened cocoa powder gives it its chocolate flavor. Unsweetened cocoa powder needs to be “bloomed” in order to add maximum flavor to a cake and prevent the cake from being dry. To bloom it, you must mix it with hot liquid.

To bloom the cocoa powder, you’ll mix it with a cup of water and the butter and heat the mixture in a saucepan until it boils.

Let the chocolate mixture cool slightly. After bringing the butter, cocoa, and water to a boil, let it sit for a few minutes before combining it with the flour. This helps prevent the eggs from cooking when they are added.

For the frosting, you’ll need either an electric stand mixer or a hand-held mixer. Lots of peanut butter and some heavy cream make an ultra-creamy frosting with lots of peanut butter flavor.

Note: This cake can be stored at room temperature.

Piece of Texas Sheet Cake on a small Plate.

Texas Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting is a fabulous cake for your next potluck.

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Try These Other Chocolate and Peanut Butter Desserts

Watch The Short Video Below To See How Easy This Recipe Is To Make.

Slice of cake on a small plate with jug of milk.

Texas Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

It's quick, easy, feeds a crowd, and has that classic homemade Southern dessert feel. Make this cake once and don't be surprised if everyone asks you to make it again!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Southern

Keyword Sheet Cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 456kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened I use salted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs lightly beaten

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons butter (I use salted)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 18×13-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
Or you can butter and flour the pan.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.
Add butter, cocoa powder, and water to a medium saucepan. Heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cool for a few minutes. Stir well and pour over flour mixture.
Stir into flour mixture.
Add vanilla, sour cream, and eggs. Mix until evenly combined.
Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.
To make frosting, use a hand-held or stand electric mixer to beat peanut butter and butter until creamy.
Add remaining ingredients and beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes.
Spread frosting on cake.

Notes

Unsalted butter can be used instead of salted butter. Just add a pinch more salt.

Let the chocolate mixture cool slightly. After bringing the butter, cocoa, and water to a boil, let it sit for a few minutes before combining it with the flour mixture. This helps prevent the eggs from cooking when they are added.