you're making mealtime meaningful.
The humble sheet cake. I really can’t say enough good things about them. They’re made from scratch, but super easy. Transporting them couldn’t be more simple (no layers sliding around here). And you get a WHOLE lot of cake! When I need to bring dessert for a crowd, sheet cakes are my go-to! We’ve made quite a few variations of the sheet cake over the years, but today we’re bringing it back to basics with this vanilla White Texas Sheet Cake.
It’s a bit unclear just how this cake was dubbed “Texan” sheet cake. While there are different theories out there, I’ve always thought it might be because everything is bigger in Texas… and this recipe would be no exception! With an entire *pound* of butter between the cake and the frosting, this bad boy is as rich and indulgent as it gets. I typically cut mine into 16 servings, but that’s serving up a pretty hefty slice o’ cake. You could easily go with a more modest sized slice and get 20 or 24 slices. Everyone might have to come back for seconds, though!
Vanilla cake can get a reputation for being plain or boring. Let me assure you, that is not the case here! Vanilla is the shining star of the cake batter, but it gets an upgrade with a hefty scoop of sour cream in the frosting. The tang it adds to every bit is a real game changer. If you’re not looking to go quite as tangy, you could cut the sour cream amount in half and add milk or cream to your frosting until it’s the desired consistency (but we highly suggest you go all in on the tang!).
I prefer to use a full 12×18 baking sheet when making sheet cake recipes, but a standard 9×13 or jelly roll pan will also work, you’ll just need to slightly extend the bake time until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Whether it’s for a team dinner, birthday party, or summer cookout, you can’t go wrong with this recipe. Get ready for everyone to ask how you make a vanilla cake taste THIS good!
White Texas Sheet Cake
Yield(s): 16 large slices
20m prep time
25m cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and thoroughly grease a large baking sheet (we used a 12x18).
- Add the butter and water to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir to combine then remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda and whisk together.
- Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Add vanilla, sour cream, and the eggs to the batter and mix while scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Pour batter into prepared baking sheet to form one level layer.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a inserted toothpick comes out clean of batter.
Frosting
- Once the cake is finished baking, start on the frosting.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter.
- Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, sour cream, salt, and vanilla. Mix until there are no lumps.
- Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until incorporated.
- After cake has cooled for 20 minutes, pour frosting over cake and spread into an even layer.
- Allow cake to cool for at least 1 hour (until frosting sets) before cutting.
Recipe adapted from thefoodcharlatan.com
