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This Sourdough Texas Sheet Cake is rich, fudgy, moist and oh so tender. It’s full of chocolate flavor and topped with a chocolate glaze that is poured on top of the warm cake making this a super simple recipe. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool! You’re going to love it. Your family is going to love it. Make it for your next family gathering and watch it get gobbled up!
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Why You’ll Love Sourdough Texas Sheet Cake
- Fast: This recipe comes together QUICK! If you’re looking for a fast and easy chocolate cake recipe, this is it (plus it feeds a crowd)!
- Discard Recipe: This is a great recipe to use up some sourdough discard. Serve it alongside these lemon discard crinkle cookies for a summer treat!
- Chocolatey: You’ll love the rich, deep chocolate flavor.
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Discard: Use 100% hydration sourdough discard that is no more than a day or two old. If you want a more sour flavor use older discard. You can use fresh, bubbly sourdough starter or refrigerated discard.
- All purpose Flour: All-purpose flour with an 11.5% protein content works well in this recipe.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar gives the perfect sweetness for this Sourdough Texas Sheet Cake.
- Unsalted Butter: I always bake with unsalted butter. Unsalted butter allows me to control the flavor in my baked goods — there is no standard for the amount of salt in salted butter, which makes using salted butter a little unpredictable.
- Sour Cream: One of the things that sets this dessert apart is how moist it is. Adding sour cream shortens gluten strands, which causes the finished product to be tender and richer in texture.
- Eggs: Two eggs add richness and structure to this sheet cake.
- Cocoa Powder: I like use a dutch processed cocoa powder for a richer depth of flavor. Blooming the cocoa powder in hot liquid also gives a rich chocolate flavor to this cake.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda keeps the cake light and fluffy.
- Salt: Salt balances the flavors in this recipe. Don’t leave it out.
- Icing: Powdered sugar, butter, milk and cocoa powder are combined to make a liquid glaze that covers this cake.
How to Make Sourdough Texas Sheet Cake
Mix the Batter
Cocoa Mixture: To a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine very hot water with cocoa powder. This blooms the cocoa powder and enhances the chocolate flavor. Add very soft or melted butter and whisk together. Set aside and let cool while you mix up the other ingredients. This step can also be done with a saucepan on the stove, combining the three ingredients and boiling. It will take longer for the mixture to cool if you go this route.
Flour Mixture: Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisk together in a large bowl and set aside.
Discard Mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard and eggs until completely incorporated. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and whisk again until smooth.
Mix Together: Pour the chocolate mixture on top of the flour mixture. Whisk until smooth. Then add the sourdough discard/egg mixture and whisk again until smooth and incorporated. Pour the cake batter into the sheet cake pan and smooth to the edges.
Bake the Cake
Prepare a large half sheet pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes until baked all the way through.
Chocolate Glaze Icing
Prepare the chocolate glaze by melting the butter until very warm and liquid. Add the cocoa powder and whisk together. This helps bloom the cocoa powder and give a depth of chocolate flavor. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk together until smooth.
Once baked, pour the icing over the cake, spreading it evenly so it covers the cake completely. Let cool before serving and enjoy!
Amy’s Recipe Tip
The key to rich chocolate flavor from this cake is in blooming the cocoa powder in the hot liquid in the cake batter and in the frosting. It also helps to use a good quality dutch cocoa powder.
Substitutions
- Sour Cream: Greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream in this recipe in a pinch.
- Cocoa Powder: I recommend using a good quality dutch cocoa powder for more depth of flavor, but you can use any cocoa powder you have on hand – just make sure to bloom it in the hot water or butter first.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for 24 hours. After that I like to slice and freeze it for up to 2 months. Pull it out of the freezer, let it defrost and enjoy.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it will not bake in the same time frame. You will need to increase the baking time to about 30-35 minutes. Check with a toothpick that the center of the cake is baked all the way through.
I love making sheet cakes in my USA pans that are half sheet – 17 1/4 by 12 1/4 in size. I do put a piece of parchment on the pan before pouring in the batter to make for easier cleanup.
Yes! If you love a sheet cake that feeds a crowd you will also love this White Texas Sourdough Sheet Cake or this Sourdough Fruit Pizza.
Let the cake cool completely. I also like to freeze it for 10-15 minutes so it hardens just a bit and then slice it into pieces.
Sourdough Texas Sheet Cake
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Equipment
- 1 baking sheet 18 by 13 pan
Ingredients
Sourdough Texas Sheet Cake
- 180 grams very hot water (180ºF), about 3/4 cup
- 226 grams unsalted butter, melted, about 1 cup
- 35 grams cocoa powder, about 1/3 cup, see recipe notes
- 240 grams all-purpose flour, about 1 3/4 cups
- 300 grams granulated sugar, about 1 1/2 cups
- 6 grams baking soda, about 1 teaspoon
- 4 grams salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
- 120 grams sourdough discard, about 1/2 cup
- 2 large eggs, about 100 grams
- 115 grams sour cream, about 1/2 cup
- 5 grams vanilla extract, about 1 teaspoon
Sheet Cake Frosting
- 113 grams unsalted butter, melted, 1/2 cup
- 30 grams cocoa powder, about 4 Tablespoons
- 360 grams powdered sugar, about 3 cups, see recipe notes
- 90 grams milk, about 6 Tablespoons
- 4 grams vanilla extract, about 1 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare a large half sheet pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- To a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine very hot water with cocoa powder. This blooms the cocoa powder and enhances the chocolate flavor. Add very soft or melted butter and whisk together. Set aside and let cool while you mix up the other ingredients. This step can also be done with a saucepan on the stove, combining the three ingredients and boiling. It will take longer for the mixture to cool if you go this route.
- To a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- Grab another small bowl and whisk together the sourdough discard and eggs until completely incorporated. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and whisk again until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate mixture on top of the flour mixture. Whisk until smooth. Then add the sourdough discard/egg mixture and whisk again until smooth and incorporated. Pour the cake batter into the sheet cake pan and smooth to the edges. Bake for 15-20 minutes until baked all the way through. Use a toothpick to check the middle of the cake – there should be no streaks of cake batter on the toothpick.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the chocolate glaze. Melt the butter until very warm and liquid. Add the cocoa powder and whisk together. Once again this helps bloom the cocoa powder and give a depth of chocolate flavor. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk together until smooth.
- Once baked, pour the icing over the cake, spreading it evenly so it covers the cake completely. Let cool before serving and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love all of your sourdough recipes, always easy to follow and delicious! Thank you!!
Thanks for the review!
This cake came out absolutely amazing!!! I wanted to bake a sheet cake with my kids for my birthday tomorrow and this recipe is hands down the best I’ve tried. It was so easy my 3 and 4 year old did most of the work by themselves(minus heating the water,butter, and putting it in and out of the oven). Will definitely be making again and again.
It’s a favorite of mine too! I’m glad your kids were able to help out in the kitchen and enjoy this yummy cake!
Hi, I made this yesterday and it was a hit with the family. I’d like to make it thicker and in a smaller tray. How long would you suggest I bake for? Also, could I freeze this with the topping on?
Thanks so much.
Sue
I haven’t made it that way before, so I’m not sure how long to bake. I would bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. It isn’t meant to be a thick cake, so it might not turn out quite as good as a different cake recipe if you plan to use a cake pan. And yes, I think you can freeze it in slices with the topping on. Enjoy!
I followed the recipe exactly and it turned put very very thin and it tasted terrible I don’t mean to be rude be it was just not the best thing I have made and I would never make it again
I’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience with it. Did you use the weight or cup measurements? I always recommend using weight for most accurate results. Sorry you didn’t love it.
Sooooooooo Good, thank you
So glad you love this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
If I make this recipe in a 9x 13 baking pan, it would be half the recipe, correct?
Yes, you can cut the recipe in half and bake it in a 9 by 13 pan.
AMAZING!
Husband said it was better than his mom’s and she is the best cook I know!
That’s some high praise! So glad you loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing!