The Best Classic White Texas Sheet Cake

ByBrooke Burks Published: Modified:
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THE BEST CLASSIC WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE is not only perfect for any occasion, it is also one of the easiest scratch made cakes to make. We use pantry staple ingredients and add a fresh burst with sour cream to both the cake and the icing.

Feel free to leave plain or decorate for any holiday or occasion. This is one cake you will want to make over and over again.

A slice of white cake with frosting is served on a blue and white patterned plate. A fork rests on the cake. The background is softly blurred with light coming in through a window.

This is the best classic white texas sheet cake recipe for everyone to have in their recipe box. When we talk about Southern food, there are certain recipes that are native to every region in the South. This classic white Texas sheet cake is one straight from the lone star state. Experts are not really sure if it because it was wildly popular after appearing in a Texas newspaper or just because the doggone thing is as big as Texas!

No matter the origin, one thing is for sure. This cake is tender and delicious with a crunchy and yet creamy icing to boot, it is perfect for any occasion. It also is the perfect blank slate to decorate and make a fun cake for any special event.

Ingredients

The best classic white texas sheet cake starts with all of the usual things, your flour, butter and sugar. We do use vanilla flavoring instead of almond extract to give the cake a more general flavor. The addition of sour cream to both the cake and the icing give them both a smooth texture that helps keep the cake moist.

A slice of white cake with glossy icing on a blue and white plate. A fork rests beside the cake. The cake is on a wooden table with more cake visible in the background.

What You’ll Need

  • All purpose flour, baking soda and salt – all of the normal things for the dry ingredients.
  • Sugar – white, granulated.
  • Vanilla, butter, water – for flavor and a tender cake.
  • Sour Cream – for the cake and the icing. This ingredient is a difference maker.
  • eggs – for a moist cake.
  • Powdered sugar – for the icing.

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

Instructions

We use a half sheet pan with an edge for this one. You can also use a large jelly roll pan. Our cake ends up being about an inch thick. Some of our favorite recipes are done on a sheet pan, check out out our SHEET PAN CARAMEL APPLE SLICES and you will see why!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a large half sheet pan with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray.

A person's hand holding a clear mixing bowl over a wooden cutting board. Surrounding items include a whisk, flour, sugar, eggs, and a saucepan with butter on an active stovetop.

In a large saucepan, melt butter in water. Do not boil just melt to combine.

A hand sprays parchment paper on a baking tray with cooking spray. Nearby are a whisk and measuring cup on a wooden board. On the stove, butter is melting in a saucepan. Other ingredients, including eggs and flour, are arranged on the counter.

Prepare the pan with parchment and cooking spray to insure cake comes out.

A person is pouring flour into a white bowl on a wooden board. Nearby are ingredients like sugar, eggs in a bowl, a measuring cup, and a whisk. The scene is set on a kitchen stove with a pot of a yellow mixture on the burner.

In a large bowl, add all purpose flour.

A kitchen scene showing a stovetop and wooden cutting board. A saucepan with melted butter is on the stove, and a large bowl of flour is centered on the board. A hand holds a bowl of sugar above the flour. A measuring cup with flour is to the side.

Mix in sugar.

A person is preparing ingredients on a kitchen countertop. There is a stove with a saucepan containing melted butter, a bowl of sugar being measured, a small dish of salt, a whisk, a wooden spoon, a cutting board, and a bowl with two cracked eggs.

Add salt to dry ingredients.

A person is preparing ingredients on a kitchen counter. A pot with melted butter is on the stove. Baking powder is being added to a white bowl. Two cracked eggs and a measuring cup with sour cream are nearby on the wooden board.

And baking soda. Whisk to sift together.

A person pours melted butter into a mixing bowl containing flour and sugar on a wooden cutting board. Nearby are a measuring cup with flour, a small glass bowl with two eggs, and a bottle of vanilla extract. The scene is set on a stovetop.

Mix in the melted butter and water mixture.

A person is preparing a batter in a white bowl on a wooden cutting board. There is a measuring cup with a white ingredient, a whisk in hand, and two eggs in a separate bowl. A bottle and a sheet of paper are on the right. A stove is partially visible.

Add in sour cream.

A person pouring vanilla extract into a mixing bowl filled with batter. The bowl is on a wooden cutting board between two stovetop burners. To the right, there is a bowl containing two eggs. A whisk and a spatula are in the mixing bowl.

Mix in vanilla.

Hands are seen holding a bowl with two cracked eggs above a mixing bowl containing batter. A whisk is in the batter. The setup is on a wooden board beside a black stove with a Frigidaire logo. An Apple Watch is visible on the left wrist.

Whip and add in eggs. Mix well.

A person is pouring a creamy batter from a bowl into a parchment-lined baking tray. The tray is on a black stovetop, and the person is wearing a pinkish long-sleeve shirt and a watch. Several bangles are on their wrist.

Pour into prepared sheet pan, making sure it has spread out evenly. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean or internal temp is 205 degrees.

A person is stirring a saucepan containing a yellow liquid on a stove. They are holding a measuring cup filled with white powder, pouring it into the pan. The kitchen counter has a spatula, a bowl, and a towel nearby.

In a medium to large sauce pan, melt butter over low to medium heat. Remove from the heat and add in half of powdered sugar. Whisk to combine.

Overhead view of a person cooking on a stove. They are holding a metal whisk and adding a cup of flour to a saucepan with a yellow mixture. A blue towel is on the left, and a paper towel on the right.

Add in sour cream, salt and vanilla, mixing well.s

An overhead view of a wooden cutting board on a kitchen counter. A saucepan with a whisk and powdered ingredients is on the board. A folded blue kitchen towel, a small saucepan, a bottle of vanilla extract, and a glass measuring cup are nearby.

Add in remaining powdered sugar and mix well. Icing should be the consistency of ganache.

A person with painted nails holds a used baking sheet above a stovetop. A blue kitchen towel is visible on the right side. The oven's brand name, Frigidaire, is partially visible in the bottom left corner.

Turn cooled cake out onto another sheet pan that has been inverted or a large cake tray.

A person is peeling parchment paper off a large rectangular sponge cake on a wooden board. The board is on a stove, with two burners and a black cloth nearby. The person's hand is visible, wearing a watch.

Carefully remove parchment from bottom of the cake.

A person spreads a thick layer of white frosting over a large rectangular cake on a baking tray. The cake is positioned on a stovetop, with a black dish towel nearby. The person's hand holds a spatula to evenly distribute the frosting.

Pour icing on cooled cake and spread in an even layer. Allow to set.

A close-up of a vanilla cake topped with a layer of cream frosting. A piece has been cut from the corner, revealing the moist texture of the cake. Crumbs are scattered on the surface around the cake. A partially visible plate is in the background.

This cake has a moist and tender center even though it is on the thinner side.

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A person wearing a white chef's hat and gray shirt is smiling and holding two wooden spoons. They are leaning forward over a white table next to a silver laptop displaying the Apple logo. The background is plain white.

Why Brooke loves this recipe!

Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!

Logo for "The Buttered Home" featuring a butter churn in the center enclosed by a circular design. The text "EST 2018" is on either side of the churn. Below the circle, the text reads "THE BUTTERED HOME" with the tagline "home cooking made easy" underneath.

Cake makes every occasion special, especially a homemade cake. Scratch made cooking is not nearly as intimidating as people make it out to be. Easy sheet pan cakes like this can help even the most skeptical cook feel better about what they are making.

Variations and Substitutions

I can think of dozens of ways to make this your own. Here are a few ideas for variations and substitutions.

  • FLAVORING – traditionally, white sheet cake is made with almond extract. Feel free to use that if you’d like. Also, we think this is the perfect cake for lemon flavoring and a bit of lemon zest in the icing!
  • COLORED ICING – this is the perfect any occasion cake. Adding a bit of food coloring to the cake batter or even the icing can make this cake perfect for any holiday or just to dress it up a bit.
  • CAKE TOPPINGS – sprinkles, shaved chocolate and even colored decorations all would be great on top of this cake. With as much prime real estate as Texas itself, the sky is the limit.

Equipment

🔧 I love to share recipes that are no special equipment required but here are a few things that would definitely make this recipe easier!

Storage

Once cooled, this will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. It does well in a cool kitchen at room temperature or it can be stored in the refrigerator.

Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to a month.

A piece of frosted cake on a blue and white patterned plate with a gold fork, next to a larger tray of the same cake. The cake has a smooth white icing and is set atop a wooden surface.

⭐ LOVE THIS RECIPE? It would mean so very much to me if you would take a moment to rate this recipe and leave me a sweet comment in the recipe card below! ❤️❤️We hope you love all of the Southern and healthy recipes we share here at The Buttered Home and would love to see you back here often!

A piece of frosted white cake sits on a blue patterned plate with a metal fork beside it. The cake has a smooth, creamy icing and appears to be part of a larger batch in the background.

The Best Classic White Texas Sheet Cake

This classic white texas sheet cake is a scratch made tender cake recipe that is easy and delicious. Topped with a beautiful powdered sugar icing that will melt in your mouth.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Serving Size 36

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 1 cup butter unsalted
  • 1 cup water
  • 2.25 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsps vanilla
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs

For the Icing

  • 1 cup butter unsalted
  • 4.5 cups powdered sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tsps vanilla

Instructions

For the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350° Line a half sheet pan with rims with parchment paper. Spray parchment with non stick spray. In a medium boiler, melt butter in water over low to medium heat. Do not boil.
    1 cup butter, 1 cup water
  • In a large bowl, sift, flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add in butter and water mixture and stir to combine.
    2.25 cups all purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda
  • Mix in vanilla, sour cream and eggs. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until internal temperature is at 205°. Turn cake out onto a flat cake plate and cool before icing.
    2 tsps vanilla, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 eggs

For the Icing

  • Melt the butter and add in half of the powdered sugar, mix or whisk to remove any clumps. Add in sour cream, salt and vanilla. Mix well. Add in remainder of powdered sugar and mix or whisk until smooth. Should be more like ganache. To make a stiffer icing, add more powdered sugar.
    1 cup butter, 4.5 cups powdered sugar, pinch salt, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tsps vanilla
  • Pour or spread icing over cooled cake working from the center out.

See How To Make It!

🍴 PRO TIP!

This cake is so tender it is perfect to make, cool and freeze to have at a later date. You will need a lot of space in the freezer if you elect to do this but it will be worth it. Thaw at room temperature before icing. Serve as normal.

🗹 RECIPE FAQ’S

Can I make this cake chocolate?

Yes! Adding 1/4 cup of cocoa to the dry ingredients and a few tablespoons to the icing can make your chocolate sheet cake dreams come true.

My icing is runny/too thick, how can I fix it?

Add a bit more powdered sugar. If it gets too thick add a little water or milk to thin it a bit. Also, make sure you allow the cake itself to completely cool before icing and the warmth of the cake will thin the icing as well.

Can I make this into a jelly roll cake?

This one is perfect for that! Spread your filling of choice onto the cake before removing the parchment. Use the parchment to roll the cake up, removing a bit of parchment at a time as you roll. Ice the cake with the suggested icing recipe.

If you make this recipe, be sure and post it to Facebook or Instagram and tag us. We love pictures of food.

Also, if you pin this recipe, we would appreciate that when you make it, you use the Made It function in Pinterest too. 

And don’t forget to subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel for some great tutorial videos!

Brooke signature

Looking for other great recipes like this? Try these:

If you make this recipe, be sure and post it to Facebook or Instagram and tag us. We love pictures of food.

Also, if you pin this recipe, we would appreciate that when you make it, you use the Made It function in Pinterest too. 

And don’t forget to subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel for some great tutorial videos!

Brooke signature

Reader Review

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“I loved the freezer tips and made a double batch so we could enjoy some next week. This easy delicious recipe is a keeper.”

– Karen

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Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

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10 Comments

  3. Easy to make,better then cake mix,and I love how fast and easy it is to make,will be my favorite to make,Thank You

    Reply