This easy to make White Texas Sheet Cake is great to feed a crowd. It is moist, buttery, and full of almond flavor in the cake and frosting.
Stop whatever you are doing and make this cake! This is one of the first sheet cakes I ever made and honestly I thought they sounded a little weird at first. Now I have several of them on my website and make them on a regular basic. It is the most delicious cake and so full of flavor, whether you use almond extract or vanilla extract. This is a large cake to share at parties, with friends, family, neighbors, strangers on the street, anyone. Or you can just hide in your closet and eat it yourself, because the tastiness makes it hard to walk away.
If you want to try some other sheet cakes, try my Best Lemon Sheet Cake, Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake, or Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake .
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Ingredients for White Texas Sheet Cake
Cake Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- water
- granulated sugar
- all-purpose flour
- eggs
- sour cream or buttermilk
- salt
- baking soda
- almond extract (or vanilla)
Frosting Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- powdered sugar
- salt
- almond extract (or vanilla)
- sour cream
- milk
FAQs
A White Texas Sheet Cake is a moist, tender cake with a vanilla or almond flavor, typically baked in a large, shallow pan. It's topped with a creamy frosting that can include nuts, making it a delicious dessert for gatherings.
Yes, you can freeze the cake. Once it has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or place it in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate the cake for up to a week or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Top Tips
- Texas sheet cakes are typically in a half sheet pan or jelly roll pan. It helps to create a larger, thinner cake you can share. If you do not have this size pan, you can use a 9x13" but bake it longer, 30-35 minutes, or until it tests clean with toothpick.
- The secret for this Texas sheet cake is to frost it while it is hot.
- This recipe calls for almond extract but you can use vanilla extract also. I have made it both ways and both are delicious. You could even do a mix of both.
How to make White Texas Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare sheet pan/jelly roll pan with parchment paper or non-stick spray.
- Combine butter, water in a medium/large saucepan on the stovetop and bring to boil. Remove from heat once it boils.
- In medium bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Add saucepan ingredients to dry ingredients, then mix lightly.
- Add buttermilk or sour cream, almond extract, and eggs, then mix until no lumps.
- Pour into prepared pan and place in preheated oven. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool cake 5 minutes before frosting.
- Start preparing the frosting when cake has about 5 minutes to go.
- Combine butter in a saucepan on top of the stove. Once melted, remove from heat, stir in vanilla/almond extract, sour cream, and buttermilk/milk.
- Mix in powdered sugar with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer..
- Spread the frosting over your still warm cake. Allow to cool or just dig that fork right in and enjoy!
White Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup Water
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Eggs, Beaten
- ½ Cup Sour Cream or Buttermilk
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 tsp. Almond Extract (or Vanilla)
Frosting Ingredients
- ½ Cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter
- 4 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
- ¼ tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Almond Extract (or Vanilla)
- ¼ Cup Sour Cream
- ¼ Cup Milk or buttermilk
Instructions
How to make the cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your sheet pan/jelly roll pan with parchment paper or non-stick spray.
- Combine butter, water in a medium/large saucepan on the stovetop and bring to boil. Remove from heat once it boils.
- In medium bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Add saucepan ingredients to dry ingredients, then mix lightly.
- Add in buttermilk or sour cream, almond extract, and eggs, then mix until no lumps.
- Pour into prepared pan and place in preheated oven. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool about 5 minutes before frosting.
How to make frosting
- Start preparing the frosting when cake has 5 minutes to go.
- Combine butter in a saucepan on top of the stove.
- Once melted, remove from heat, then add in vanilla/almond extract, sour cream and buttermilk//milk.
- Mix in powdered sugar with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer bowl.
- Spread the frosting over your still warm cake. Allow to cool or just dig that fork right in and enjoy!
Jo Hatch
I am a little confused if sour cream is to be added along with either milk/ buttermilk in frosting. There is no mention in instructions for sour cream.
Jill Lockridge
Hey, Jo! Thank you for bringing the sour cream in the frosting to my attention. You'll mix it in with the extract and milk, before adding the powdered sugar. I have fixed my recipe to show this correctly. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the cake!