White Texas Sheet Cake
A simple homemade White Texas Sheet Cake with a fluffy made-from-scratch frosting that can serve up to a dozen and is ready in under an hour!
AN EASY HOMEMADE SHEET CAKE RECIPE
I love making a good ol’ fashioned homemade White Texas Sheet Cake! It’s great for using for special occasions since it can make 12 servings in no time (or just because you’re craving some homemade cake but want to keep it simple.) Plus, since it’s a white sheet cake it is very versatile and insanely simple to customize. But, my favorite part is the fact that it’s ready to go in under an hour. You don’t have to even let the butter come to room temperature because the icing is drizzled on and it sets up as it cools. The creaminess of this icing and the fluffiness of the cake with that perfect, tender cake crumb, really makes this cake stand out from others.
AMAZING AND DELICIOUS! Thanks so much!
– Andrea
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I used a 13×18-inch sheet pan. This is called a half sheet pan. You could also use a jelly roll pan which is 11×15-inches. The cake will just be a tad thicker and you may need to cook it for just a few minutes more.
Sure can! If you don’t want to make this sheet cake from scratch, I suggest grabbing a Duncan Hines White Cake Mix, but ditch the box instructions. Instead, beat 3 egg whites until frothy and mix with the cake mix in a mixing bowl. Then add in ½ cup melted salted butter with ¾ cup milk, and a teaspoon of almond extract and mix well. Then transfer to pan and bake as directed. Make the icing and ice as normal.
You could use a regular 9×13- inch baking pan. Just take care not to overfill the cake pan. It should only go 3/4 of the way up the baking pan. You will need to adjust your cooking times for the thickness of the cake. I recommend checking it at the 20-minute mark and inserting a toothpick into the center. When the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. If it does not come out clean, check in additional 5-minute intervals.
Any leftover White Sheet Cake should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or just covered appropriately for up to 3 days. I don’t like to put any homemade cakes in the fridge because I find that it dries the cake leftovers out faster.
You can keep the cake for up to 3 months in the freezer by wrapping individual slices with plastic wrap and then with foil. Just keep in mind that the texture may change and the cake may dry out over time.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- unsalted butter– if you only have salted butter to use, omit the salt later on.
- water
- all-purpose flour – you can use self rising flour, just omit the additional baking soda as it is already included in self rising flour.
- granulated sugar – you could use a 1:1 sugar substitute as well.
- salt – just regular table salt here.
- baking soda – make sure your baking soda is fresh. Your cake will turn out heavy and dense if your baking soda is no longer fresh. To test for freshness; add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda into a cup and add 2 teaspoons vinegar. If it bubbles then it is still good but if you don’t see any bubbling, time to get a new box.
- large eggs – if you have time, allow the eggs to come to room temperature. Room temperature eggs mix into the batter much better and much more evenly.
- almond extract -this can be replaced with vanilla extract. This recipe was tested using both almond and vanilla extract. You will keep the measurements the same.
- sour cream – if you don’t have it on hand, you can omit this. But, the cake won’t turn out as moist as it would with the sour cream. You don’t taste the sour cream as a separate ingredient so don’t think this will somehow come out tart.
- milk – the milk and sour cream can be omitted and you could use buttermilk in place of those two ingredients. If using buttermilk instead of milk, you would use the same measurement for the buttermilk as you would the regular milk for this recipe.
- sprinkles
- powdered sugar– I don’t sift my powdered sugar before using but a lot of people swear by it. I have just never found it necessary but if you are a sifter then go for it!
HOW TO MAKE A WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a half sheet pan (13×18 inches) or a jelly roll pan (10×15 inches). Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Set it aside. In a large saucepan, add butter and water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
Mix flour mixture into the water and butter. Mix well, being sure to break up any clumps. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before moving to the next step. (This is important so that the eggs don’t curdle in the batter.)
Stir in almond extract, sour cream, and milk. After this is mixed thoroughly, add in eggs.
Pour batter into prepared sheet pan. Bake for about 20 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean.)
Remove the cake from the oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes while you make the icing. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add in powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract. Whisk together and cook until sugar is well incorporated. Pour warm icing over warm cake.
Top with sprinkles, if desired.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Texas Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Homemade White Cake
- Homemade Yellow Cake
- One Bowl Homemade Chocolate Cake
- Homemade Lemon Layered Cake
- Homemade Funfetti Cake
- Homemade Angel Food Cake
- Homemade Pound Cake
- Homemade Double Crumb Cake
- Homemade Banana Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Fresh Strawberry Cake
White Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
For the Icing:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 6 Tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) a half sheet pan (13×18-inches) or a jelly roll pan (10×15-inches).
- Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a mixing bowl. Set it aside.
- In a large saucepan, add ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a gentle boil and immediately remove from the heat.
- Mix flour mixture into the water and butter. Mix well, making sure to break up any clumps. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before moving to the next step. (This is important so that the eggs don’t curdle in the batter in the next step.)
- Stir in 1 teaspoon almond extract, ¼ cup sour cream and ½ cup milk. After this is mixed thoroughly, add in 2 large eggs.
- Pour batter into prepared sheet pan.
- Bake for about 20 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean.) If using the smaller jelly roll pan (10×15-inch) I would check at about the 17 minute mark.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes while you make the icing.
Icing Instructions:
- In a saucepan, melt ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter over medium heat.
- Add in 3 cups powdered sugar, 6 Tablespoons milk and ½ teaspoon almond extract. Whisk together and cook until sugar is well incorporated.
- Pour warm icing over warm cake.
- Top with sprinkles, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
AMAZING AND DELICIOUS! Thanks so much❣️
Yay! Thanks so much Andrea! I appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment!
Oh my gracious! This was excellent and so moist!! I like my icing super thick so I just added a bit more powdered sugar to my taste (easy peasy!) Delicious!!!
Hi Brandie,
I made this cake yesterday for my husband’s birthday and it was a big hit. Infact he even had some for breakfast this morning! I am not the most confident or skilled baker but the recipe was very easy to follow, so it’s perfect for begining bakers like me. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Kim! That is so wonderful to read!! Thank you SO much for taking the time to come back and comment. So happy he loved it!
This was so tender and yummy! We LOVED the icing!
I’ve read and read this recipe over and over and cannot figure out when to add in the 2 cups of granulated sugar? With the boiled water and butter mixture or the flour mixture?
Hey Bre! It goes in with the dry ingredients! Hope you love this one! 🙂
I tried it and it’s delicious
I tried it and it’s delicious