White Texas Sheet Cake
This White Texas Sheet Cake is a great cake for feeding a crowd.
Buttery, moist, and covered in an almond flavored frosting, this White Texas Sheet Cake is a tried and true recipe. 
WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE
I’m in a bit of an identity crisis. Remember when I felt like I was meant to be Greek? Well I also feel deep down that I’m a Texan at heart.
A Greek Texan…it could happen.
And no, I’ve never actually lived there but from what I hear, I would fit in.
Everything’s BIG in Texas and this girl loves huge trucks, tall men (my husband’s 6’6″), and big furniture.
And the HAIR! Anyone who knows me knows I’m a little obsessed with BIG hair. The bigger the better. Big hair is hard and next to impossible to achieve in the humidity of Florida, but I try. I curl and tease the crap out of it. But I always want it bigger. Bigger is better, right?
I haven’t quite mastered the draawwl, but Texas, oh Texas – I’ll come home someday.
Until then, I’ll turn to food as I usually do and make Texas themed food to make me feel at “home”. I love the traditional chocolate Texas Sheet Cake but this buttery white sheet cake has been calling to me for months. I’ve had it bookmarked at Life as a Lofthouse forever. It has almond flavoring but you could use vanilla as well. It would be pretty with some sprinkles on it or just plain.
White Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups all-purpose four
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter , cubed
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan bring butter and water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large bowl add flour and sugar and mix. Then add in eggs, sour cream, extract, baking soda and salt. Slowly pour in the boiling butter/water mixture. Stir with a spatula until well combined and smooth. No need to use an electric mixer. Batter will be very thin.
- Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Your cake will be flat and not very tall (it's a sheet cake). Cool for about 10 minutes. You still want your cake a little warm when you add the frosting so that it spreads well.
- For the frosting: In a large saucepan, combine butter and milk. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, and then stir in the powdered sugar and extract. Stir until smooth and all combined. Spread immediately over warm cake. Decorate cake with sprinkles, if desired.
Recipe Notes
adapted from Allrecipes; via Life as a Lofthouse
This was so easy and I love the almond flavor! Thanks!
Could these be made into cookies?
I have never tried it but I think the batter is too thin.
I was wondering if anyone has recently made this cake in cupcake form and what the cooking differences would be?
This cake looks so delicious. Could I replace the water with milk? Specifically a milk substitute like almond, soy, or rice milk?
I’m not sure. I’m think it would be fine!
I just found your website today and also made this cake right after reading the reviews. It is sooooo good. I love your site.
Thank you!
Well I made this tonight, looked great and smelled yummy, but unfortunately it stuck to the bottom of my tin and it was a little underdone which meant it wouldnt come out (I ate the semi-cooked batter). Tested it befor it came out of the oven and my cocktail stick was clear so can’t really understand what went wrong. Oh well, not to worry I will eat it (sorry meant we’ll eat, hubby and I) and try again!
do I use the unsalted butter for the icing as well?
Yes, I would use unsalted butter.
I have always made this cake with adding 1/4 cup cocoa and used buttermilk instead. It is usually my family’s favorite. I put nuts in the icing or stir in about 1/2 cup peanut butter. I always use buttermilk instead of milk. That is yummy also. I have made a Buttermilk Almond Pound Cake that we love, and when I saw this recipe I am sure it will be just as good as it is. I love almond flavoring. Oct. 7, 2013.
This looked so delicious, I immediately went into my kitchen and made it. What a big hit!! It is wonderful! Everyone loves it and I can’t stop eating it!! Happy people over here! Thanks!
while the cake could possibly be delicious, the frosting turned out to be more of a glaze and was WAY too sweet to eat. I just made this and I’m thinking about throwing it out. It’s almost inedible.
Sorry you didn’t like it! The frosting is thin and sweet but is meant to be a glaze.
I cannot wait to try this. And I see so many variations I can do with it.
My brother is married to a girl who is 100% Greek. I love eating Greek food…although, this isn’t Greek. I have got to try this! My kids beg for the chocolate Texas sheet cake. Is the frosting on this one like fudge? Looks yummy!! Thanks for sharing!
Deborah,
The frosting isn’t terribly fudgy but it’s good!
Loved this and it didn’t even last the day in my house.
Wondering if I added some cocoa powder to this would it be considered the infamous chocolate Texas sheet cake as well?
if i make half of the recipe for the icing, would it be enough to cover the cake we are not a big fan of frosting
I don’t think so. It’s a pretty thin layer of frosting as it is.
Does the recipe call for unsalted butter or regular butter?
I always use unsalted butter when baking and then you can add salt if called for.
What did I do wrong?? made the cake exactly as recipe says, my cake was not thin and runny, it was almost like pudding, it did rise and looked great, but, it is not light as the picture shows, mine is on the dry side. I hope someone can tell me what went wrong. I have been married and have been cooking and baking for 59 years so I am not a novice , I am really stumped.
If it’s on the dry side I would definitely bake it less. It’s incrediby moist and shouldn’t be dry at all. Every oven is different? Maybe that’s it?
This is absolutely the best butter cake EVER!! I’ve made it countless times as a cake and cupcakes and I’ve even changed the sugar to brown sugar, added a tablespoon of golden syrup in the liquid and VOILA the best caramel cake ever. Thank you for sharing!
And don’t worry about the drawl. You pick it up once you get here. I was born and raise in San Antonio with cousins in east Texas and I always pick up their accent when I visit. Can’t wait to try this. I love the chocolate one.
Do you have a recipe for a Banana sheet cake with banana flavored icing?
I have these Monkey squares which is a banana sheet cake with browned butter icing not banana. That’s the closest I have: https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/06/monkey-squares.html
I used Martha Stewart’s Ultimate Chocolate Frosting with this. Fantastic!
Seriously in love with this cake! I have made it over a dozen times and I’m not lying! Love, love, love it!
I made this for our family Christmas meal and it was a hit. Thanks!! I used Christmas sprinkles.
Don’t forget the pecans! Love, love, love Texas Sheet Cake! Chocolate or White!
I was in the midst of making the icing when I needed to nurse a fussy baby and let it cool down. So it was no longer boiling when I put in the powdered sugar. Needles to say, the cake wasn’t pretty but still tasted wonderful. I made it correctly the next day for a labor day weekend gathering- huge hit with everyone!