Get ready to meet your new favorite dessert: the Chocolate Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake. This recipe takes the classic, crowd-pleasing Texas sheet cake you know and love and gives it a decadent upgrade with a rich, creamy peanut butter frosting. It’s the perfect combination of moist, chocolatey cake and luscious, salty-sweet peanut butter, guaranteed to disappear in minutes at any potluck, family gathering, or weeknight treat session.
We’ve designed this recipe to be straightforward and incredibly delicious, resulting in a perfect cake every single time. The cake is baked in a sheet pan, making it easy to serve a crowd, and the unique method of pouring the frosting over the warm cake creates an unbelievably fudgy top layer.
What Makes This Chocolate Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake Special?
Unlike other recipes, this version focuses on the perfect harmony between deep chocolate flavor and rich peanut butter. The cake crumb is tender and moist, thanks to the buttermilk, while the frosting is the star of the show. It’s a simple, no-fuss recipe that delivers a truly show-stopping dessert without any complicated steps.
It’s the ultimate easy Texas sheet cake recipe for anyone who believes chocolate and peanut butter are the perfect pair.
The Key Ingredients
This recipe uses simple, pantry-staple ingredients to create its unforgettable flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand.
For the Chocolate Sheet Cake
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for our cake.
- Granulated Sugar: For the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Unsalted Butter & Vegetable Oil: This combination ensures a rich flavor from the butter and incredible moistness from the oil.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: The source of our deep, dark chocolate flavor.
- Water: Boiled with the butter, oil, and cocoa to bloom the cocoa powder for a more intense taste.
- Buttermilk: The secret to a tender, soft crumb.
- Large Eggs: Binds the ingredients together.
- Baking Soda: Our leavening agent to help the cake rise.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: These are essential flavor enhancers.
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
- Unsalted Butter: Creates a creamy base for the frosting.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: The star ingredient! Use a standard commercial brand for the best results.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Milk: Helps create the perfect pourable consistency.
- Vanilla Extract: Complements the peanut butter and chocolate flavors.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Baking the Perfect Cake
Follow these simple steps for a flawless chocolate sheet cake.
- Prep Your Pan and Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a 13×18 inch half-sheet pan.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and granulated sugar. Set it aside for now.
- Heat the Wet Ingredients: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, oil, cocoa powder, and water. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then immediately remove it from the heat.
- Mix Batter: Carefully pour the hot chocolate mixture over the flour and sugar. Whisk until everything is just combined. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Add this to the chocolate batter and mix until smooth. Be careful not to overmix!
- Bake the Cake: Pour the thin batter into your prepared sheet pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
How to Make the Irresistible Peanut Butter Frosting
The magic happens when you pour this creamy frosting over the still-warm cake. Start making it when the cake has about 5 minutes left to bake.
- Beat Butter and Peanut Butter: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and creamy peanut butter together until light and fluffy.
- Add Sugar and Liquids: Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Start mixing on low speed to avoid a sugar cloud, then increase to medium-high and beat until the frosting is completely smooth and creamy.
- Frost the Warm Cake: As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, pour the peanut butter frosting over the top. Use an offset spatula to gently spread it evenly to the edges. The heat from the cake will help the frosting glide on smoothly and create a perfect finish.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving. This allows the frosting to set properly.
Pro Tips for the Best Texas Sheet Cake
- Don’t Overmix: Overmixing the batter can lead to a tough cake. Mix only until the ingredients are just combined for a tender crumb.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best results, ensure your buttermilk and eggs are at room temperature. This helps them incorporate more easily into the batter.
- Pour Frosting on a Warm Cake: This is the signature step of a Texas sheet cake. It creates a slightly melted, fudgy layer that is absolutely irresistible.
- Sift Your Powdered Sugar: To ensure your frosting is perfectly smooth and free of lumps, sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the butter and peanut butter mixture.
Storing and Freezing Your Sheet Cake
This cake is a great make-ahead dessert. To store, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or a lid. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze the cake. Let it cool completely, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best consistency, we recommend using a standard creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butters can separate and may result in an oily or gritty frosting.
Absolutely! This cake is an excellent make-ahead dessert. Its flavor and texture are just as delicious, if not better, on the second day. Simply store it covered at room temperature.
You can store the cake, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It also freezes exceptionally well for up to 3 months.
The key is to pour the frosting over the cake while the cake is still warm from the oven. The heat from the cake slightly melts the frosting, allowing it to glide on effortlessly and create a smooth, fudgy top layer.
While its exact origins are debated, the Texas sheet cake is named for its large size, fitting for a state known for its big scale. It’s typically baked in a large sheet pan and is beloved for its ability to serve a crowd.
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
If you loved this Chocolate Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake, you’re sure to enjoy some of our other favorite dessert recipes. Try our classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie for a gooey, shareable treat, or for a no-bake option, this No-Bake Oreo Pie is always a winner. And for another bar-style dessert, these Pecan Pie Bars are simply divine.
The Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake: The Ultimate Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a 13x18 inch half-sheet pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and granulated sugar.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, oil, cocoa powder, and water. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then immediately remove from heat.
- Carefully pour the hot chocolate mixture over the flour and sugar. Whisk until just combined. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Add this to the chocolate batter and mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cake has about 5 minutes left to bake, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and creamy peanut butter together until light and fluffy.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed, then increase to medium-high and beat until the frosting is completely smooth.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the peanut butter frosting over the top. Use an offset spatula to gently spread it evenly.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
Notes
Tip 2: Pour the frosting while the cake is hot! This is the key to the classic Texas sheet cake texture. It creates a fudgy, melted layer that is simply irresistible.
Tip 3: Store any leftovers in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Share Your Creation!
We are so excited for you to try this amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake recipe! It’s a true crowd-pleaser that we’re sure you’ll make again and again. If you make it, please leave a comment below and let us know how it turned out! Don’t forget to save this recipe to your favorite dessert board on Pinterest!
