Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes are light and fluffy chocolate cupcakes topped with a rich fudge frosting. Easiest way to make Texas sheet cake!
If my son had to pick a favorite dessert, it would be Texas sheet cake.
My Texas sheet cake is his all-time favorite. He asks for it for his birthday cake and just about any other time I ask him what he’d like for dessert.
I can’t really blame him because I loved it when my grandma made that cake when we’d come to visit.
These Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes are an individual version of that cake. The cupcakes are super light and fluffy, and they’re topped with a rich chocolate icing – just like the sheet cake.
I like the crunch that the chopped nuts give to the cupcakes, but feel free to leave them off if you’d prefer.
How To Make Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Whisk in the oil and buttermilk until combined (picture on left).
Add eggs one at a time, and whisk well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla extract (picture on right).
Whisk in hot water until well-combined. The batter will be thin.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin cups. Do not fill batter more than halfway full. Otherwise, the cupcakes will rise out of the tins and be difficult to remove.
Bake, and then let cool to room temperature.
To make the frosting, add the butter, cocoa powder, and buttermilk in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly (picture on left).
Remove from heat, and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until combined (picture on right).
Let the icing set up for about 5 minutes before swirling the tops of the cupcakes into the frosting. If you prefer, you can spread the frosting on the top of the cupcakes.
If using nuts, immediately sprinkle nuts over the icing, and let the cupcakes stand for the icing to set up.
Tips To Make Perfect Cupcakes
- I like to whisk this batter by hand. It’s an easy recipe to mix by hand, and it helps to avoid overmixing the batter.
- For the hot water, I use hot, not boiling, water. I just use hot water from the tap.
- Don’t fill the cupcakes more than halfway. The cupcakes will rise quite a bit, and overfilling the cupcakes makes it difficult to remove them from the pan.
- Also, the cupcakes are light and fluffy. Overfilling them makes it more likely that the tops will separate from the rest of the cupcake.
- You can swirl or spread the frosting. If you’ve overfilled the tins, I recommend spreading the frosting.
- The frosting will start to set up pretty quickly after frosting, so sprinkle the nuts immediately, if using.
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Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk1
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot water not boiling
Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup buttermilk2
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2-12 cup standard-sized muffin tins with liners.
- In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- Whisk in oil and buttermilk until combined.⅔ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup buttermilk1
- Add eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition.2 large eggs
- Whisk in vanilla extract.1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add hot water, and whisk in until well-combined. Batter will be thin.1 cup hot water
- Divide batter among muffin tins. Do not fill muffin cups more than half full.
- Bake 18-25 minutes, or until done.
- Let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, prepare the icing.
- For the icing, combine the butter, cocoa, and buttermilk in a saucepan.½ cup butter, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ⅓ cup buttermilk2
- Bring to a boil, stirring regularly.
- Remove from heat, and add the powdered sugar, and vanilla.3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Let icing set up for about 5 minutes before swirling tops of cupcakes into icing.3
- Sprinkle nuts on top of icing, if using.1 cup chopped pecans
Notes
- Regular or low-fat ok.
- Regular or low-fat ok.
- Or you can spread the tops of the cupcakes with the frosting.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally published 7/13/17. Updated with new photos and tips 7/31/19.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
JoJo says
Firstly, the way the recipe is written is perfect. I really appreciate when the amounts are listed within the directions so I don’t have to keep scrolling back up to the ingredients list. Secondly, the end result is delicious and was a big hit for all the chocolate lovers in my group!
Kate Dean says
Thank you! I’m glad that having the measurements there was helpful and that the cupcakes were a hit!
Dina says
Hi! This recipe looks delicious! I want to make these as mini cupcakes for a wedding dessert table. Have you ever tried to bake, frost and freeze them? Do you think the frosting would be ok?
Kate says
Hi! Unfortunately, I haven’t tried that with this recipe to say for certain. However, if I was going to freeze the cupcakes, I would bake, cool, and freeze the cupcakes. Then, I would frost them once they’ve thawed.
Andrea says
Absolutely delicious!! I doubled the recipe and made them for work. I cheated and tried one before taking them to the dealership. They were gone in less than an hour.
Kate says
Thank you!
GL says
Hi Kate, I made these today. I’m sure yours are delicious but mine were just so so. I’m wondering if it’s because I had to make the buttermilk-(milk and vinegar).
The cupcake was more on the dry side although the oven setting and timing was exact.
When I made the icing, the butter separated from the cocoa-again wondering if because of no real buttermilk and I wasn’t fond of the taste.
Regardless, I want to try again once I have buttermilk. Crossing my fingers. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Kate says
Hi! Oh no! I’m not sure whether the buttermilk substitute was the culprit. There shouldn’t be any buttermilk taste in the frosting. I hope it works out better with the buttermilk!
Cindy says
Texas Sheet Cake is my favorite and these cupcakes didn’t disappoint. They are very good and appreciate how the recipe adjusts based on how many cupcakes you need. Thanks for sharing.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the cupcakes!
Valarie Glassow says
Can you freeze the cake and do the icing another time?
Kate says
Absolutely!
Glenda says
I am going to make these cupcakes tomorrow but my own recipe doesn’t include 1 Tablespoon of baking powder. I live at an elevation of 7200 feet and wonder if that is a factor?
Thank you,
Glenda
Kate says
Hi! For high altitude baking, less leavening is used. However, the other ingredients in the recipe also factor into whether baking soda, baking powder, or both are used in the recipe. If you’re interested in learning more about baking soda and baking powder, I have an article that goes into more detail. =)
Glenda says
This is a reply to the leavening. I’m not sure if you are recommending that I use the amount of baking powder in the recipe or not? I would be interested in the article.
Also is it okay to bake both tins at once?
Brady Slothson says
Amazing cupcake version of my favorite cake. https://www.ihearteating.com/lighter-version-of-grandmas-chocolate-sheet-cake/
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the cupcakes and the cake!
Chanel says
I’ve made this as cupcakes and also as a bundt cake making my own frosting. Either way, it is absolutely delicious. Thank you!!!
Kate says
Thank you!
Charlie says
Hello: Are these moist?
Kate says
Hi! Yes, the cupcakes are moist.
Arden says
Easy recipe to follow. The frosting was most interesting that it dries shiny and form a soft coating
Kate says
Thank you! I’m happy to hear that you liked the cupcakes. Thanks for commenting!
Laura Smith says
What is the best way to store this? Can they be left on the counter?
Kate says
I store them loosely covered. I live in a humid area, and if I wrap them tightly, the frosting will get really soft. If you live in a drier area, you may be able to store them in an airtight container.
Linda says
I made these following the recipe exactly for a church group. They got rave reviews! Thank you for sharing!
Kate says
I’m so glad! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment!
Amy F says
Followed recipe exactly and these were not only DELICIOUS but quickly consumed! I am baking them again at this moment for church tomorrow. Easy, fast and scrumptious. My new “go to” dessert.
Kate says
I’m so glad that you liked them! This is one of my family’s favorites, too. =) Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment.
Erin says
This looks so yummy! Do you ever use cake flour instead of all purpose?
Kate says
I haven’t tried cake flour in this recipe. The batter for this cake is thin, and this cake is pretty soft as-is, so I wasn’t sure whether cake flour would be able to provide enough structure. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out! =)
Melissa Griffiths says
My grandma’s sheet cake is my favorite, too! Maybe I should make that into cupcakes….These look delicious!
Kate says
Thanks! It’s hard to beat anything a grandma makes! =)
Alex says
These look so good – especially that frosting! Love that you made them in cupcake form. :)
Kate says
Thank you!!
Bethany says
Yum! I love that you made it into cupcakes!
Kate says
Thanks!!
Darlene says
can I just put in cake pan instead of cupcakes?
Kate says
Hi! If you’d like to make a regular sheet cake, my Texas sheet cake recipe is the recipe you’ll want.