Watch everyone’s eyes light up & give you a big old “howdy” when you walk in with a rich, chocolatey, crowd-sized Zucchini Texas Sheet Cake!
The way to anyone’s heart is with a giant, sweet chocolate dessert, which is why Zucchini Texas Sheet Cake is perfect for every occasion! Grab all of your cake-making ingredients, like flour, sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, buttermilk, and more, plus chocolate cake’s best friend, zucchini, to make a truly outstanding and crowd-pleasing cake!
Big Tex Cake
Sheet cakes are just so great, aren’t they? Easy to make, moist, feeds many people, and most importantly, yummy! Zucchini Texas Sheet Cake doubles down on that goodness by including grated zucchini, a nice, healthy addition that keeps the cake moist. If you’ve got a garden giving you a ton of zucchini or friends desperately trying to get rid of theirs, this Texas sheet cake answers everyone’s prayers. One bite of the glossy, ultra-chocolatey frosting will have you hooked on this cake forever!
Caramel and pecans add a little more decadence to this Texas Turtle Sheet Cake, but not all sheet cakes have to be chocolate; they can be bright and delicious Lemon Sheet Cakes too!
Other Recipes to Serve with Zucchini Texas Sheet Cake
- When you’re looking for the perfect tiny bite of chocolate perfection that still feeds a crowd, Texas Sheet Cake Bites have got you covered!
- Rainbow Sherbet Punch is a colorful and wildly delicious punch everyone at the get-together will love!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients: To make this cake, you will need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. You will also need vanilla extract, salt, and ground cinnamon.
Wet Ingredients: Set out eggs and milk to come to room temperature and oil.
Zucchini: Grab a few zucchini from the garden or grocery store to grate or shred.
Frosting: To make the frosting, you will need butter, buttermilk, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.
How to Make Zucchini Texas Sheet Cake
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a jelly roll pan with non-stick spray. Mix the granulated sugar, oil, and eggs using a stand mixer or beater. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, baking powder, and cinnamon in a separate large bowl.
STEP TWO: Mix the dry and wet ingredients at medium speed. Slowly pour the milk and add the zucchini, mixing until well combined.
STEP THREE: Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack.
STEP FOUR: Make the frosting by melting the butter in a microwave-safe bowl with a plate placed over the top (this will prevent splattering). Once the butter is melted, stir in the vanilla extract and buttermilk and heat in the microwave uncovered for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Then stir in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and heat for another 1 minute, stirring halfway through the cooking time. If needed, heat for another 30 seconds until the frosting is smooth.
STEP FIVE: Pour the frosting over the Texas sheet cake, spreading it evenly.
STEP SIX: Allow the frosting to cool and set up for about 1 hour before slicing and serving the cake.
Tips for Success
- After grating or shredding the zucchini, let it sit on the cutting board to drain a little, but don’t squeeze or wring out the water. The zucchini’s water content helps make the cake moist.
- The frosting may need a couple of intervals of heating and stirring before it’s ready, and depending on your microwave, you may need more or less time. You are looking for a smooth, glossy frosting with no lumps, so check it each time you stir.
- I love the tang that buttermilk adds to the frosting, but if that’s not your thing, you can substitute whole milk or half-and-half for the buttermilk.
- Jelly roll pans, cookie sheets, and half-sheet pans are all different sizes. For this sheet cake recipe, you will need a jelly roll pan, which should be approximately 15.5 inches x 10.5 inches and have a 1-inch rim around the edge. You can make do with a half-sheet pan (18 inches x 13 inches) if that’s what you have on hand, but the cake will be even thinner and not take quite as long to bake (about 15-18 minutes).
- You can keep your cake covered on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
What’s the difference between a Texas sheet cake and a regular cake?
A Texas sheet cake is bigger than a regular cake, which is how it got its name! This recipe for Texas sheet cake is baked in a jelly roll pan, which is around 10×15 inches and 1 inch deep. This creates a large, thin sheet cake that cooks faster than a regular cake and feeds a few more people. Regular cake pans are usually 9×13 inches and about 2 inches deep, so they take longer to cook and are thicker. Both types of cake are delicious. It all comes down to the type of cake you want to make, how many people you feed, and which cake recipe and pan work best for you!
Do you peel zucchini before grating it?
To peel or not to peel is a personal preference. Zucchini peel is thin and almost unnoticeable when eating zucchini or including it in recipes. You may see flecks of the dark green peel, but it doesn’t taste any different from the other zucchini. If you prefer not to include the peel, simply peel the zucchini and grate it. Doing so won’t change the flavor or moisture of the cake.
More Zucchini Treats to Enjoy!
- Banana Zucchini Bread
- Lemon Zucchini Cake
- Frosted Zucchini Cookies
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
*This post originally posted on 10/03/2015.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup 2% milk (or whole milk)
- 2 cups zucchini shredded or grated
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup buttermilk (see note)
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound powdered sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, and eggs. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix on medium speed. Then, slowly add milk while the mixer is running. Use a rubber spatula to fold the zucchini into the cake batter until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest on a wire rack.
Frosting
- Add the butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate (to prevent splatters) and microwave for 1 minute. Remove the plate and stir in the vanilla and buttermilk. Place the bowl back in the microwave, uncovered, and heat for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
- Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar until well combined. Return the bowl to the microwave and heat for 1 minute, stirring halfway through the cooking time. If needed, heat for an additional 30 seconds until frosting is smooth and there are no clumps.
- Pour the frosting over the cake and spread evenly over the top. Let the frosting cool and harden. Cut into 20 slices (5×4 grid) and serve.
Debbie says
Are these brownies or sheet cake? Seems to be a lot for a standard jelly roll pan, my cake rose way above the pan. Vanilla was omitted in the directions.
Dennis says
Can you substitute something for the zucchini? Not sure I have that much left in the freezer.
Sandra McC says
Dennis – you could try these Texas Sheet Cake Bites – http://realhousemoms.com/texas-sheet-cake-bites/ – zucchini being a staple, not sure what else you could try. The store has zucchini all year long, so maybe if you don’t have enough, grab a small one from there. xo San
Megan says
Is it supposed to be “1/2 cup butter, cubed” or 1 1/2 cup butter?
Julie @Real Housemoms says
It’s 1 stick/cube of butter which is equal to 1/2 cup. We’ve updated the recipe so that notation is more clear. 🙂
Jane says
1 stick of butter is equal to 1/4 cup of butter…..
Aubrey Cota says
I just grabbed a stick of butter to help me clarify this. 1 stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup of butter. We don’t mess around when it comes to butter! 🙂