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Texas Sheet Cake Brownies Recipe with Warm Chocolate Frosting

Texas Sheet Cake Brownies Recipe

Thin, moist, cake-like brownies are baked in a jelly-roll pan and covered with warm, pourable chocolate frosting. Optional chopped pecans or walnuts add classic Texas sheet cake flavor and crunch.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Brownies
  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 2 cups Granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup Unsalted butter
  • 1 cup Water
  • 4 tablespoons Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 1/2 cup Sour cream
Chocolate Frosting
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 tablespoons Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 pound, approximately 3 3/4 cups Powdered sugar
  • 1 cup, optional Chopped pecans or walnuts

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and lightly flour a 10 x 15-inch jelly-roll pan, or line it with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
  3. In a saucepan, heat the butter, water, and cocoa powder until the butter melts and the mixture reaches a brief simmer. Do not boil it for an extended time.
  4. Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until mostly combined. Add the eggs and sour cream, mixing just until the batter is smooth.
  5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for about 20–25 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  6. For the frosting, heat the butter, cocoa powder, and milk in a saucepan until smooth and just simmering. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and powdered sugar, and fold in the nuts if using.
  7. Pour the warm frosting over the warm brownies and spread it quickly. Let the brownies cool before cutting them into about 24 squares.

Notes

For the traditional crackly frosting, frost the brownies while both the cake and frosting are still warm. Avoid overbaking; the edges should be set while the center still yields slightly. If using a 9 x 13-inch pan, begin checking around 25 minutes, with thicker brownies possibly needing 25–30 minutes. Toast pecans before adding them to the frosting for the best flavor and crunch.