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Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake: The Ultimate Crowd-Pleasing Dessert

Ree Drummond's famous chocolate sheet cake recipe creates a moist, rich Texas-style dessert perfect for feeding a crowd. This simple recipe combines pantry staples into a tender chocolate cake with decadent fudgy icing that bakes up perfectly level in a standard sheet pan.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 385
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan or standard sheet pan.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
  3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with water over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat.
  4. Pour the hot butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the buttermilk, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. While the cake bakes, prepare the icing. In a saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder, and milk. Heat gently until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and powdered sugar until creamy. Stir in nuts if using.
  7. Pour the warm icing over the hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Notes

For best texture, ensure ingredients are at room temperature. Pour icing over hot cake for signature fudgy texture. Cake tastes better the next day as flavors meld. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.