Moist, deep dark chocolate cake is topped with my favorite chocolate fudge frosting to make this gluten-free Texas Sheet Cake. My hubby requests this gluten-free chocolate cake for his birthday cake almost every year! It’s much easier to make than a layer cake so I happily oblige.
Chocolate cake is definitely in my Top 5 favorite desserts. My family declares this the best gluten-free chocolate cake ever! My husband never really liked chocolate cake until I started making this one!
Gluten-free Texas Sheet Cake is the perfect potluck dessert too. You make it in a huge rimmed sheet pan (15.5″x10.5″), also known as a jelly roll pan. This is the jelly roll pan I have and use, it even has a lid! I love having the lid so I can cover desserts like this without foil or saran wrap sticking to the top of the dessert.
This is the same pan I use for my gluten-free Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting. And the same pan I use for my gluten-free revel bars so it gets a lot of use around here between all these recipes!
Because of the large pan, this makes a thin gluten-free sheet cake with plenty of servings for birthday parties or potlucks.
You can also cut the pieces small if you want to serve a large crowd, so I do that when bringing to a potluck where people are grabbing multiple desserts so they don’t need each serving to be so big.
At home, we like slices nice and big with a glass of milk or scoop of ice cream.
Notes on Ingredients for gluten-free Texas Sheet Cake:
- Gluten-free Flour: As always, I recommend using a good quality gluten-free flour blend that isn’t made of bean flours. I have had great success with the texture of this cake when I use King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour, Gluten free Mama’s Almond Blend, and also with Cup4Cup flour. Try with your favorite good quality flour blend (not Namaste or Pillsbury).
- If the gluten-free flour blend you use already has xanthan gum or guar gum in it, then omit the xanthan gum called for in this recipe.
- Butter: Real butter produces the best results in this cake and the frosting. If you absolutely need to substitute it, like to make it dairy-free, then use a good stick butter alternative like Melt or Earth Balance in an equal amount
- Baking cocoa: In this recipe, I like to divide the total amount called for and use about 1/2 of dutch-processed, Hershey’s regular or Saco blend cocoa and 1/2 Hershey’s special dark cocoa. That is how I achieve a deep, dark brown to the cake and icing.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand you can either use 1/2 cup milk or non-dairy milk alternative with 1 tsp lemon juice mixed in or use buttermilk powder, following the package instructions for how to replace 1/2 cup buttermilk with it.
One thing I like about making this cake is that you don’t have to wait for it to cool completely before you frost it. The cake is still warm when you put the warm frosting on.
Ingredients for the amazing fudge frosting:
The chocolate frosting for this cake is sooo good – it tastes like fudge! It’s made simply with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, butter, milk and vanilla extract. I use a hand mixer for making the frosting. You probably have all of these on hand already!
Yes, you can make this frosting dairy-free by using a dairy-free milk alternative. I do that when I want to use this frosting on other cakes/cupcakes that are dairy-free.
After you frost this, let it cool completely before cutting it. You can put in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
You can cut in a 5×3 pattern for 15 big slices, or a 6×4 pattern for 24 smaller slices, or whatever you prefer! If I’m bringing this somewhere that there are a lot of desserts, I’ve even cut into a 7×5 pattern for 35 smaller pieces.
Everywhere I bring this people can’t get enough and I always come home with an empty pan!
I’ve also posted this recipe adapted as gluten-free chocolate cupcakes and as “gluten-free Love Cakes” for Valentines! Happy Baking!
You can even stack two pieces of this sheet cake on top of each other for two layers of deliciousness!
If you make this sheet cake and love it, please come back and give this recipe a 5 star rating in the recipe card! Feel free to comment with tips or to share any successful substitutions you made.
Gluten-free Texas Sheet Cake Recipe:
Gluten-free Texas Sheet Cake
Gluten-free chocolate cake that's ready to serve a crowd! Serve up slices of this gluten-free Texas sheet cake at your next potluck or party.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups good quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend*
- 1 tsp. xanthan gum *(see note)
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks or 16 Tbsp.)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (I use part Hershey's Dark Cocoa, and part regular cocoa)
- 1 cup water
- ½ c. buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Fudge Frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 3 ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 7 Tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Spray jelly roll pan (about 15.5"x10.5"x1" pan) with cooking oil.
- In your mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cocoa, and 1 cup water. Bring just to boiling, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add to dry ingredients, beat until combined.
- Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla to mixing bowl and beat for one minute on low-medium speed.
- Pour batter into greased pan. Bake at 350° for 23-26 minutes. A toothpick inserted into cake will come out with moist crumbs attached, but not wet batter.
- Place pan on a cooling rack to cool a bit while you prepare the frosting.
Fudge Frosting:
- Using a medium glass bowl, melt the stick of butter in microwave. Whisk in cocoa powder, then heat for 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and milk alternately, beating with a hand mixer until creamy. Add vanilla last, beating in until mixed well.
- While still warm, pour frosting over the hot cake. Work quickly to gently spread to cover.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting. You can refrigerate to speed up the process. You can cut in a 5x3 pattern for 15 big slices, or a 6x4 pattern for 24 smaller slices, or whatever you prefer! If I'm bringing this somewhere that there are a lot of desserts, I've even cut into a 7x5 pattern for 35 smaller pieces.
Notes
*If your flour blend already contains xanthan gum or guar gum, omit the xanthan gum called for in this recipe.
As always, be sure to double-check your ingredients for gluten.
For the cocoa powder, I like to use about 1/2 of dutch-processed or Saco blend cocoa and 1/2 Hershey's special dark cocoa. That is how I achieve a nice dark brown to my cupcakes and icing.
The number of servings will depend on how big you want to cut slices of cake. If serving with ice cream and toppings, we cut a little smaller. If bringing to a potluck with a lot of desserts, we cut a little smaller.
Recommended Products
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Hamilton Beach Power Deluxe 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer White -
Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, 4 oz. -
T-fal 84776 Airbake Covered Jelly Roll, Silver -
Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Can - 8 oz - 2 pk -
SACO Pantry Premium Cocoa, Natural and Dutched Blend, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Pack of 2
Pin this to your gluten-free cake board on Pinterest:
Old photo from 2014 when this was originally posted!
Deb S
Thursday 23rd of May 2024
I have always used sour cream instead of buttermilk. If you like the buttermilk taste, plain Greek style yogurt is good, too. They seem to add more richness to the texture. I also substitute Lakanto monkfruit (less aftertaste that other erythriol blends) instead of white sugar. Enjoy it whichever way works best for you!
Keally D
Sunday 5th of May 2024
Have made this twice now, once with King Arthur GF all purpose flour and the other with H-E-B organics GF all purpose flour. Both times it was absolutely delicious! the second time I did add a tsp of cinnamon and toasted pecans on top. This is definitely a hit in our family Sunday dinners, will continue to make. Thank you for sharing!
Samantha
Saturday 6th of January 2024
This cake was AWESOME and absolutely delicious! Super easy, I used the Bobs 1 to 1 baking flour and my who family loved it!
Simone
Monday 4th of September 2023
This cake is amazing! I use King Arthur measure for measure gluten free flour. I also use full fat coconut milk and lemon juice for the buttermilk. Loved it warm and cold and making it again for my birthday! Thank you for this!
Sue
Wednesday 23rd of August 2023
I'm looking for a Gluten Free flour blend I can use that does not contain rice or nuts. Mu grandaughter has a food sensitivity list that includes almonds, cashews, rice and wheat gluten among many other things. Thanks
Haydee Muir
Wednesday 12th of June 2024
@Sue, I make my own. using potato flour, tapicoca flour, coconut flour and pea flour. It works cup for cup. If you dont have pea you can use soy.. just don't taste the mixture before it's cooked. I have known some people allegic to rice flour to use banana flour.