Texas classic chocolate cake (Printable)

A moist, thin chocolate cake with warm fudgy icing for a decadent Southern treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
07 - 1 cup water
08 - ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - ½ cup sour cream
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Fudgy Icing

12 - ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
13 - ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
14 - ⅓ cup whole milk
15 - 3½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheet.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon if using.
03 - In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, and cocoa powder. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until smooth.
04 - Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Add to batter and mix until smooth.
06 - Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - While cake bakes, melt butter with cocoa powder and milk over medium heat in a saucepan. Stir until smooth and slightly boiling, then remove from heat.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar and vanilla into the warm mixture until smooth. Fold in nuts if desired.
09 - Immediately pour warm icing over the hot cake and spread quickly using an offset spatula.
10 - Allow cake to cool at room temperature until icing sets. Cut into squares and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The icing soaks into the warm cake, creating pockets of fudgy sweetness that make every bite ridiculously moist.
  • It feeds a crowd without the fuss of layering or frosting a tall cake.
  • You can have it mixed, baked, and iced in under an hour, which is perfect when you need dessert fast.
  • The thin, tender crumb has a brownie-like richness that makes it hard to stop at one square.
02 -
  • Pour the icing over the cake while both are still hot. If you wait, the icing will sit on top instead of soaking in, and you will lose that signature fudgy texture.
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet, not a flat one. The batter is thin and will overflow without edges.
  • Sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the icing. Lumps are nearly impossible to whisk out once the icing starts to cool.
  • Do not overbake the cake. It should still look slightly soft in the center when you pull it out, because it will continue to cook from residual heat.
03 -
  • Let the butter and cocoa mixture cool for just a minute before pouring it over the dry ingredients. If it is too hot, it can cook the eggs when you add them.
  • Use an offset spatula to spread the icing quickly and evenly. It sets fast, so you need to work with confidence.
  • If you are doubling the recipe, use two pans instead of one deeper pan. The baking time stays the same, and the texture is more consistent.
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