I have a confession, which is that it is much easier to riff on a dessert when you grew up eating it. Take gooey butter cake, for example. I made that into ice cream sandwiches recently and had approximately zero hesitation because I grew up in St. Louis. I’ve eaten enough gooey butter cake to know exactly what I think makes it good, what I’d change, and what I absolutely wouldn’t touch.
Turning Texas Sheet Cake into Texas Sheet Cake Ice Cream Sandwiches, though? That was a totally different story. Because if you’re going to use someone else’s regional dessert for inspiration, I feel like you owe it the respect of keeping the reason people love it in the first place. So instead of completely reinventing it, I mainly just froze it.
The chocolate cake is still thin and ridiculously soft, and warm icing still goes on the cake right after it comes out of the oven. The biggest change I made was stirring the toasted pecans into the icing instead of scattering them on top, because I wanted every bite to have a little crunch.
It’s still unmistakably Texas sheet cake. It just happens to be frozen with an ice cream layer in the middle now.
Table of contents
- What is Texas sheet cake?
- Ingredients you’ll need
- How to make these Texas sheet pan ice cream sandwiches
- If you want to make the “leveled up” version like you saw in the video, see the recipe note in the recipe box below.
- How to store and prep them ahead of time
- Why is this recipe in grams?
- Looking for similar recipes?
What is Texas sheet cake?
If you’ve never heard of it, let me introduce you to Texas sheet cake. It’s a classic Southern dessert: a thin chocolate cake baked in a large sheet pan and meant to be eaten straight from the pan.
What makes it different from a regular chocolate cake is the icing. A warm, fudgy cocoa glaze is poured over the cake right after it comes out of the oven, so it melts into the surface and soaks in instead of sitting on top. The result is an ultra-moist, almost fudgy cake that’s simple but rich.
It’s usually finished with toasted pecans, which add crunch and a bit of salt to balance the sweetness, but the main idea is chocolate on chocolate.
Ingredients you’ll need
It looks like a lot of ingredients, but most of them show up more than once, and many are pantry staples. Once you start, it all comes together pretty simply. Here’s everything you’ll need:
For the cake
- 1 cup (234g) boiling water
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (60g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) whole milk Greek yogurt or skyr
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the icing
- 1 1/4 cups (140g) chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup (30g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 3/4 cups (330g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the ice cream
- 2 pints ice cream of choice
How to make these Texas sheet pan ice cream sandwiches
1. Make the cake layers
Preheat the oven to 350°F convection, 375°F standard. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper, ensuring there is some overhang on the edges.
Add 226 grams of butter to a large bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave, then pour in 234 grams of boiling water. Whisk in 60 grams of cocoa powder. Set this to the side for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 240 grams of all-purpose flour, 200 grams of brown sugar, 200 grams of granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix with your hands, breaking up any clumps of sugar you find.
When the wet ingredients have had 10 minutes to cool, add 150 grams of Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth, then whisk in the flour mixture in two batches.
Pour the batter into the lined sheet pan, spreading it out evenly all the way to the edges. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cake is firm to the touch.
2. Make the icing
Toast 140 grams of pecans for 3-4 minutes over medium heat or until fragrant.
In a large bowl, melt 113 grams of butter. Whisk in 1/4 cup of warm water and 30 grams of cocoa powder. Gradually mix in 330 grams of powdered sugar, until a glossy icing forms. Pour in the toasted pecans, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and mix again.
When the cake is out of the oven and still a bit warm, dollop the icing all over the top and spread it out to the edges. Chill this in the fridge for an hour.
3. Assemble
Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the cake in half and carefully place one layer in the quarter sheet pan, icing side up.
Spread the ice cream evenly over the top, then carefully layer the other half of the cake on top, icing side down.
Freeze for 12 hours, then slice into 12 even square pieces. Enjoy extra cold.
If you want to make the “leveled up” version like you saw in the video, see the recipe note in the recipe box below.
How to store and prep them ahead of time
Wrap each sandwich individually in wax paper or plastic wrap, then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. For best texture, let them soften slightly at room temperature before serving.
Also, you can definitely break this recipe up and make any component ahead of time.
The cake layers can be baked a day or two in advance. Once they’re completely cool, wrap them well and keep them at room temperature or in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
And the icing can be prepped and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. I recommend bringing it to room temp and giving it a good stir before spreading it onto the cake layers.
Why is this recipe in grams?
Grams is always my preference for baking, and I hope it will be yours, too. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, not volume. One cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 grams to 160 grams, depending on how it was packed. This ends up causing some volatility and mismatched results.
I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe foolproof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe.
Looking for similar recipes?
Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream Sandwiches
How to Make Ice Cream with the KitchenAid Ice Cream Attachment
Strawberry Jam Ice Cream Sandwiches
And that’s it for these Texas Sheet Cake Ice Cream Sandwiches!
If you make them, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
You can also shop this video if you’re looking for the exact pieces I use – I’ve linked everything on my ShopMy! *some links may contain affiliate commissions
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Equipment
- 2 quarter sheet pans
- 1 large bowl
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 cup (234g) boiling water
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (60g) dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) whole milk Greek yogurt or skyr
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the icing
- 1 1/4 cups (140g) chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup (30g) dutch processed cocoa powder
- 2 3/4 cups (330g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the ice cream
- 2 pints ice cream of choice, I recommend coffee or vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F convection or 375°F standard. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper, ensuring there is some overhang on the edges. See Note.
- Add 226 grams of butter to a large bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave, then pour in 234 grams of boiling water. Whisk in 60 grams of cocoa powder. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 240 grams of all-purpose flour, 200 grams of brown sugar, 200 grams of granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix with your hands, breaking up any clumps of sugar you find.
- When the wet ingredients have had 10 minutes to cool, add 150 grams of Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth, then whisk in the flour mixture in two batches.
- Pour the batter into the lined sheet pan, spreading it out evenly all the way to the edges.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cake is firm to the touch.
- While the cake is baking, make the icing. Toast 140 grams of pecans for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, or until fragrant.
- In a large bowl, melt 113 grams of butter. Whisk in 1/4 cup of warm water and 30 grams of cocoa powder. Gradually mix in 330 grams of powdered sugar, until a glossy icing forms. Pour in the pecans, 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix again.
- When the cake is out of the oven and still a bit warm, dollop the icing all over the top and spread it out to the edges. Chill this in the fridge for an hour.
- When you are ready to make the ice cream sandwiches, line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the cake in half and carefully place one side in the quarter sheet pan, icing side up.
- Spread the ice cream evenly over the top, then carefully layer the other half of the cake on top, icing side down.
- Freeze for 12 hours, then slice into 12 even square pieces. Enjoy extra cold.
Comments
Leave a Comment
Made this recipe? Tell me all your thoughts or if you’ve got any questions!