You’re going to love this low carb Texas Sheet Cake recipe. This delicious keto chocolate cake stays true to the original, with a boiled cocoa frosting. You won’t believe it’s sugar-free! Now with an instructional video.
The creation of this Texas sheet cake recipe was a foregone conclusion. Pre-ordained. Written in the stars. Fate, destiny, kismet. It was an absolute inevitability.
From the moment I published my low carb Peanut Butter Sheet Cake, I had readers requesting one of the traditional chocolate variety. Texas sheet cake seems to speak to something deep within the collective American psyche. And I got requests from all over the country, so it’s not as geographically limited as the name might suggest.
It’s a well loved American classic and I simply can’t argue with that. So you know I had to give it a go!
How To Make Keto Texas Sheet Cake
However, it’s hard to stay true to a classic when working with a completely different set of ingredients. Almond flour is not the same as wheat flour and my low carb sweeteners are not the same as sugar.
But this non-Texan, non-American resident alien did her best. I researched Texas sheet cake recipes for several days before even attempting to de-carbify this iconic dessert.
See, with the peanut butter version, I was straying far enough from the original concept to just do what I wanted with it, tradition be damned. Basically, it was a delicious grain-free peanut butter cake with a delicious sugar-free peanut butter frosting.
But if I was going to attempt a real Texas sheet cake recipe, I wanted it to be as close to the original as possible, and yet still without gluten or sugar. Tricky, that! I could easily have just relied on any one of my low carb chocolate cake recipes and then simply spread it with chocolate frosting, sprinkled it with pecans, and called it done.
Instead, I tried to take some main tenets from the traditional recipes and apply them to my low carb ingredients. Such as bringing the butter, water, and cocoa powder to a boil before adding it to the flour mixture for the cake, an unusual step that I had never done in any other cake recipes.
And also to stay true to the original, I poured the warm frosting over the warm cake, instead of letting it cool as I would any other cake. This makes something of a marriage between the frosting and the cake so that the cake is extra moist.
Again, not something I would do with any other cake recipe. But it worked beautifully.
The final result? Oh, kids, do you even need to ask? From Anchorage to Miami and everywhere in between, low carb dieters can now enjoy real Texas sheet cake. Maybe even some of my fellow Canucks will give it a go!
Tips for making Low Carb Texas Sheet Cake
Grease the pan well: And then do yourself a favor and grease it again. This is what I call double greasing and it helps my low carb cake recipes release more easily. I do a solid fat first, like butter, really working it into the creases. Then I spray with coconut oil or avocado oil spray.
Use a rimmed baking pan: Sheet pans or jelly roll pans come in various sizes. The one I used for this Texas sheet cake recipe is 10×15, which is a slightly unusual size. It’s okay to use an 11×17 pan too, but your cake will be thinner and will bake a little faster.
Protein powder: yes, it’s necessary. No, you can’t skip it. It’s part of what helps the cake rise and hold its shape. However, you can use egg white protein or hemp protein. Please do not try collagen, it will make the cake very gummy.
Pour the glaze over the cake while it’s hot! This is part of the charm of Texas Sheet Cake, the way the cake and glaze come together and are almost melted into each other. You can let the cake cool a bit but the glaze needs to be quite warm as you pour it over.
Let it cool to room temp: You don’t need to refrigerate the cake, just let it cool and the frosting will set.
Have some friends over and enjoy!
More Keto Sheet Cake Recipes
There’s also a fabulous Tiramisu Sheet Cake in my best-selling Easy Keto Desserts Cookbook!
Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup water
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 10x15 inch rimmed sheet pan very well.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Break up any clumps with the back of a fork.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, water, and cocoa powder, stirring until melted. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Add to the bowl.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, cream and water and stir until well combined. Spread in prepared baking pan.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until cake is set and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Frosting:
- In another medium saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder, cream, and water. Bring to a simmer, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Add powdered sweetener 1/2 a cup at a time, whisking vigorously to dissolve any clumps. Whisk in xanthan gum.
- Pour over warm cake and sprinkle with pecans. Let cool until frosting is set, about 1 hour.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Do you think I could use coconut oil and almond milk and make this dairy free?
Yes, I think so. But coconut oil tends to be greasier so I would use a few tbsp less in the cake.
My stomach can’t handle almond flour. Is there anyway I can sub it with something?
How about sunflower seed flour?
I haven’t heard of sunflower seed flower I will check it out. thank you.
Sunflower seed flour (like pumkinseed flour and hempseed flour) is a very dry flour. It will absolutely change the texture of the cake. Especially when used in the same ratio as the almond flour. You can add this flours to almond flour or so, but I would not use them as a replacement.
Oeps, posted to soon.
I wanted to ask Carolyn what her thoughts are on this?
Sunflower seed flour, the kind that is simply ground sunflower seeds, is not drier at all. Perhaps you’ve used one that has been defatted? Because I replace them cup for cup all the time without issue, except for the turning green issue (which can be fixed with the addition of a little acid like lemon juice). See my video here on making your own sunflower seed flour: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2015/12/how-to-make-your-own-sunflower-seed-flour.html
You can even make your own, although the purchased variety is a little finer. It does react with baking powder and can turn things green but if you’re making a chocolate cake, you can’t see the green. Weird but true! Here’s how to make your own: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2015/12/how-to-make-your-own-sunflower-seed-flour.html
Just checked out your post about how to make your own. This looks totaly different then what I purchased. Mine is darker brown and very very fine, almost like sand. No wonder the recipes I’ve tried out with it also taste (and have the texture) of sand. Will not buy that stuff again and make my own.
Thanks!
Okay, so I think that it must be a defatted and roasted kind that you had (similar to most peanut flour). Mine is almost virtually the same texture as almond flour and i don’t roast beforehand.
Cake is great. I combined your two recipes. Made the chocolate cake and used the peanut butter frosting from the other sheet cake.
Thank you so much.
Yes!! I was thinking of doing the same thing!
Just made this recipe and it is perfection! You’ve made me a happy woman!
Yay!
The Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake was a huge hit with friends who don’t restrict carbs and sugar. I’ve been waiting for this one!
Hope you love it!
I am really nervous to try this as every low carb chocolate brownie/cake recipe I have tried has turned out dry as dust & ingredients are expensive in my area. My husband and I have been Keto for 8 months but he is really missing his chocolate treats. I love your website and have tried many recipes – your Salted Carmel Cheesecake bars were awesome! But I really need a good moist chocolate cake desert – will this be it?
Read the reviews! So far so good. One question…what almond flour are you using? That might be your problem.
Several readers on Facebook have made it and loved it so far, so I say…give it a go! https://www.facebook.com/AllDayIDreamAboutFood/photos/a.295379530489443.84722.157146680979396/1285874208106632/?type=3&theater
I use Bob’s Red Mill and have tried the finer grind as well. Still the same results. Very dry. Perhaps will give this one a try. Thanks.
In a cake like this, you don’t want Bob’s (although they are coming out with a very fine almond flour soon!). You want Honeyville.
Thank you AGAIN for making me forget I’m diabetic! This looked so easy to make and it was. I didn’t have Swerve so I used my own sweeteners, including a bit of Splenda, I know I know but who cares, this is so amazing. Thanks to you I can have my dessert and eat it too 🙂 You are wonderful!
I am always happy to help people forget that they are diabetic. 🙂
What is the difference between Swerve and the bagged, measured like sugar, version of Splenda? Just wondering.
A lot! How they bake, how they taste and how they are made. I am not a Splenda fan for any of those reasons.
This recipe looks so amazing! I’m just starting a maintenance on low-carb and can start adding things back. Almond flour……so expensive. Do you have a source online where you can buy it cheaper?
You can get a 3lb pound bag of honeyville at Costco for around $20. Best price I’ve found so far!
When I saw this I knew I had to make it. Then after looking at how easy it was I just ran into the kitchen. Well it is as I expected just so so delish. I happen to have a little coffee left in my pot so I used the coffee for the water and it gave it a little coffee flavor which I love with chocolate. My whole family was delighted with dessert tonight and will be for the few days. Thank You Carolyn again for making my family and I very happy!
So glad you like it!
What can be used in place of whey thanks
And, I have all the ingredients! Woohoo!
#GetInMyBelly !! =))
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I’ve been waiting for this for so long! 🙂 Can’t wait to hear it.
Try it, not hear it.
Why is it that every recipe that you come up with my first reaction is to make it immediately? I don’t care if it’s midnight or six in the morning. So many delish recipes, so little time. This is coming out of my oven this weekend.
Granular or powdered Swerve in the cake batter? Thanks!
When I just say “Swerve”, I mean the granular because that’s standard.
Gotcha – I’ll keep that in mind next time. Thanks!
How do you think this would be as a cupcake… I sometimes have better control with servings if i do cupcakes 🙂
Well it obviously wouldn’t be a sheet cake then, but it should work. I’d make 20 low cupcakes with it (i.e. not filling the cupcake cavities very full…probably no more than halfway).
I’ve been looking for this for a while. Thanks so much!!
You are my hero…this is a family favorite that we have done without for far too long
Us too! I’m so excited to try this recipe.
This looks amazing!!! Thank you, Carolyn, for all your time and effort to bring us so many fantastic recipes. Tell me – is the Swerve in the cake part powdered or granular? I can’t wait to make this!!
Hi Carolyn,
I would really like to make this cake, but was wondering if egg white protein would work? If so, should I use the same amount?
thanks for all your great recipes!!!
I really love them!
Yes, it should work in the same amount.
Thank you! Will give it a try!
Can I replace protein powder with something?
Egg white protein also works.
Hi Carolyn,is there any substitute for butter.
I suppose you can try coconut oil. I have not made it that way. Or ghee, if you can do that.