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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To preface this comment, my wife makes the Texas sheet cake a couple times a year, the regular real sugar, flour, etc. I made this version for us today as we were celebrating, and are both on keto for over 75 days now, and both have lost 20+ #!!!.
This cake is nothing short of awesome!!!! The only change I made was to toast the pecans in a skillet, and the darker
roasted nuts really added a little kick. We’re really enjoying a lot of your recipes.(love the lemon bars).
Thanks so much for your sharing!!!
I am so glad to hear it, especially since you are sheet cake aficionados!
I made this today and the icing didn’t set. I followed directions exactly, used Swerve Confectioners and Guittard Unsweetened Cocoa. I expected it to harden and get lighter in color. I’m sure it will taste fine but its going to be messy and I’ll get criticized, LOL. Its like syrup and slightly hardened on top. Any idea what I might have done wrong?
I found out on Facebook that it came out like it was supposed to. Carolyn answered me there. It is so good. I’m going to have trouble staying out of that cake!
Glad you’re all set! I just saw your other comment now.
Yours is the place I visit whenever I need a delicious Keto treat (in addition to referring to your (now dog-eared) book! It’s uncanny how you seem to put up recipes RIGHT at the time I’m craving or wanting a modified version of something laden with sugar and flour! I just made the original version of this for my family for my (grown) daughter’s birthday party, feeling like I was committing a mortal sin! I also barely managed to pass on a piece! I’ve been thinking about that cake since, and I was contemplating if I should play with the recipe to make it Keto friendly (knowing how time consuming and expensive that would be, and likely a flop). All I can say is THANK YOU for sharing your talent! I can’t wait to make your recipe for this delicious cake!!
Well, I am so glad it helps! Good for you for managing to pass up the sugary version.
I finally made this on a rainy day in Texas. It was absolutely the most DELICIOUS cake I’ve had since going low carb. Thank you, Carolyn, for all of your marvelous recipes. I don’t know what I’d do without you on this journey!!
So glad to hear it!
How can I get the recipe for the cheesecake that was on this same clip and where do you buy the sweetner?
I think you mean my death by chocolate cheesecake? https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-death-by-chocolate-cheesecake/ And Swerve sweetener is in many grocery stores but it’s also available online.
OMG! Made this today. It is awesome. Being from the south, I had Texas Sheet Cake growing up. This is better than the original. Will be making this again… soon!!
Delighted to hear that!
Sheet cake is the best & a healthier option is even better!! Thanks for sharing!
This cake looks so delicious! Can’t wait to make a sheet!
Low carb? More of a reason to eat this! My family loves Texas sheet cake, so I’m sure it won’t last long.
Been looking for a good Keto cake recipe for so long and I finally found it!
This is so delicious! My new favorite treat!
Just Made this and it is wonderful. Loved it.
Yay, happy to hear it!
you say we need cream cheese for the frosting, but i don’t see that in the recipe. it calls for 1/4 c. cream, but not crease cheese. how much cream cheese and is that a replacement for the cream?
There is no cream cheese in this recipe. I was answering someone’s comment and made an error, mixing it up with my peanut butter sheet cake. Please follow THIS recipe as written.
I have actually been thinking about making this again, and there it is in all it’s glory so of course I have to read the comments and came across one I had posted earlier about submitting you to Food Network – now that you’re famous and have an “agent” or so to speak. Have you considered my earlier suggestion of possibly becoming or next Food Network star? How about opening a restaurant / bakery in our local Portland area? I .be a regular just so you know and refer many people to you
Thanks for your confidence in me! While it’s tempting, both options would be an insane amount of work, probably for less income. Now if Food Network comes calling, I am not going to say no. But I am highly doubtful that they will. 😉
This recipe has been in my family for years! I am so excited to try this for our next get together. It’s always been a go to for picnics and family gatherings and I never have any leftovers. I hope this one is as good as it looks! Thanks for all you do to make these recipes not only look good but taste good for us keto fanatics!
Hope you love it! One reader found it not sweet enough but sweetness is a matter taste. I advise taste testing the glaze, at least.
Thank you so much for persevering and making this classic cake low carb. I am so excited to try it!
This cake was a huge hit! I could not stop at just one piece!
We bring this cake to all potlucks, such a hit!
I am always up for a chocolate dessert especially one that I don’t have to feel guilty about.
Such a delicious recipe and I love that it’s a low carb option!