Texas sheet cake cupcakes are a twist on the decadent and chocolatey Texas sheet cake. They’re rich, sweet, and have gooey chocolate fudge icing on top.

If you are a chocolate lover, this Texas sheet cake cupcake recipe will be right up your alley. It has a rich fudge-like texture that explodes into gooey bites. It leaves a delicious aroma throughout your home and will have everyone’s stomach grumbling for chocolate.
I have fallen in love with this recipe, and it has become one of my all-time favorite cupcake recipes. It is sweet without being overly sweet, thanks to the type of cocoa powder this recipe uses. I have found that I love to top each cupcake with a sprinkle of nuts to help give it depth and different textures.
You will find that this recipe is easy to follow, but there are so many dimensions and layers in the flavor to one bite with each cupcake. Each bite will trick someone into thinking you spent hours making these cupcakes when you only set aside an hour to make these delicious Texas sheet cake cupcakes.
Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes Ingredients
- Butter
- Large Eggs
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- White Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Water
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Sour Cream
Chocolate Icing Ingredients
- Butter
- Milk
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Chopped Pecans, optional for topping
How to Make Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
- In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, combine butter, eggs, vanilla, and white sugar.
- In a saucepan on the stove or in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave, heat ¾ cup of water to almost a simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until it has dissolved all of the powder with no lumps left. Mix into the bowl. Add sour cream and mix.
- Sift together all of the dry ingredients, then slowly add to the mixing bowl.
- Fill each cupcake liner with 3 tablespoons of cupcake batter. Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly touched.
Chocolate Icing
- In an electric mixer with a whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, combine butter, milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla.
- Slowly add 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar at a time until well blended.
- Ice cupcakes once they have fully cooled.
- Add chopped pecans on top of icing if desired.
Can You Make Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes?
One of the best things about this recipe is that you can easily make a vanilla version by leaving out the unsweetened cocoa powder. I prefer the chocolate due to the fudge-like texture, but you can easily switch it up to your preferences. If you plan on the vanilla version, check out my favorite cream cheese frosting that will pair perfectly with it.
Can You Add Any Nuts To Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes?
If you love nuts, you can crush them up and add them to the tops of the cupcakes once they are done baking. However, you do not have to do this at all. I love adding pecans to mine to give them that extra layer and bite.
Candied Bourbon Pecans
If you are thinking about pecans and have an extra 15 minutes, you can easily make candied bourbon pecans.
All you need is 2 tablespoons of bourbon, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and of course, the pecans about 1 cup. Mix up all of the ingredients, coat your nuts, and pop them in the oven for 15 minutes.
Tips On Making Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes
Icing Ingredients You will need to make sure these ingredients are ready to go. It will turn fudgy very quickly, so you only have a limited time to spread it. This is delicious but can be challenging to work with.
Room Temperature These cupcakes can be kept at room temperature for up to a week in an air-tight container, or you can put them in Tupperware in the refrigerator for up to a week. For best quality, I recommend eating them within 3 days.
Final Thoughts
There are so many ways to make Texas sheet cake cupcakes, and every way is effortless to follow. Some people love eating this cake cooled off and cold while others love eating it hot from the oven when it’s nice and gooey.
You can start experimenting with your icing and learn when you prefer to make it. This recipe only takes 20 minutes to prep between mixing ingredients and icing and then another 16-20 minutes to bake. You will fall in love with this recipe once you make it! If you are looking for another chocolate cupcake recipe, check out my Hershey’s Chocolate Cupcakes.
Recommended Recipes
- Hershey’s Chocolate Cupcakes
- M&M Cupcakes
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- Oreo Bottom Cupcakes
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
Enjoy!
Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes
- 1 cup Butter, room temperature
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups White Granulated Sugar
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ¾ cup Water
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Sour Cream
Chocolate Icing
- ¼ cup Butter, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons Milk
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups Confectioners' Sugar
- 1 cup Chopped Pecans, optional
Instructions
Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
- In an electric mixer with paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, combine butter, eggs, vanilla, and white sugar.
- In a saucepan on the stove or in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave, heat water to almost a simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until it has dissolved all of the powder with no lumps left. Add to the mixing bowl and blend well. Add sour cream and mix.
- Sift together all of the dry ingredients, then slowly add to the mixing bowl.
- Fill each cupcake liner with 3 tablespoons of cupcake batter. Bake in the oven for 16-20 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly touched.
Chocolate Icing
- In an electric mixer with a whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, combine butter, milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Slowly add 1 cup of confectioners' sugar at a time until well blended.
- Ice cupcakes once they have fully cooled. Add chopped pecans on top of icing if desired.
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