Texas Sheet Cake Bites
All the iconic fudgy chocolate richness of a classic Texas sheet cake — poured cocoa icing and all — baked into two-bite mini muffin portions that disappear at every party. Made in under 30 minutes with pantry staples and endlessly shareable.
- Total Time30 minutes
- Yield24 bites 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Sheet Cake Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup salted sweet cream butter
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour cream
- 2 large eggs, room temperature and well beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Icing
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
- 4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (1 pound box)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep the Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray, coating every cup and edge. Set aside.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined with no pale streaks remaining.
- Build the Wet Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the boiling water, butter, buttermilk or sour cream, and vanilla. Stir until the butter is completely melted. The cold buttermilk will cool the mixture to lukewarm — this is important before adding eggs.
- Combine Wet Into Dry: Pour the lukewarm wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. The batter will be thin and glossy — this is correct.
- Stir in the Eggs: Add the well-beaten eggs and stir until the batter is completely smooth with no streaks of egg or flour visible.
- Scoop and Bake: Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, fill each mini muffin cup. Bake for 8–10 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool completely in the pan before removing.
- Prepare the Icing Station: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire cooling rack on top. Arrange the completely cooled cake bites on the rack.
- Make the Icing: In a small heat-safe bowl, combine the milk, butter, and vanilla. Microwave for 25–30 seconds until the butter melts. Stir well, then stir in the cocoa powder. Add the powdered sugar to a medium bowl, pour in the cocoa mixture, and whisk steadily until completely smooth, glossy, and lump-free.
- Ice and Set: Drizzle or dollop icing over each cooled bite, spreading gently if needed. Allow the icing to set fully before transferring to a serving plate.
Notes
Spoon and level the flour — do not scoop directly from the bag. Always cool the wet mixture to lukewarm before adding eggs to avoid scrambling them. Do not ice warm bites — cool completely first. Check bites at 8 minutes; overbaking dries out the fudgy texture. Stir icing steadily rather than whisking vigorously to avoid air bubbles. Bites keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Cuisine: American, Southern
Nutrition
- Calories: 155
- Sodium: 95
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Protein: 1.5
- Cholesterol: 32
