Two dear ladies I know often make Texas sheet cakes for church events. One makes traditional chocolate Texas sheet cake, and the other makes a white Texas sheet cake. Recently they shared their white Texas sheet cake recipe with me, as well as both of their chocolate Texas sheet cake recipes. Now Katherine and I can make dairy-free versions! (In case you’re wondering, their chocolate Texas sheet cakes differ only in the amount of cocoa powder used.)
Dairy-Free Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake that’s Big at Parties
Today Katherine and I are sharing our slightly-altered recipe for Dairy-Free Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake. The original recipe calls for almond extract as well as dairy ingredients and the option of nuts in the frosting. We decided to make the cake nut free as well as dairy free, so our recipe is for vanilla Texas sheet cake.
This dairy-free vanilla Texas sheet cake tastes even better the day after baking because the flavors have a chance to meld. It’s a perfect make-ahead recipe for a summer event – everyone loves this very sweet, mildly-flavored, moist cake. We recommend serving it with berries, peaches, or other fruit to “cut the sweetness,” as Truvy Jones would say.
Kids Can Bake Tips
This recipe involves boiling some of the ingredients as well as placing the cake in the oven, so young helpers will need supervision. Older kids and teens can make the entire recipe by themselves, asking for help if needed. Again, this being a make-ahead recipe makes it a great option for cooking with kids before everyone is stressed about a big event.
Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, nut-free, optionally soy-free, and vegetarian.
For an egg-free and vegan vanilla Texas sheet cake, see Alisa’s Egg Substitute Guide.
For a gluten-free, dairy-free Texas sheet cake, your favorite 1:1 gluten-free baking blend might work in place of the flour. But I would recommend using the eggs, not an egg-free option. We have not tested this cake gluten-free, but feel free to comment if you try it!
- 1 cup dairy-free buttery spread or sticks (We used Earth Balance Sticks)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup dairy-free sour cream (We used Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream; see Soy-Free Option below)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dairy-free buttery spread or sticks (We used Earth Balance Sticks)
- ¼ cup dairy-free plain milk beverage
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a 10x15-inch baking pan.
- In a large saucepan, bring the 1 cup dairy-free buttery spread or sticks and water to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the flour, sugar, eggs, dairy-free sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt to the buttery mixture in your pan. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and even it out.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out relatively clean with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
- Let the cake cool for 20 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the ½ cup dairy-free buttery spread or sticks and milk beverage to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Mix in the powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
- Spread the frosting over the warm cake. Let the cake cool completely before serving.
- When ready to serve, cut the cake into 24 pieces. Tightly cover any leftovers.
More Dairy-Free Cake Recipes Worth Celebrating
Mini Vegan Cheesecakes
Birthday Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Wacky Chocolate Cupcakes
7 Comments
Thanks! Will try the sifting next time. Cake is fantastic though and more than half gone already, will definitely be making again.
Glad you enjoyed it Sara!
My icing turned out all clumpy … kids said tasted great but not sure what happened 😬
That’s due to the powdered sugar. If your powdered sugar is clumpy, sift it into the bowl to remove clumps before mixing. Powdered sugar can take on moisture, making it more clumpy and less fine, which happens often with humidity.
My birthday is coming up next week and I’ve been wanting to make myself a cake haha!! Gonna give this one a go 🙂 Looks delish and doesn’t sound too difficult. I love that you included a dairy-free frosting recipe too
Happy Birthday! I hope you like it as much as we do. It’s such a comforting, old-fashioned kind of cake.
Mande more than five times