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White sheet cake with butter pecan icing in sheet pan with square cut out.
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5 from 6 votes

White Texas Sheet Cake (with Cake Mix)

White Texas Sheet Cake is made with a doctored white or yellow cake mix! That's right! This easy vanilla sheet cake recipe is slathered with a homemade butter pecan icing, just 10 minutes prep time, and bakes in under 20 minutes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time17 minutes
Cool time10 minutes
Total Time37 minutes
Servings: 15 servings
Calories: 355kcal
Cost: 8

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 box white cake mix 15.25 oz box - I used Duncan Hines
  • 1/2 cup salted butter melted
  • 3/4 cup milk (from skim to whole milk, buttermilk)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk (from skim to whole milk)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup roasted pecan pieces or coarsely chopped roasted pecans
  • 1 (16-ounce) box powdered (confectioners) sugar 4 cups

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom only of a 10x15 sheet pan or jelly roll pan.
  • If you are roasting the pecans in the same oven as baking the cake, toast them now. Place them on a baking sheet for 7-8 minutes.
  • Ignore directions on the cake mix box. Instead beat the egg whites with a hand mixer in a large bowl until just frothy or foamy, do not whisk to soft peaks.
  • Add the cake mix, then the melted butter, milk and vanilla. Beat on medium-low for 30 seconds until well combined. Set a timer and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.
  • Pro Tip:  Don’t skimp on this time. It will make a difference in the texture of the cake.
  • Dollop the cake batter into the prepared pan, then spread to the edges. Bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Do not over bake.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire cooking rack. Let it stand for 10 minutes before pouring the icing over the warm cake.
  • This is when I roast the pecans in my air fryer (see link in notes below to show you how to do this).

Butter Pecan Icing

  • While cake is cooling for 10 minutes, make the icing. Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan over a medium heat, stirring often. You’re not looking for it to boil here.
  • Stir in milk and vanilla extract. Stir in the roasted pecans, next, so they soak up some of the yummy butter flavor before adding powdered sugar.
  • Add the powdered sugar all at once, then stir vigorously until the powdered sugar is smooth.
  • When the cake has cooled 10 minutes in the pan, pour the icing all over the cake, then spread it evenly all over the cake and to the edges. Let the icing firm up about 15 minutes before serving the cake. The cake can also be served at room temperature or refrigerated.

Notes

Yellow Cake Mix: Make White Texas Sheet Cake according to white cake mix directions except use three whole eggs.
How to toast pecans in the air fryer - Roasted Pecans in Air Fryer recipe.
Storage: Since there is milk in the icing, store the cake, covered, in the refrigerator.
Shortcuts:
Using a 16 ounce box of powdered sugar saves time measuring powdered sugar.
If you are measuring powdered sugar from a canister, try weighing out 16 ounces instead of measuring 4 cups. Always use a dry measuring cup for measuring powdered sugar.
Save a dish to wash. Melt the butter for the cake in the same saucepan you will later melt the butter for the icing.
Bake White Texas Sheet Cake in a 9x13 inch pan. Follow the directions above but bake the cake for 21 minutes.
Pro Tip: Only spray the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray, especially if using a nonstick pan. This allows the cake from a cake mix to “climb” up the sides and therefore makes a taller cake.
If the icing starts to firm up before pouring onto the cake, just heat it up again over medium heat, until pourable again.

Nutrition

Serving: 15servings | Calories: 355kcal