There’s nothing like a Texas Sheet Cake to feed a crowd, and this fall-inspired version might just be my favorite riff yet. This Apple Cinnamon Texas Sheet Cake swaps the traditional chocolate for cozy autumn flavors: warm spices, fresh diced apples, and a buttery apple cider glaze that soaks right into the cake. It’s easy to bake, perfectly spiced, and ideal for sharing. It's the kind of apple cake that disappears fast, trust me!
Recipe by Joy the Baker on October 1, 2025
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT22M
Total time: PT-492861H14M43S
Rating
4.8 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
apple, apple cider, texas sheet cake, apple cake, fall baking
Ingredients
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cups (200 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup (200 grams) lightly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (226 grams) salted butter
1 cup apple cider
2 large eggs, at room temperature and beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125 grams) sour cream
2 cups (200 grams) peeled apples cut into small ¼-inch cubes
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cups (113 grams) salted butter
¼ cup apple cider
3 cups (375 grams) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Steps
Prep and Preheat. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly grease a half sheet pan (a pan that’s 17.25×12.25 with a 1-inch rim) and grease with butter or shortening and dust with flour. Set aside.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. We’re building flavor right from the start.
Make the Warm Butter-Cider Mixture. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the apple cider over medium heat until the mixture is steaming and just beginning to bubble. Carefully pour the hot mixture over the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth and glossy. The heat will help dissolve the sugars and bloom the spices—your kitchen will smell incredible.
Add the Eggs, Vanilla, and Sour Cream. Allow the batter to cool slightly (we don’t want scrambled eggs). Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream until smooth and well combined. The batter will be loose and pouraable. Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.
Toss and Top the Apples. In a small bowl, toss together the diced apples, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon until the apples are well coated. Scatter the apples evenly over the batter, then gently press and swirl them in with an offset spatula so they’re nestled just under the surface.
Bake the Cake. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Make the Warm Glaze. While the cake bakes, melt the butter and apple cider together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the powdered sugar, sour cream, and cinnamon until smooth and pourable.
Glaze While Hot. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the warm glaze evenly over the hot cake. Use an offset spatula to spread it all the way to the edges. The glaze will seep into the top layer and create that shiny, sweet finish.
Cool and Slice. Let the cake cool until just warm before slicing into squares. Serve straight from the pan to happy friends and fam.
Reviews
Keeley on 2025-10-03 (5 stars): This cake was perfect! Great texture and apple flavor, didn’t stick to the pan, easy to cut and serve!
Amanda on 2025-10-05 (5 stars): OMG! We love a good sheet cake in the house and this is GOLD!
I did not have any apple cider so we had to use a hard apple cider and it was perfect ? ?
Amalia on 2025-10-05 (4 stars): In my humble opinion, the glaze was too sweet. And I like a sugary treat, don't get me wrong. I'm usually all for it, but that level of sweetness was a little too crazy loco. I guess it just comes down to personal preference though, so some might like it. Otherwise, this was super delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Jill on 2025-10-06 (4 stars): I made this last night . The flavor was delicious! Unfortunately today when I cut into it, the bottom is very wet. Im not sure why. Did not refrigerate.
Cherie on 2025-10-06 (5 stars): Made this for a football tailgate this past weekend. It is rich and delicious! I followed the recipe exactly. Would definitely suggest using the recommended cake pan size since it is so rich.
Hanbal Altair Malouf on 2025-10-17 (5 stars): This Apple Cinnamon Texas Sheet Cake looks absolutely irresistible! ?? I love how the warm spices and juicy apple cubes come together with that buttery apple cider glaze—perfect for cozy fall gatherings. Truly inspiring content—thanks for sharing!
Jen on 2025-10-17 (5 stars): This was incredible. Our family is part of a mountain bike team (riders, coach, and managers in this house) and race season just ended with extra fruit on the team snack table. But as we still have a few practices left, I grabbed the fruit and used the apples to make two pans of this recipe. It was a huge hit. Some riders even had fourths!
Hammondzoo on 2025-11-20 (5 stars): I made this for a Sunday lunch and you are right, this cake is like the loaves and fishes. I was afraid we would not have enough because it is not very tall but we had leftovers to take home. I cut squares and gave it to my neighbor because like your other comment :) we were constantly going to the pan and slicing off "just a piece" and it was ridiculous! My husband panicked because he thought I gave it all away but he was pleased that I saved him some which he quickly consumed!
Pam Hogan on 2025-11-28 (5 stars): I mad this tonight for Thanksgiving, for the people who don't like pumpkin pie. Ended up everyone had a piece, and the non-pie people even had seconds. It is delicious! A big hit with my family. I'm so glad you posted this and I decided to make it for the second dessert. Will go into my regular dessert rotation now.
Raq on 2025-12-07 (5 stars): I made this today with some honeycrisp apples and martinelli's honeycrisp apple cider, it was so good. It has this comforting apple pie flavor that is mouth watering. The sour cream in the glaze makes it taste almost cheesecake like. Highly recommend!
