A Li’l Bit of Texas Sheet Cake (9×13 recipe)
Texas Sheet Cake is one of my very favorite desserts but for a long time I was afraid to try and make it. The frosting is very fudge-like, and I have never had much luck with candy-making. But it’s just so darn good that I finally decided to give it a go. As it turns out, this is a super-simple recipe, as long as you do your prep work first. Now it’s my go-to for any pot-luck or covered dish meal. However, a full Texas sheet-cake is a whole lot of cake! I decided to modify the recipe by scaling it down to a 9×13 pan, which is a much more reasonable size for a two to four person household.
Preparation is Important
As I mentioned earlier, this is an easy recipe as long as you do your prep first. Chefs call this “Mise en Place”, French for “Putting in Place.” This recipe is completely done and frosted in less than 20 minutes. You are going to be moving along at a pretty good pace. Secondly, the temperature of some of the ingredients is important; you don’t want them cooling off while you are scouring the pantry for vanilla. Your best chance at success is to pre-measure all your ingredients and have them readily available. Again, it’s a simple recipe, but preparation is key.
The Best Chocolate Cake, Ever
The first time I took this to a pot-luck was when we lived in Montana. Bless their hearts, no one at work had ever heard a Texas Sheet Cake! From that day on, the only dish I was allowed to bring was this cake.
My favorite way to eat this is falling-apart hot, right after it’s all put together. With a big ole glass of cold milk. It’s also pretty scrumptious with a side of Blue Bell Vanilla ice cream.
Because Texas Sheet Cake is so moist, it stores really well, Just cover it foil and it will last for several days. I don’t recommend refrigeration, as it makes the icing wet and gooey.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, and that the scaled-down size makes it something you can make more often, instead of just for special occasions!
A Li'l Bit of Texas Sheet Cake (9x13 recipe)
This recipe is adapted from The Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake recipe, as that is the closest I have found to the sheet cakes I remember growing up in Texas. This is a rich dessert recipe that's made with pantry staples and can be put together in less than 20 minutes! <br> <br>Some say the original Texas Sheet cake was actually a German Chocolate cake. If you want to give that a try, use Dutch Chocolate instead of regular cocoa, increase the sugar for the cake by 1/4 cup, and use 1/2 tbsp of baking powder instead of the 1/2 tsp of baking soda. Then add 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut to the frosting.
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Main Ingredient: Chocolate
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 40 min
Yield: 12 servings
Serves:
Ingredients
- Cake
- 1 c. flour
- 1 c. sugar
- 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tbsp. (heaping) cocoa powder
- 1 sticks butter
- 1⁄2 c. boiling water
- 1⁄4 c. buttermilk or add 1/4 tsp vinegar to fresh milk
- 1 whole beaten eggs
- 1⁄2 tsp. baking soda
- 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla
- Frosting
- 1⁄2 c. finely chopped pecans
- 7 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. (heaping) cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp. milk
- 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla
- 1⁄2 lb. (minus 1/4 cup) powdered sugar
Directions
- Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a stand mixer. Melt butter in a saucepan then stir in cocoa. Add boiling water andboil for 30 seconds. Stir gently into flour mixture.
- Add buttermilk, beaten egg, and vanilla. Turn stand mixer on medium and mix until well blended. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
- When cake has ten minutes remaining, start to make the icing. Melt butter in a saucepan then stir in cocoa. Remove from heat and then add milk, vanilla and stir well. Slowly add powdered sugar and stir until frosting is smooth. Add pecans. Pour warm frosting over warm cake. If either frosting or cake is cooled, you will have a dry cake.
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