The Best Ever Texas Sheet Cake That Will Melt In Your Mouth

“Baking is like washing--the results are equally temporary.” 
                                                                          ~Patricia Briggs                                                                   

So what exactly is a Texas Sheet Cake?  It's a large single layer cake that is baked in a large baking sheet pan.  From start to finish, it takes 40-60 minutes, and that includes baking and putting the frosting on.  In addition to all this, it's also served right out of the pan.  It can't get any easier than that.  As to why the name of Texas, it's been suggested that Texas is a big state and this is a big cake.  Buttermilk and pecans are common in Texas, and that's what the original Sheet Cake called for.  However, this cake is popular in the American South and Midwest and appears in tons of cookbooks; and there are so many varieties, not just chocolate.

But the one I'm sharing with you today is for all chocolate lovers.  It's not overly sweet, but it's got the chocolate flavor you crave.  And did I say it's moist and melts in your mouth.  

I'm going to be honest here and tell you this is MY spin-off of the Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake where I made a few minor adjustments.  


The Best Ever Texas Sheet Cake That Will Melt In Your Mouth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake time:  20 minutes

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 pound of real butter or 2 sticks.  
• 2/3 cup good quality cocoa powder
• 1 cup of boiling water

Frosting:

• 1 and 3/4 stick real butter
• 2/3 cup good quality cocoa powder
• 6 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• Optional, 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts.  I used pecans.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease your baking sheet pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt and mix together.  Set the bowl aside.
3. In a smaller bowl, add your two eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Beat together with a fork or whisk and put the bowl aside.
4. Put the 2 sticks of butter into a saucepan and melt on a low temperature.  
5. Then add the cocoa and stir until it's smooth.  In the meantime, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.  I used my microwave to boil the water.  Add this water to the pan with the butter and cocoa and mix.
6. Pour this chocolate mixture into the bowl with the flour.  Stir together and give the chocolate time to cool a bit.  
7. Then pour in the egg and buttermilk mixture.  If you pour this into the chocolate, while the chocolate is still very hot, your eggs could cook; which would not be a good thing!
8. Mix until smooth and then pour the batter into your baking sheet pan and put into your preheated oven.  Set your timer for 20 minutes.  
9. Clean out your saucepan, and then add 1 and 3/4 stick real butter to the pan.  Melt on low heat.
10. While this is melting, measure your milk and vanilla and put this into a small bowl until you're ready to add it.
11. Once the butter has melted, add the cocoa powder and mix until it's smooth.
12. Now, go ahead and add the milk and vanilla.
13. Add all the powdered sugar and stir until smooth.
14. If you're adding nuts, go ahead and add them in now.
15. As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, pour the hot icing directly onto the hot cake.  Try to pour this evenly so you don't have to spread it more than necessary

Gather all your ingredients.  You don't want to have to run to a neighbors or the store in the middle of making this.  Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease your baking sheet pan.  I used a 12 x 17 inch baking sheet pan.  

You want to put your flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl.  Stir and mix everything together.  Set this bowl aside.

In a smaller bowl, add your two eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, and vanilla, 

then mix all this together with a fork or a whisk.  Set this bowl aside.

In a saucepan, melt your butter. 

Then add the cocoa and stir until it's smooth.  In the meantime, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.  I used my microwave to boil the water.  Add this water to the pan with the butter and cocoa and mix.

Pour the chocolate mixture from the pan, into the bowl with all the flour, sugar, and salt.  Stir it awhile to let the chocolate cool.

Once the chocolate has cooled enough, pour the egg and buttermilk mixture into the large bowl with the chocolate and mix until it's smooth.  

Then pour the batter into your baking sheet pan and put into the oven to bake.  Baking time is 20 minutes.  While it's baking, let's make the frosting...

Melt 1 and 3/4 sticks of butter on low heat.  (I used the same pan and just rinsed everything out really good.)

Once the butter has melted, add the cocoa and stir until it's smooth.

Once it's smooth, add the milk and vanilla to the pan with the chocolate.  (I measured my milk and vanilla ahead of time, which made it easier to add when needed.)

Add the powdered sugar to the pan and mix well.  At this point, you can add nuts or leave plain.  By now your cake is baked, and as soon as you take it out of the oven, you'll pour the hot chocolate frosting from the pan onto the cake.  

Let everything set for a couple of hours.  The frosting on top will harden up.  I took ours to a potluck.  Because the frosting was hardened, you can put foil or a clear wrap over the top of the pan without worrying about the frosting sticking to your wrap.

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