Description:

Classic homemade Chocolate sheet cake with a simple new version, no mixes, but very convenient!

Source:

SMC

Serves/Makes:24 squares

Ingredients

• Cake Ingredients:
• 2 cups (475 ml) sugar
• 2 cups (475 ml) all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) cocoa
• 1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
• 1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) butter (1 stick), melted
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) buttermilk (dry buttermilk substitution is alright)
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) Canola or other vegetable oil
• 1 cup (225 ml) water
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• Frosting Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) plus 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk (whole, 2%, skim, doesn't matter)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) cocoa
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) butter
• 1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted (about 4 cups)
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (225 ml) chopped pecans

Preparation

• Cake Directions:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees (200 C.).
• Grease and flour a 9x13x2 inch baking pan.
• Hand mix this recipe for best results.
• Sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda and cinnamon, and set aside.
• Stir together the remaining ingredients.
• Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stirring until smooth. The batter will be rather thin.
• Pour into your prepared pan, and bake at 400 degrees (200 C.) for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting.
• Frosting Directions:
• Mix the milk and cocoa in a heavy saucepan (stir, stir, stir).
• Add the butter and, over medium heat, stir until the butter melts.
• Remove from heat and gradually stir in the sugar and vanilla until smooth.
• Add the pecans.
• Assembly Directions:
• When the cake is just out of the oven, spread the frosting evenly over the hot cake.

Comments

Recipe Hint from website: Add a scant hint of cinnamon to the cake mixture to accent the chocolate.

If buttermilk is not a staple item at your house, this is a good recipe in which to use dry buttermilk. For a product review, see Dry Buttermilk.

If you aren't sure about your oven, you can test it with one of those little dime store oven thermometers. With its comparatively thin batter, Texas Sheet Cake requires every bit of the 400 degree heat in your oven, if it's going to get done in 20 minutes.

This is a wonderful cake, whether you make it for yourself or as an act of hospitality. You can eat it out of hand or serve it on your best china. Or you can deliver it to someone else and let them make those serving decisions. In whatever way it is served, Texas Sheet Cake will be relished and appreciated.

Texas Sheet Cake by Patricia Mitchell: The legend of Texas hospitality is valid. Texas people possess a friendly spirit and willingness to accommodate that I am certain must exist in other places, but not on such a grand scale as in Texas. That spirit, and Texas food, are probably the things most missed by expatriate Texans who relocate elsewhere. It's certainly not the 108 temperature weather. Texas hospitality most certainly extends into wonderful food of every description. Let there be company coming or birth, death, illness, wedding, engagement, graduation or whatever, home-prepared food in covered dishes is going to make the scene. My mother was famous for this. While she did not literally meet planes with fried chicken in both hands, the truth wasn't far from that. Texas Sheet Cake is a perfect example of Texas hospitality translated into food. While it is absolutely delicious and satisfying to the senses, it can be whipped up, start to finish, baking, frosting and all, in 40 minutes or less. Ready to commemorate, celebrate or aleviate life events. It's also perfect when you want something delicious and you want it fast. There are several variations of this recipe. Our version is formulated for convenience, speed and overall deliciousness. It relies upon butter, not margarine, for flavor, cooking oil for moistness, and cocoa for deep flavor and convenience.

Recipe borrowed on 08/28/01 from the Texas Cooking, Grandma's Cooking website at: http://www.texascooking.com/features/jun99texassheetcake.htm