Remembering Texas
I lived in Texas while working on my doctorate. I don’t remember Texas sheet cake. I remember Aggie bonfires, the next door neighbor as beautiful as an Egyptian queen, and the kindergarten teacher in the class where I watched kids write.
I also remember finding a scorpion in the apartment once, fire ants, and getting my first speeding ticket. I remember walking across campus on a day so hot I thought I’d catch fire. Texas sheet cake would be a better memory than any of those.
Cooking Light just named Texas sheet cake one of the best chocolate recipes of all time in their 25th anniversary issue. I made it today. It’s memorable.
Texas Sheet Cake (adapted from Cooking Light)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, divided
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 15×10 jelly roll pan and dust it with flour.
- Stir together flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Combine water, butter, and cocoa in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Pour into the flour mixture. Beat with a mixer at medium until well blended.
- Add buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs. Beat well.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Baked at 375 degrees for 17 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Place on a wire rack.
- Combine 1/2 cup butter, milk, and 1/4 cup cocoa in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in powdered sugar; stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla and the chopped pecans. Spread over hot cake. Cool completely on wire rack.