Texas Sheet Cake
Please pay no attention to the not so great pictures. (Why does my pan look all distorted?) I just couldn’t help but post this because, well, it tastes amazing. But also because it’s such a great picnic/potluck dessert, and I assume there will be a lot of those going on this weekend.
Texas Sheet Cake doesn’t need much explanation – thin, moist chocolate cake covered by a rich layer of chocolate icing that you pour onto the warm cake, causing part of it to soak into the cake and create something completely wonderful. This is actually one of the only types of chocolate cake I will eat – probably because the cake layer is so thin that it doesn’t seem worth it to just eat the icing off the top (which is what I would normally do). And the icing is incredible. I could eat spoonfuls of it. Actually, I probably did. I took this to a family cookout, and while I didn’t get a chance to get a picture of an individual piece of cake, I did get a picture of the empty pan that made it back to my house. This is a classic dessert that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients:
Cake:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Frosting:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans (optional)
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake. Allow to cool before serving.
from The Pioneer Woman
Welcome! I'm Megan and it's my hope that here you'll find food that has been made with love and recipes that are shared with joy. Thanks for stopping by! 
This is probably my favorite PW recipe. It is AMAZING.
ah, I think I need to try this! 🙂
I used to have this recipe, Megan, but I have no idea where it is. It serves a crowd and is sooo good. Thanks for posting in time for the 4th!
I love her cookbook!! Everything is so. Good.
That looks divine!
OMG! This sounds amazing! I love cake!
I love the picture of the empty pan – that should let everyone know how good it is!
Sounds rich and amazing… just how I like my chocolate!
I've seen that recipe and never made it but you know…I just might 🙂
Tracy
Glad to "meet" you and thanks for the compliment on my boy – I think so too! 🙂
I have heard of Ortberg, I have a couple of his books and we are slowly going through "Faith and Doubt" on CD in the car.
Your blog is fun – your hubby's comments are hilarious, and the rating scale entertaining.
I used to not like to cook very much until we bought a house and now I go cray in our galley kitchen! I think it's just that now there's finally room for all the small appliances and gadgets that used to be a hassle to take out of storage in our apartment. Though I've always been about sweets baking. At times I have to curb my urge to whip up yet another pan of bars. My hubby has a love/hate relationship with my love of baking, as it means he has to work out more – ha! (Me too!)
This is the recipe I like for Texas Sheet Cake, from one of my favorite sweets blogs. It's very similar, except for the addition of cinnamon in the cake and less butter in the frosting.
http://www.cookiemadness.net/2010/05/texas-sheet-cake/
Love Pioneer Woman's sheet cake recipe!! It took me a long time to try it, because I thought it looked sorta plain. But then I needed something easy for a crowd, and gave it a try. So delicious!!
The cake and the frosting recipe is very scrumptious! 😀
I've seen this recipe in the PIoneer Woman cookbook and haven't tried it yet. I think it has now moved up a few spots on my must-make list. 🙂 Yours looks spectacular!
i do enjoy a good sheet cake, both preparing it and eating it. it's the perfect potluck fare! happy 4th, megan. 🙂
It's amazing!!! I've dreamt about it and.. it's really tasty!!!! thanks!!!=)
I love that cookbook, but I haven't tried this yet. It looks wonderful! I made her Maple Scones and cinnamon rolls and those were awesome.
This is one of my absolute favorite treats! I grew up with it. Grandma and Mom made it all the time when I was a kid and it’s generally what I’ve asked them to make for any of my graduation parties, showers, etc. It’s fantastic!