Cake as Big as Texas

by Jean Kressy

The first time you eat a piece of Texas Sheet Cake, chances are you’ll say to yourself, “This cake tastes familiar.” It’s a reasonable reaction because Texas Sheet Cake is very closely related to German Chocolate Cake. Both are chocolate cakes covered with a sugary coconut-pecan frosting, but one is baked in layers, and the other in a single pan. Both cakes call for two of Texans’ favorite ingredients: buttermilk and pecans. But the sheet cake is infinitely easier to put together; everything for Texas Sheet Cake is stirred together in one large bowl.It’s a big old-fashioned cake, easy to transport and a real crowd pleaser.

Texas Sheet Cake

Photo by Mark Boughton; styling by Teresa Blackburn

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Ingredients

Cake:
Cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup water
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
3 egg yolks
1 cup evaporated milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 1⁄3 cups flaked, sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. To prepare the cake, sift flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
3. In a small saucepan, combine butter, water and cocoa. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts and mixture comes to a simmer.
4. Add cocoa mixture, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla to flour mixture; stir to combine. Pour into pan and bake 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Do not remove from pan.
5. To prepare the frosting, whisk egg yolks and about 1/3 cup milk in a saucepan. Add remaining milk, vanilla and sugar. Add butter; cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it comes to a full boil. Reduce heat to maintain boil and cook, stirring frequently, 7 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and pecans. Cool, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread.
6. Spread frosting over top of cake. Serves 16.

Recipe by Jean Kressy, "Relish the American Table, July 2, 2006; August 2007.

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 420 calories, 27g fat., 5g prot., 43g carbs., 2g fiber, 250mg sodium.