Texas Sheet Cake

This used to be the cake to make for parties, cookouts and celebrations when I was growing up. Having made it for the first time (tonight!) I finally figured out why: It’s super easy! I believe it took me less than 45 minutes to have this cake baked and frosted with the traditional Texas Cake frosting.

In my family, we sometimes like to give the ‘ole Texas cake a little kick by adding a layer of buttercream frosting to the top. This is my aunt Linda’s brainchild and it’s one our family really enjoys. Maybe yours will, too.

cake ingredients.

1 ½ c. sugar
2 c. flour
½ tsp. salt
½ c. buttermilk
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 sticks margarine
1 c. water
4 T. cocoa

icing ingredients.

1 stick margarine
4 T. cocoa powder
6 T. milk
1 lb powdered sugar, sifted

directions.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a sheet pan.
Bring the margarine, water and cocoa to a boil. Set aside to let cool.
In a large bowl mix the remaining ingredients and add the chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the cake is baking make the icing by mixing the margarine, cocoa powder and milk while bringing to a boil and adding the powdered sugar. Whisk vigorously to destroy lumps.
As soon as you’ve removed the cake from the oven pour the icing on top. Let cool completely and frost with buttercream frosting, if desired. (This is very important. If you don’t let cool completely the icing layer will scrape to the side as your adding the buttercream.)

Note: It is extremely important for you to let the cocoa-margarine-water mixture cool down when making the cake. I didn’t and added the buttermilk and eggs immediately. Though I whisked vigorously I still saw a few bits of cooked egg. You definitely want to avoid this.

I’ll have to ask my mom what her recipe is for Texas Cake. (This recipe was clipped from a newspaper and sent to me by my grandma.) The end result was way more dense than I remember it being. Though perhaps it’s the extra egg I added to it?

Recipe rating: 