Texas Sheet Cake

My family has been making this chocolate cake ever since I can remember.  As I'm now 60, that's a while now! It's very popular in the southern states, which is where I trace my Okie roots to. I'm always amazed at how many people have never had or heard of this cake as various forms of the recipe have been around forever. It's a favorite of my officer manager, Anne, so I recently made it for her birthday.  At 8:30 in the morning she was already enjoying a piece!

It is a very easy chocolate cake, using ingredients commonly found in our pantries. It's a very moist cake and, because it's baked in a sheet pan, the cake can be cut in brownie-size pieces. It's a great cake to take to a gathering where you need to serve many people.  No one can resist! Our recipe calls for cinnamon, many of the recipes don't.  I like the addition of the spice, it adds a nice sweetness to the cake.

Rumor has it, the cake is called Texas Sheet Cake  because it makes a cake as big as the state of Texas!

Texas Sheet Cake

1/2 cup shortening
1 cube unsalted butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

Frosting:

1 cube unsalted butter
6 tablespoons buttermilk
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 pound (4 cups) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, combine the shortening, butter, cocoa and water.  Bring to a boil and set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, soda and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.  Pour in hot liquid mixture and beat well.  Add the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk, beating well.

Pour into a greased (I use Pam baking spray) 11x17x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Pour frosting over the cake while the cake is still warm (this will help the frosting spread over the cake).   

To make the frosting, bring the butter, buttermilk and cocoa to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, stirring out any lumps.  Add more powdered sugar, if necessary, to get a proper spreading consistency.

Chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) may be added to either the cake batter, frosting, or both. I usually just sprinkle some over the top of the frosted cake.