Texas Sheet Cake

This easy, 'big-as-Texas' frosted chocolate sheet cake travels well and feeds a crowd—making it an ideal dessert to take to picnics and potlucks.

Recipe Ingredients:

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 cup butter
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans
1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar (3 3/4 cups, unsifted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 11 x 17 x 1-inch jelly roll pan; set aside.
2. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
3. In small saucepan, melt butter, add cocoa and stir until smooth and no lumps remain. Add water and bring to a boil. Remove cocoa mixture from heat as soon as it boils and immediately stir into the flour mixture. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, sour cream and baking soda until well blended; stir into the cocoa/flour mixture and mix well.
5. Spread batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. While cake is done baking, prepare the frosting. The trick to this cake is to be sure and frost the cake upon immediate removal from the oven while it is hot. Once frosted, cool completely on wire rack before serving.
7. For Frosting: In medium saucepan, melt butter, add cocoa and stir until smooth and no lumps remain; add the evaporated milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans first, followed by the vanilla and then the powdered sugar, stir until well combined and smooth. Immediately spread over hot cake.

Makes 24 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/24 of recipe using 1/2 cup pecans): 251.8 calories; 53% calories from fat; 15.5g total fat; 52.5mg cholesterol; 190.8mg sodium; 88.1mg potassium; 27.1g carbohydrates; 1.1g fiber; 17.0g sugar; 26.0g net carbs; 3.0g protein.

Recipe and photograph by Hope Cantil; copyright © 1999; property of CooksRecipes.com. See Terms of Use.