Texas, ya’ll! Cattle…Cowboys…Cheerleaders…Sheet cake! Sheet cake? That’s right, sheet cake!
This is one of those oldie-but-goodie recipes. You know, the ones that everyone loves and no one knows the origin of? (And, yes, I do realize that I just ended that sentence in a preposition. Thank you.) This one was adapted from the recipe in Southern Living Magazine back in 2003, but it goes way farther back than that. I have nearly the same recipe in an old church cookbook from my hometown and I’ve even seen it made on the Food Network with no credit given to anyone for the recipe. Other than, of course, the person making it on that show.
Now I have no idea why it’s called a “Texas” sheet cake. I just know that it’s dadgum good wherever it came from. It’s also really easy. The cake layer is rich and chocolatey and the buttermilk in the batter gives it a little extra sumpin-sumpin. If that’s not enough, the warm cake right out of the oven is spread with a rich chocolately icing full of wonderful southern pecans. Golly, what more could you ask for? Maybe a glass of milk? Grab your can of cocoa and make yourself a little slice of heaven with this recipe!
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup shortening
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup water
½ cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Chocolate Icing (see below)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour a 15×10 inch jellyroll pan. Set aside.
Sift together sugar and flour in a large bowl; set aside.
Combine butter and next 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until butter and shortening melt.
Remove from heat and pour over sugar mixture, stirring until dissolved. Cool slightly.
Combine eggs, buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla.
Stir into the sugar and chocolate mixture.
Pour into prepared jellyroll pan. There’s BeeBop being my trusty pair of helping hands. It’s hard enough to cook with one hand and take photos with the other, but there’s just some things you can’t manage without an able assistant!
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Start making the icing when the cake has about 10 minutes left to cook.
Spread warm cake with Chocolate Icing. And don’t worry about those dips and cracks. They all even out with the icing and no one will ever know they were there!
Chocolate Icing
½ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 16 oz. package powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine butter, cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat 5 minutes or until margarine melts. Then turn the heat up to medium and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and the sugar dissolves. Stir in pecans.
My sister, Miss P, makes this recipe and she cuts it into tiny little squares about 1 1/2 x 1/2 inches. Me, I make big old brownie size squares. About, oh, 4×4. Of course, I’ve never been known for restraint in the kitchen 
However, you slice it up, it serves a huge crowd of people. I made one for a neighborhood party last weekend and the large slices filled two plates with slices stacked three deep.
Enjoy!
Download a printable copy here.
– Recipe from Southern Living, January 2003
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a great classic recipe and I love the chocolate-pecan icing.
Dadgum good. ha! Love the affirmation. Maybe it’s called TX sheet cake cause it’s a huge pan of tasty lovin’. Let’s go with that, shall we?
I’m so glad you shared this recipe! The cake was so moist! I can’t wait to make it for my chocolate loving Niece (and I) this Thanksgiving.
I remember when… Your wonderful cake display sparked a delicious walk down memory lane, thanks!
My mother use to make this. It was a family favorite. It looks amazing. It takes me back in time.
I haven’t made this in years but it’s time to try it again. Pecans sound like a good idea, my recipe never called for it.
OOh this looks good. Polly would love all of this chocolate and nuts. So would Bud without the nuts. However you serve it, it has to be wonderful.
Makes me drool!!!! Thanks for the memory.
From your chocoholic friend, Rosie
Definitely a classic. I could go for a piece right now! What is it about buttermilk–it’s really one of the best things to happen to a cake!
after stumbling upon your site, i was hoping you would shed some light on the origins of the recipe. this recipe came down to me from my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. i have no idea how old it really is but i know that my family has been making it for a LONG time. it’s our favorite…thanks for sharing!