Help!! I got an inquiry about doing a Texas sheet cake for Sept 2, and she says half with icing and half with nuts.

I don't know what a texas sheet cake is....can anyone help?? I'd be really grateful, I don't want to look like a schmuck!

This sounds like a cake my old boss' wife made for a christmas party one time. It's been so long ago I could even guess what was in it but it was awful!!

it reminds me of a brownie really....really thin chocolate cake usually iced warm so the frosting just melts over the whole thing (I use a really thin pan for mine)...if you need a recipe let me know.

You're probably gonna have to call her back cuz there are a lot of Texas Sheet Cake recipes/definitions/descriptions out there. Just act like you're calling to clarify the finished size and shape of the cake, as well as flavors and icings - she won't know and you'll sound like you do!

My def of a TxSC is a cake that is baked in a big rimmed cookie sheet, then frosted and served right out of the cookie sheet. My recipe fits in a commercial sized cookie sheet I got at Sam's (it was a 3 pack of them actually, and I'm really not trying to advertise for them)

Good luck!

oh dodibug....its a requested cake for sure at my house (but not a decorated cake).....everyone wants the recipe!

arosstx..that is just like mine exactly.....

We have to have one at every family gathering, but you have to serve them in the pan (I use a jelly roll pan) so you can't shape them or anything. But there are a few different recipes out there the main difference is cinnamon or no cinnamon.
Janelle

karateka..let me know if you got my recipe...I sent it through PM but it still shows in my outbox...first time I used PM's...if you dont get it I will post it in the thread.

I'm from Missouri and we have something like that which we call Mississippi Mud Cake. It is a thin chocolate cake with marshmellow creme, pecans and a chocolate frosting. LOVE it!

mocakes that one sounds good too...never had it though.

I don't think she was much of a baker or cook so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it! You know how when your 1st encounter is bad you're scarred for life!
The funniest part of the story is that it looked really good so I get ready to dive in and get a big piece and I'm asking dh (who just had a piece) is it good, while he's standing behind my boss, and he's shaking his head nooooo while the boss is raving on it!

ILOVE Texas sheet cake I have a recipe for one too. And just like you all it is baked in a jelly roll pan. Serious Choc. here!!!

dodibug, to be honest, its not my favorite chocolate cake (though everyone else adores it...I have handed out the recipe a number of times) I am more a fan of an eggless chocolate cake that my family makes (more of a traditional 2 -3 inch tall cake) however I cannot get it to translate well to decorated cakes...wants to break up when i try to get it out of the pan...i guess its just too moist?

I think it all depends on what your idea of cake is...to me the texas sheet cake is like a really good rich brownie.....almost doesnt seem like cake to me...

I have lived in Texas my whole life and have NEVER heard of a Texas Sheet cake!!!! You learn something new everyday!

lol thats funny.....in my family we just call it the chocolate sheet cake, but whenever I take it anywhere everyone says I love that Texas sheet cake!

We LOVE Texas sheet cake-definitely more of a brownie type cake, but very moist and delicious. Here's my recipe:

Cake:
2 c sugar 1 c water
2 c flour 2 eggs, beaten
1/2 t salt 1 t baking soda
1 stick butter 1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c Crisco 1 t vanilla
4 T cocoa

Icing:
1 stick butter 1 lb powdered sugar
3 T cocoa 1 c chopped nuts (optional)
6 T milk 1 t vanilla

Mix together sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Combine butter, Crisco, cocoa and water. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients.
Mix eggs, soda, buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour into cocoa mixture. Bake in 10 x 15 greased cookie sheet at 375 for 20 minutes.

While baking, heat to boiling the butter, cocoa and milk for icing. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar, nuts, and vanilla. Pour over cake as soon as cake comes out of oven. If you want, you can sprinkle with nuts. We prefer it without. VERY simple. BTW-we used to call it IOWA sheet cake!

Here are two recipes I've saved for several years, they were posted on a recipe forum and highly recommended by the person who posted. I've never made either one, but this may give you a couple of ideas to start with . . .


"I think this might be what you're looking for. I emailed it to myself from here on 3/21/01! Sorry I don't have the OP's name with it, but wherever you are OP, know that your recipe has made the rounds here & gotten nothing less than rave reviews!"


Texas Sheet Cake

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. water
4 T. cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla
In bowl, mix together the flour & sugar.
In saucepan, bring to rapid boil the butter, oil, water, & cocoa.
Pour hot mixture over dry ingredients & mix well.
Add eggs, buttermilk, cinnamon, soda, & vanilla.
Mix together & pour into greased 15" x 10" x 1 1/2" jellyroll pan.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 400* for 20 min.
Frost immediately with Texas Sheet Cake Icing.

Texas Sheet Cake Icing

1/2 c. butter or margarine
6 T. milk
4 T. cocoa
1 t. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar (sifted) (3 1/2 c. = 1#)
1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
In saucepan, bring to rapid boil the butter, milk, & cocoa.
Remove from heat and add powdered sugar, vanilla and mix until smooth. Add nuts.
Pour on warm cake evenly and spread.
(don't pour frosting in just one spot before spreading or it will cause the cake to sink in that spot).



WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs (well beaten)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
In a large saucepan bring butter and water to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, almond extract, salt and baking soda until smooth. Pour into a greased 15x10x1 inch baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and tests done. Cool for 20 minutes then spread frosting (recipe below) over warm cake. Yield: 16-20 servings.

WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE FROSTING
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup milk
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup chopped nut(I use pecans)

Combine butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; add powdered sugar and almond extract and mix well. Stir in nuts, spread over warm cake.

I found the recipe for Mississippi Mud Cake...I remember being about 8 years old and eating SO much of this at family gathering that my stomach hurt!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter-flavor shortening or margarine
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
.
Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup evaporated milk
PREPARATION:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the first three ingredients. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add flour, baking powder, coconut and nuts; beat for about two minutes. Spread batter in a greased and floured 9x13 pan; bake for 30 minutes at 350°. Spread marshmallow creme over cake while still warm. Put in refrigerator until chilled. Mix ingredients for frosting and spread over chilled cake. YUMMMMM!!

here we call it "Grandma's cookie sheet cake", same thing!

I wonder though, why only half with frosting...that's part of the richness of the cake is the warm frosting being poured on a warm cake.

I had a recipe for Texas Sheet cake that I think came out of Southern LIving magazine. It was really yummy and lots of chocolate and it was in a thin sheet pan.....

I bake mine in a 9x13 pan and it's more like cake. It's the favorite at all family gathering. I'm going to have to try the white one, it sounds good too.

Thanks, everyone! I emailed her back and asked about her traditional recipe, whether it had cinnamon, and how big she needed it to be, and gave her a price for a 9x13. I told her $16.60 including tax.

She says "as it turns out" a girlfriend is going to bring the cake. Hmmm.

well you should make yourself one just so you know how it tastes!

My MIL has made her Texas Sheet cake a few times and it is soooo good! She won't give up her recipe to me! I think she feels she is in competition with me, when it comes to baking! I would love a good recipe!

Ok didnt read the second page before adding my last reply! LOL! Thanks for the recipes!

I might just do that.....

BTW, I really appreciate all the recipes. You guys really come through every time, and I appreciate it so much.

I made one from allrecipes.com and it was just plain weird... it was almost gray and had a bizarre taste... not chocolate-y enough to please the chocolate lover and with a strange chew...

I definitly would not make it again but like most cakes, everyone has their favorite way/recipe....some are really good and the others just give it a bad name

So funny! I made my mom a Texas Sheet cake for her birthday when I was 13.....it was AWFUL!!! I mixed up "T" and "t" with the salt and sugar...it tasted like a salt cake!! YUCK! I also messed up the topping, which is supposed to be a glaze. Mine was in crumbles!!! I thought that it was chocolate struessel. My mom was so upset at me for messing up her cake....I never got over it.

The funny part is that my little sister (7 at the time) grabbed a huge piece and gobbled it all down. She didn't want to hurt my feelings. Too sweet!! (too salty..lol)

Oh! I'm sorry your Mom got mad! I know that now, as I am an adult, my Mom is my biggest critic so maybe we are forever 13 years old and trying to please our mother with our cooking

It appears I am still failing.... even now, I offered to make her a carrot cake for her 'Mexican Train' game and she was like, "Is it good.... I mean really good because the last time is was really greasy and these women have a very sophisticated palette.. blah, blah blah"

I shall neer offer again! ( and to think I had gone out to buy friggin' domino molds to make!)

Okay...I'm a native Texan and never heard of a Texas Sheet Cake. But..when I saw the recipes, I realized that this is the cake that my grandmother always makes. ??? We just always called it the chocolate cake that Modear (grandmother) makes. Everyone loves it.