Earlier this week I was on the verge of having a meltdown causing me to be a bit more distractible than usual. Unable to access my blog posts along with being unable to figure it out by myself (the double whammy), I gave up (the slightly unrealistic) hope it would magically fix itself and decided my only option was to pack up my laptop and drive over to the Apple store near where I live (there are times when living close to civilization has its' benefits). To make a long story short, the issue was resolved some 2 1/2 hours later with the cost of all of this simply being my time. Solution or no solution, cost or no cost, just walking into a store where the first words you hear are 'we won't let you leave here until we find a solution' makes you feel compelled to sing their customer service praises in your loudest voice from the highest rooftop. For the moment, my blog will have to suffice for a virtual rooftop.
It was during my short, yet heightened state of distraction when I started making this Texas Sheet Cake. Tossing two cups of flour, two cups of sugar, 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa, some baking powder, cinnamon, and kosher salt into the garbage and a trip to the grocery store midway through the baking process were, thankfully, the only tangible costs paid for my distractibility. If there was any good to come out of my baking faux pas, it was a reminder why one should carefully read a recipe (maybe more than once). Especially when making something for the first time.
If you have never heard of a Texas Sheet Cake before it may be because it is one of those cakes going by a long list of names: Texas Sheath Cake, Texas Ranch Cake, Mexican Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Sheet Brownies, Buttermilk Sheet Cake, Chocolate Brownie Cake, German's Chocolate Cake, and Aunt Velma's Chocolate Cake to name a few. This easily prepared single layer cake, one often served right out of the sheet pan, has also been called 'the little black dress of chocolate cakes'. Some claim this cake originated and was popularized in the South sometime in the 1950s, others have given credit to Lady Bird Johnson for the cake's creation (a good story, like one of those tall Texas tales that isn't true). Regardless of who or where it was first created, it managed to go viral in the days well before the creation of the internet. Note: You can learn more about this cakes' origin here.
The Texas Sheet Cake is comprised of two parts: a thin, rich chocolatey, almost fudge-like cake layer and a rich, dense, slightly gooey chocolatey icing layer topped with toasted pecans. And the only mixing utensils needed are a whisk, a spatula, and a wooden spoon.
Unsweetened cocoa is used in both the cake layer as well as in the icing. I used Hershey's Special Dark unsweetened cocoa but any unsweetened cocoa would work. Because this cake uses baking powder and not baking soda you could substitute Dutch-processed cocoa for the unsweetened chocolate. Note: The Dutch-processed cocoa is darker in color and slightly more mellow in taste.
After reviewing more than a dozen recipes for Texas Sheet Cake, I noticed the greatest differences amongst them was in the amount of cocoa used in the cake layer, ranging anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. The recipe from Serious Eats called for 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa. That seemed to make the most sense. Knowing coffee deepens the flavor of chocolate, I decided to swap out the 1 cup of water for 1 cup of freshly brewed coffee (something I later learned, when I was less distracted, was a swap made in other early versions of the recipe). It was a great swap. The boost in chocolate flavor could probably be achieved using 1/2 cup of freshly brewed coffee and 1/2 cup of water. You can decide how intense of a chocolate flavor you want in this cake.
Let me momentarily slip into my Miss Bossy Pants persona. Always, always, always, always toast your nuts when adding them to cakes, cookies, and/or brownies. For those of you slightly adverse to hearing anyone give an edict or a hard and fast rule, let me make a case for this one. Toasting nuts intensifies their flavor. As the oils from the nuts are released during the baking process, they become slightly crispier, take on very subtle notes of caramel, and their raw bitterness notes are significantly suppressed. In other words, a baked nut has more flavor and more crunch than unbaked ones. In 8-10 minutes, in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven, a single layer of pecans on a baking sheet will become deeper in color and release a fragrance you wish you could bottle. More importantly, in less than 10 minutes this simple step will take your baked goods from good to GREAT! Given the choice between those two outcomes, why would anyone settle for just good? It would be nuts not to toast them! Okay, enough said. Miss Bossy Pants is now leaving the room.
The size of the sheet pan or rather jelly roll pan matters. Too small or too large and the ratio of cake to frosting will be off. Additionally, adjustments to the baking time would need to be made. My 12"x17" jelly roll pan worked perfectly. Baked for 19-23 minutes in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven, the cake is done when is easily springs back when you lightly press down with your finger and it begins to pull away from the sides.
The rich chocolate icing is poured over a warm (not hot) cake. The chopped, toasted nuts are sprinkled on top immediately after the icing is poured and evenly spread over the cake. Some Texas Sheet Cake recipes call for mixing the pecans into the icing (versus sprinkling them on top), however, I like the look (and texture) of having the nuts grace the top of the cake. Sort of like adding a string of pearls to this 'little black dress of chocolate cakes'.
This cake is perfect for large formal or informal gatherings. You can simply put out the Texas Sheet Cake in its' pan on the table along with a knife and spatula and let everyone take as much or little as they want. Or cut it up into squares and place in cupcake papers.
I imagine buttermilk may be the only 'milk' left on the shelves out east this weekend. For those of you in the midst of the winter storm, make this cake and feel free to give this Texas Sheet Cake yet another name. Chocolate Blizzard Cake anyone?
Texas Sheet Cake (inspired by a Texas Sheet Cake recipe posted on Serious Eats)
Ingredients
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (16 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup freshly brewed coffee, slightly cooled (Or 1/2 cup coffee and 1/2 cup water or 1 cup water)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Icing
1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound confectionary sugar, sifted
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped (Note: Toast the pecans before you begin assembling the cake.)
Directions
Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 12"x17" inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Spray pan with vegetable oil and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Whisk in unsweetened cocoa. When mixture is smooth, whisk in coffee. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
5. Pour cocoa mixture over flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Stir in egg mixture until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and/or cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Approximately 19-23 minutes.
6. Set pan on a cooling rack.
Icing
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in cocoa powder. Take off heat.
2. Stir in buttermilk, salt and vanilla. Add 1/2 of the confectionary sugar, whisking until combined.
3. Whisk in water, the remaining confectionary sugar until icing is smooth.
4. Pour over warm cake. Smooth with an offset spatula. Immediately top with toasted, chopped pecans.
5. Allow icing to set. Cut into squares and/or serve in the pan along with a knife and spatula.
In and around McKinney, Texas (September 2015)
