Sunday, May 17, 2009

Texas Sheet Cake

This recipe is hardly what you'd call a secret--I bet there are quite a few of you who have a version of this in your own files but it's such a classic, such a fabulous treat to make that I'm going to share it anyway and fill in those who may not have had it yet.

Oh how I pity those who have not.

It's a funny cake in that it's baked in a jelly roll pan and it made almost similar to a brownie but it's still a cake. It's fudgy and dense but still with enough cake to bring on the ecstasies with every bite. It's great for a potluck because you can cut quite a few rich pieces easily without the mess of a typical rectangular cake.

The frosting is good too--while it's tempting to buy the store version this stuff matches so well with the cake and is so easy to make you really should give it a try.

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup water
2 tablespoon cocoa
½ cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting
4 tablespoons cocoa
½ cup butter
6 tablespoons milk
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup walnuts

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan bring the butter, water and cocoa to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the cocoa mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well, then add the sour cream, eggs, vanilla and baking soda and mix well. Batter will be thin. Bake in greased jelly roll pan at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

While the cake is baking work on the frosting by bringing to a boil the cocoa, butter and milk, stirring constantly (you can use the same saucepan if you want to be efficient). Then add it to the powdered sugar and vanilla, stirring until the lumps are out. Then stir in walnuts and wait until the cake is done.

When it comes out, frost immediately.

***

Pure InventionsAnd here's something new I got to try this past week--a product called Pure Inventions which are these cute little bottles of concentrated extracts where you can squirt a couple of dropperfuls into a glass of cold or hot water, mix and get instant drink.

But the thing is that they're full of antioxidants that are supposed to be so good for our bodies. Chocked full of nutrients and good healthy vitamins where you can get a calorie-free drink that hydrates in a healthy way over the sodas and sugary drinks.

I was curious to try them out and since I'm not really a green or black tea drinker I was instead sent the cranberry-elderberry extract which smelled absolutely wonderful. (Though I confess when I saw I was drinking elderberry extract the line "Your father was a hamster and your mother smelt of elderberries!" went through my mind briefly . . . and if you recognize that you are SO COOL).

My thoughts? It was a lot like herbal tea, nice and fruity but not strong and sugary like Kool Aid or pop and the cranberry-elderberry flavor was great. I also got to try the chocolate extract which was really good--again, not as strong as you'd get from hot chocolate or other sugary drink but very pleasant as a cool tea-type drink.

I thought these would be an especially great thing to send to school with my teen where she can drop some in a bottle of water and get something a bit more healthy that a soda from the vending machine.

Anyway, if you want to try them out for yourself you can get free shipping with the code P22FREESHIP at checkout. Happy sipping.

Sponsored by Tiny Prints for the holiday party invitations for children.

20 comments:

Experimental Mum said...

Mmmmm....sounds yummy!

I'm one of the poor souls who hasn't tried this, but I've printed out the recipe and will rectify soon....

Yellow Sun Soaps said...

Actually it is "your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries." Anyway, I looovvee Texas Sheet Cake. Comes to every good Methodist potluck, bless them.

Patricia L said...

Love the Willow quote... we watched that movie on a continuous loop for awhile. And that was my stepmom's favorite quote too. :)

a Tonggu Momma said...

I grew up eating this... but we called it Mrs. (fill in last name)'s Fudge Brownies. Yum!

Unknown said...

I love Texas Sheet Cake! I haven't made it in so long that now I want to. Thanks for the recipe. Mine is around here some place...

Inkling said...

I love Texas Sheet Cake now that I discovered a great way to get my fix without nuts messing it up. Nuts are great in trail mix, but I am not interested in finding them in chocolate cake or ice cream. Weird, I know. Anyway, instead of walnuts, I now add shredded coconut to the icing. My family raves about it, and not even my grandpa complains about being short-changed on his walnuts.

Unknown said...

Texas sheet cake is wonderful, but I always hesitate making it unless I know there is a crowd to feed, because I don't want to eat the whole pan myself! Gotta love Monty Python . . . "go away or I will mock you a second time!"

Melissa B. said...

I'm a fan of Texas Sheet Cake from way back, being a Native Texan, and all. Thanks for sharing your recipe...it's a different take on a classic, and I can't wait to try it. Oh, and BTW...Please stop by for Sx3 today...we've got quite a Fish Tale goin' on!

mandi @ it's come to this said...

I - stopping in from ohAmanda's referral:). My MIL makes that ... funny thing though, I always thought she just didn't have a cake pan. I had no idea there was a name for it!!! You're recipe looks alot more fudgy & yummy though!! I learned about PURE at a trade show I went to once - I hadn't seen in anyway else though in about 2 years - maybe it will make it big with your post!!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

My Mother-in-Law is from Texas and my husband loves her chocolate sheet cake, I will try this one to see if I can ever be compared to her's!

Madeline said...

I just need to run screaming from your blog. My sweet cravings are insanely strong today, and so far I've been kind of good. But, here you go tempting me!! ;)

Sheri said...

Thank you for posting that recipe! I may be the only person who has never made that. I've had it before but never found a recipe, so just recently I was searching online for one. I will be making this one very soon.

Unknown said...

I don't know about these drops, but may have to try them.

Can't think of the elderberry reference...but must remember...will read comments and figure it out.

At our house we are in love with the Crystal Lite flavoring packets, for a healthier alternative to water.

Unknown said...

So gotta know...was it from Monty Python or Willow? Have seen both, but have the worst memory.

Oh yeah, and Texas Sheet Cake is also a staple in the "other" South of TN...and everybody's MIL must make their own version because mine makes one that is to die for also...and she takes them to every Mormon potluck.

Anonymous said...

Oh I cannot stand Monty Python and I have been subjected to enough to last a lifetime. Okay. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude.

The cake makes up for it and the drops look like something worth looking into. That cake looks very similar to a Coca Cola cake I used to make but I'm not sure because I do not bake without recipes. I'll bet you do.

MBB Founder and Editor Denene Millner said...

Oh man--that's just SO wrong on so many levels... teasing me with that cake this early in the morning...

RoeH said...

I've made Texas Sheet Cake since my mother made it in the Kennedy Administration years and I have never tried it with sour cream. It can only make it better. Thanks. I'm making that TODAY! :)

Bobbie in AK said...

We have our own version of Texas Sheetcake. Yours looks similar. I add chopped walnuts to the icing and cinnamon to the cake batter.

It's one of our favorites and the only cake my son wants on his birthday.

Kara said...

TX Sheet Cake is everywhere these days. Means only one thing - I must try it!! YUM

goslyn said...

Wow, I never, ever thought watching Monty Python would qualify me to be SO COOL.

:)