A long-held southern favorite, Texas Sheet Cake, is the lightest, fluffiest, perfectly sweet, rich and delectable, melt in your mouth, best chocolate cake ever. No matter how hard you try you will not be able to eat just one piece.
Buttermilk Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
I got this big batch brownie recipe several years ago from Tommie, a friend of mine from Oklahoma, but it's essentially one of those recipes that has been around in one form or another, and by one name or another, for as long as I have, and probably longer.
It originated with Hershey many years back, and was on the back of the cocoa tin. One year, I can't even remember how many orders of this sheet cake Tommie said she did for a church bake sale, but it had to be a few dozen all told. As soon as somebody would find out she was making them for the bake sale, they'd be calling to place an order for a full tray before the bake sale even started! I can certainly see why.
Tommie calls them brownies, but most of you know it as Texas Sheet Cake. Most often, it becomes associated with whoever it is that brings it most often to family gatherings, as in Aunt Mary's Chocolate Cake. Some folks refer to this as Lunchroom Ladies Brownies, based on what they had in school. I don't remember being that lucky to have these in school!
Some call this Big Batch Brownies, Mexican Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Candy Cake, Chocolate Sheet Cake, Dream Cake - which I believe may be the original name from Hershey and I can see why. It's also been called "Cocoa Sheath Cake" - in fact, in one of my old Bell's Best cookbooks from the early 80s, it's listed as a Cajun Sheath Cake. Have no idea how they slipped a Cajun name in on this one, but you'll see it by all sorts of odd names, some that make no sense!
The cake is fairly rich, so it is traditionally made as a thin, single layer cake baked in a half sheet pan - what we call a jelly roll pan (11 x 17 inch or 13 x 18) - which makes it ideal for taking to a party, to the classroom, or a Sunday School class, potlucks and to treat your coworkers. Just bake it on the tray, slice into small squares and place it on a platter or on cupcake liners. At home, it is sometimes made in a 9 x 13 inch pan, though the sheet pans are much more traditional for this cake.
I don't make this cake often just to have around the house, because frankly it's dangerous. Seriously. This is a take somewhere, gathering, giveaway and share with a boatload of folks hanging around to help you eat it kinda cake, meant to tote to a pot-luck, or church supper, reunion, or for a funeral. My picture does not do it justice, because it is the lightest fluffiest cake, that is perfectly sweet, rich and delectable, melt in your mouth awesome and chocolaty, and I guarantee no matter how hard you try you will not be able to eat just one piece. One row maybe. But not just one piece.
If you do brave making this one just to have, I assure you, every time you pass this tray, you'll grab a piece. In fact, you'll probably find excuses just to pass the tray because you will not be able to stop thinking about this cake sitting in that other room. I know it looks so innocently simple, but it is deliciously addictive. So, there. I have sufficiently warned you. If you eat the whole pan over the course of a day or three, don't blame me! ;)
You'll use butter and cocoa twice, but since this is done in stages I've separated the amounts in the recipe according to when you need them. If you're making this for yourself and not a gathering where you have to worry over nut allergies, you can add 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped nuts to the icing, whipping them in just before you pour the icing over the cake, or simply sprinkle them all over the top right after you pour on the icing.
So go on ... I'll bet that you have everything in the pantry you need to make this cake honestly and it really doesn't take long to pull together. Then come back and tell me how you feel about
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