There are few things as archetypal in the cannon of Texan cooking as Texas sheet cake. The thin chocolate cake coated in a blanket of fudgy icing and flecked with chopped pecans is a staple in home kitchens around the state.
Like many time-honored food traditions, the origins of the sheet cake are nebulous as New York Times journalists Priya Krishna and Genevieve Ko recently discovered. Krishna set out to unearth some of the history behind the dessert while Ko developed a recipe with a few of her own twists on the classic cake.
What Krishna, a Texas native with fond memories of eating sheet cake at birthday parties and school functions, found in her research is that the various appellations of the beloved dessert (like funeral cake, chocolate sheath cake and Texas brownie cake) are as vast as the adaptations of the recipe.
“I’ve heard it called by a lot of things, and what made research really difficult is you weren’t sure what it was being referred to in the 1800s, and there weren’t key search terms, so I was looking for anything that was like a chocolate cake make in a jelly roll pan where the icing was boiled,” she said. “Because it’s called by so many names, it made it really hard to trace the origins of the cake.”
For Ko, adapting a recipe for Texas sheet cake also uncovered a wide array of different interpretations of its preparation. Some recipes call for cinnamon. Others incorporate Dr Pepper or even Coca Cola into the batter. But almost all recipes include buttermilk, boiling water and pecans.
Ko’s adaptation swaps sour cream in for the traditionally used buttermilk and adds coffee to the cake batter in place of the hot water for a richer taste.
“One of the things I love about Texas sheet cake is that it is infinitely variable. I know that using sour cream and coffee seems really far out of left field, but if you dive into the community of bakers, especially those from Texas, everyone has their own spin, which I think is part of the point of a cake like this,” she said.
The sour cream not only yields a fluffier cake, but it’s often a better bet than most grocery store buttermilk options that lack the fat content needed to bring a creaminess to the batter, Ko said.
Not being a Texan herself, she said she was a little apprehensive to make changes to a recipe so beloved in the Lone Star State, but years of eating the dessert with Texan family members and making the recipe for her own children gave her confidence.
“I was nervous from the perspective of not being a Texan, but not as a baker because I think the point of a recipe like this is to give it your own spin,” Ko said.
One of the other spins Ko added to her recipe is sprinkling toasted pecans on top of the hot icing instead of folding them in as most recipes do. The decision is a textural one, she says. She’s an advocate for crunch, which is lost when the nuts are incorporated into the icing before drizzling it over the warm cake. Krishna, on the other hand, said she is a fan of the “crunchy-gone-soggy” texture the pecans take on when added to the icing.
Ko said she is also a staunch advocate of tucking slices away in the refrigerator and freezer. Refrigerated sheet cake takes on a denser texture than the freshly baked fluffy cake, and when eaten straight from the freezer, it’s comparable to a rich brownie.
“It’s like three desserts in one,” Ko said.
From the fried versions found in booths at the State Fair to the Texas sheet cake ice cream flavor from Blue Bell, the dessert has become an unofficial state emblem of sorts, one marked by its approachable simplicity and nostalgia.
Ask a Texan of any generation about sheet cake and stories of family recipes scribbled on stained index cards or memories of eating hand-held squares on hot summer days are sure to surface.
“I didn’t realize how much Texas sheet cake has been turned into this Texas symbol,” Krishna said. “I didn’t realize the extent of Texas pride around it.”
Check out the recipe from The New York Times, as well as several others from our archives. See if you can spot the differences between the recipes.
Texas Sheet Cake
FOR THE CAKE:
1 cup/227 grams unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
2 cups/215 grams chopped pecans
2 cups/255 grams all-purpose flour
2 cups/400 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ packed cup/40 grams unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 cup hot coffee or water
½ cup/115 grams sour cream
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE ICING:
¾ cup/170 grams unsalted butter
⅓ packed cup/40 grams unsweetened natural cocoa powder
¼ cup/60 grams whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ½ packed cups/360 grams confectioners’ sugar
Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a half-sheet pan (13-by-18-by-1-inch). Spread the pecans on a second half-sheet pan and bake until lightly toasted, 7 to 9 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, and make a well in the center. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring often. Add the cocoa powder and stir well. Then add the hot coffee and boil for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Pour the mixture into the well in the dry ingredients, then fold gently just until no traces of flour remain. Set saucepan aside without washing.
Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour into the chocolate mixture and fold gently until incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs, 18 to 20 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack.
Right after the cake comes out of the oven, make the icing: Melt the butter in the reserved saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Add the cocoa and stir until smooth and bubbling, then turn off the heat. Add the milk, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar, and stir until smooth. It’s OK if there are tiny lumps.
Pour the warm frosting over the warm cake and spread evenly. Sprinkle the toasted pecans all over the top and gently press into the icing. Cool completely in the pan on a rack. The cake keeps, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 3 months. If needed, bring to room temperature before serving.
SOURCE: Genevieve Ko, The New York Times
Dr Pepper White Texas Sheet Cake
1 cup butter
1 cup Dr Pepper
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dr Pepper Icing (recipe follows)
1 cup chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350 F.
In a large saucepan, bring butter and Dr Pepper to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, almond extract, baking soda and salt. Pour into a greased 18x13 jelly roll pan. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until cake is gold and springs back to the touch. Allow to cool while preparing icing.
Dr Pepper Icing: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup Dr Pepper and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add 4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
Spread icing over warm cake and top with chopped pecans.
Makes 24 servings.
SOURCE: Karen Elizabeth Watts, The Dallas Morning News
Slow Cooker Chocolate “Sheet” Cake
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)
Icing (recipe follows)
Pour 1/2 inch of water into a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. An oval one works particularly well for this. To hold the baking pan above the water, place a 3-inch round biscuit cutter in the center of the slow cooker. Otherwise, roll up an 18-inch piece of aluminum foil, from one of its long sides, into a snake. Then bend the foil into a coil to fit in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place this aluminum foil rack in the bottom of the slow cooker. The water should be below the level of the rack.
Butter a high-sided 6- or 7-inch round cake pan.
Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cocoa with a flat whisk or large spoon, eliminating all lumps. Mix in the buttermilk, water and vanilla. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and optional cayenne. Mix them into the chocolate mixture.
Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Set the cake pan in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn off the slow cooker and let the cake sit in it for about 30 more minutes.
While the cake is still sitting in the slow cooker, prepare the icing.
Run a thin knife around the cake and turn out onto a baking rack. Spoon the warm icing over the cake. Slice into wedges to serve right away, or cool to room temperature before cutting. Makes 8 servings.
Icing: Melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons half-and-half or whole milk, and heat mixture through. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 cup powdered sugar, a pinch of salt and 2/3 cup chopped pecans.
SOURCE: Texas Slow Cooker by Cheryl Alters Jamison
Classic Texas Sheet Cake (2011)
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Freshly made chocolate icing (still warm; recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a jellyroll pan measuring about 10x15 inches.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
In a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in cocoa and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well. Add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove cake from oven and spread with the chocolate icing while both the cake and the icing are still warm or hot.
Chocolate icing: While the cake is baking, heat 1 stick of butter, 4 tablespoons cocoa and 6 tablespoons of buttermilk in a saucepan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and combine with one box (33/4 cups) of sifted powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans. Use icing before it cools, so that it will distribute evenly without tearing the surface of the cake.
SOURCE: Ann Beytagh, Dallas, 2011
Texas Sheet Cake (1988)
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup margarine
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease and flour a 10x15x1-inch pan.
In a medium saucepan, bring cocoa, margarine and water to a boil, stirring constantly, over medium heat.
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Pour the cocoa mixture over and blend well. Add the eggs, buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla. Spread evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Prepare the frosting.
When the cake is done, immediately pour the frosting over it and spread evenly.
Makes 20 servings.
Frosting: In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil 1/2 cup margarine, 1/4 cup cocoa and 6 tablespoons milk. Add 1 pound powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup chopped pecans.
PER SERVING: Calories 395 (43% fat) Fat 19 g (3 g sat) Cholesterol 19 mg Sodium 204 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 54 g Protein 3 g
SOURCES: Adapted from Bits ‘O Brickle Toffee Bits; More Tastes & Tales from Texas
