Texas Sheet Cake

[Betts]

I make this for customers all the time and have found that Dutch process is not as good as plain old Hershey's and the cake keeps amazingly well.

The recipe has bounced around every church supper, picnic and kid centered event and then bounced right into recipe immortality - it's on page 932 of The Joy of Cooking.

[claire797]

I make this for customers all the time and have found that Dutch process is not as good as plain old Hershey's and the cake keeps amazingly well.

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I love Dutch process cocoa, but I agree. It would be weird here....or at least not authentic.

Fifi, I'm looking forward to your cake report.

I'm just happy to have finally broken in my 15x10 inch jelly roll pan :).

[lovebenton0]

looking good, fifi! these pics are making me hungry for this cake... now i just may have to make this again, far sooner than i would have expected.

i have always used the Hershey's cocoa too. and i have a new bag of 10X sugar and a new hand mixer (finally!) just waiting to be used for something.

[claire797]

I cut my finger last night with my chef's knife and can hardly type today, but I wanted to say thanks again for starting this thread. My husband took the TSC to work today and his co-workers said it was one of the best cakes I'd ever sent in.... and I send in a lot of cakes!

[Marmish]

I make birthday cakes for work once a month. This month, inspired by this thread, I made the Texas Sheet Cake and a Southern Lady Cake (the one with mandarin oranges beat into it). They both disappeared. The TSC was very good. I agree with both the people who say it is like brownies and those who say it is light. It has the flavor of a brownie, but is not dense. I wish I had sifted the powdered sugar for the frosting, because some of the lumps did not beat out. So I toasted some pecans and threw them on top. Problem solved! I was afraid it was too thin, but it looked like the picture above, so I guess it was ok.

[claire797]

I make birthday cakes for work once a month. This month, inspired by this thread, I made the Texas Sheet Cake and a Southern Lady Cake (the one with mandarin oranges beat into it).  They both disappeared. The TSC was very good. I agree with both the people who say it is like brownies and those who say it is light. It has the flavor of a brownie, but is not dense.  I wish I had sifted the powdered sugar for the frosting, because some of the lumps did not beat out.  So I toasted some pecans and threw them on top. Problem solved!  I was afraid it was too thin, but it looked like the picture above, so I guess it was ok.

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Glad yours turned out great! BTW. When you get a chance, could you point me toward a link or post your Southern Lady Cake recipe? That sounds good.

[Marlene]

These look great. I'll be making one shortly. And I love the idea of making it in a bundt pan!

[fifi]

Well . . . Still no mixer. I was contemplating making this cake as part of my foodblog this week. The idea would be to use some pecans from my pecan tree that I saved from last year. But, time is running out so that may not happen. Oh well, I don't particularly like pecans in sweet stuff anyway.

Now the question of the day, with no mixer, can I use the whisk thingy on my Bamix stick blender?

[CaliPoutine]

I stumbled upon this thread last week and decided to make it too. I used the "cooking light" recipe. However, I dont see it as being really light. I think its only light because of the serving size. I made it in a jelly roll pan and supposedly that serves 20.

I added more pecans too.

If I made it again, I'd cut back on the sugar. I thought it was way too sweet. Other than that, it had a good flavor.

[Marmish]

I make birthday cakes for work once a month. This month, inspired by this thread, I made the Texas Sheet Cake and a Southern Lady Cake (the one with mandarin oranges beat into it).  They both disappeared. The TSC was very good. I agree with both the people who say it is like brownies and those who say it is light. It has the flavor of a brownie, but is not dense.  I wish I had sifted the powdered sugar for the frosting, because some of the lumps did not beat out.  So I toasted some pecans and threw them on top. Problem solved!  I was afraid it was too thin, but it looked like the picture above, so I guess it was ok.

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Glad yours turned out great! BTW. When you get a chance, could you point me toward a link or post your Southern Lady Cake recipe? That sounds good.

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I used this recipe: Southern Lady Cake. I've made it twice now. It seems to want to stick to the pan even though I sprayed and floured it. The first time, I stuck it back together. The second time, it took a lot of poking around, but it came out fairly cleanly.

edited to clarify link

Edited May 23, 2005 by Marmish (log)

[fifi]

I wasn't going to take it out of the pan at all. I thought from the picture that you served it in the pan. Now I am worried that my "jelly roll" pan, that is labeled a cookie sheet, is deep enough. It is the right size to be a jelly roll pan. I gotta quit worrying this thing to death and just do it.

[Marmish]

I wasn't going to take it out of the pan at all. I thought from the picture that you served it in the pan. Now I am worried that my "jelly roll" pan, that is labeled a cookie sheet, is deep enough. It is the right size to be a jelly roll pan. I gotta quit worrying this thing to death and just do it.

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If you're referring to my post, I served the TSC in the pan, which is a cookie sheet with sides aka a jelly roll pan, probably the same as yours. It's the Southern Lady cake, made in a bundt pan, that wants to stick. Sorry if it wasn't clear.

[claire797]

I used this recipe: Southern Lady Cake.  I've made it twice now. It seems to want to stick to the pan even though I sprayed and floured it.  The first time, I stuck it back together. The second time, it took a lot of poking around, but it came out fairly cleanly.

edited to clarify link

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Thanks! Isn't Rezipezaar a ton of fun? ;)

That cake definitely looks moist. I'm going to try it next time I need a cake for an orange lover.

As for sticking, I've mentioned it so many times you'd think I got paid by Pam, but the Pam for Baking (the flour added kind) is awesome.

[fifi]

. . . . .

As for sticking, I've mentioned it so many times you'd think I got paid by Pam, but the Pam for Baking (the flour added kind) is awesome.

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Thanks for the feedback on the baking Pam. I have wondered about that stuff. The regular Pam rocks for so many uses.

Heh heh . . . somewhere here when the baking Pam first came out, a member got all excited after just listening to the commercial and thought that they had come out with bacon Pam. Poor soul got all dissappointed.

[fifi]

I finally did it. I made the famous sheet cake. I used the recipe titled Mexican Chocolate Cake in Texas the Beautiful Cookbook. I am not an experienced baker and I think it came out rather well in spite of me.

The batter part of the recipe gives you the option of using melted unsweetened chocolate or the cocoa. I chose to go with the Hershey's cocoa since everyone seems to prefer it. The batter also calls for a teaspoon of cinnamon. I think that is why it is called Mexican. Also, there is a typo in the recipe but I figured that the dimensions of the pan they were calling for was closer to my half sheet so I used that. I am glad I did.

I sprayed the pan with just plain Pam and it worked fine.

I did use the unsweetened chocolate in the icing. I actually had some El Rey. This recipe also calls for it to be put warm on the warm cake.

I am pushing the new macro lens (or I haven't learned to use it yet ) but here is what it looks like.

I am no cake lover and certainly no critic but this is pretty darn good. I can see where it would be a pot luck favorite. And it is easy to transport in the pan. I am thinking that substituting some really strong coffee for the cup of water in the batter recipe would add a new dimension.

[Marmish]

I used this recipe: Southern Lady Cake.  I've made it twice now. It seems to want to stick to the pan even though I sprayed and floured it.  The first time, I stuck it back together. The second time, it took a lot of poking around, but it came out fairly cleanly.

edited to clarify link

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Thanks! Isn't Rezipezaar a ton of fun? ;)

That cake definitely looks moist. I'm going to try it next time I need a cake for an orange lover.

As for sticking, I've mentioned it so many times you'd think I got paid by Pam, but the Pam for Baking (the flour added kind) is awesome.

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It can be fun, although it seems like looking for a needle in a haystack sometimes. I have gotten some really good recipes there though, so I can't complain.

Fifi, looks good! My frosting looked close to yours once it set up. I still think mine was too thin, though, or maybe still too hot. Next time. There's always next time.

[Dana]

Good Job, fifi!!! Looks just like Grandma used to make.....and mom......and me.... and now my daughter.

[claire797]

Nice cake, Fifi!

....not on to a Rebecca Rather cake perhaps?

[fifi]

. . . . .

....not on to a Rebecca Rather cake perhaps?

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Heh heh. Not likely. I really don't like sweets that much. I just had to do this cake because it seems to be an heirloom and I was curious about all the fuss. I saved a couple of pieces and boxed the rest of it up. I took it to the two ladies that work in the apartment office and made them promise to share with the maintenance guys. The guys take really good care of me and I want to be sure that continues.

I do have to say that the Rather book does have some interesting savory recipes, though.

[CindyG111]

Bumping this topic -

Your Texas Sheet cake looks scrumptious Fifi!

I've been making Texas Sheet cake for years. I use whatever cookie sheet I have that's deepest.

I got my recipe from my Mom, (actually she submitted it to a church cookbook - which I bought, Mom was never good about passing on recipes. That cookbook is a gem and has seen better days. I should encoat it in plastic).

She got the recipe over 30 years ago when we used to live near Philly. Whoever she got it from called it Texas Sheet cake. Go figure it's new to Texans!

[fifi]

Thanks Cindy. Well, it is new to this Texan and apparantly not new to a lot of others. I haven't gone back and read all of the posts but I am now wondering how old it is.

I will report that I ran into the head maintenance guy in the parking lot. I mentioned that my smoke detector battery needed replacing and I would be putting a maintenance ticket in. He said . . . "Don't bother, I will be right up to fix it." and he did. NEVER underestimate the power of the cake.