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Serves a Crowd

Mable's Texas Sheet Cake

by:
September 15, 2012
4
2 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook time 35 minutes
  • Makes one 13x18 cake
Author Notes

My Grandma Mable made this for my birthday last year. The cake is chocolately, but not too intense - that's what the icing is for. This makes a 13x18 cake, so it's great for bringing to an event where dessert might be lacking. It's great with strawberries on the side. I got this recipe from my grandmother though I've tweaked it a bit to include "healthier" aspects, such as yogurt instead of sour cream, honey instead of corn syrup, and a touch of whole wheat flour. —Gibson2011

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Ingredients
  • For the cake
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt, room temp
  • 2 eggs, room temp
  • 2 egg yolks, room temp
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil (can use some unsweetened applesauce in place of some of the oil)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • For the icing
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 1 tablespoon honey or Lyle's golden syrup
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, optional
Directions
  1. For the cake
  2. Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Mix yogurt, eggs, yolks, and vanilla.
  4. In a saucepan, combine the semisweet chocolate, oil and/or applesauce, water, cocoa, and butter. Cook over medium-low heat till you get a smooth rich sauce. Pour into large bowl that you'll eventually mix all ingredients into.
  5. Whisk dry ingredients into hot chocolate mixture- don't over mix. Then, whisk in the egg mixture until no lumps remain.
  6. Pour batter into a greased 13x18 baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes till tester comes out clean. If your oven has hot spots, you may want to rotate the sheet halfway through baking.
  1. For the icing
  2. Mix butter, cream, cocoa, and corn syrup over medium heat. Melt and stir till smooth. Take off heat.
  3. Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla. Pour onto cake while the cake is still warm. After spreading, sprinkle nuts over top if desired. Let cool one hour at room temperature. Then refrigerate till icing sets, about another hour.
  4. For bonus points, serve with whipped cream and strawberries on the side for a rich take on strawberry shortcake.
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15 Reviews

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alaparc August 9, 2016
I did finally make this. The cake is more like a brownie - I guess I wanted it to be more like a sponge cake. I am going to try that next time.
galsmu August 4, 2014
"Texas sheet cake" has been popular for years and it's been a long time since I tasted it. BUT, I distinctly recall it having cinnamon as one of the key ingredients. Anyone else remember this version and know of a good recipe? Although adding cinnamon to this one might do it. I also recall nuts being in the icing, not optional. I'm sure there are a number of variations. Thanks......
Phyllis G. May 4, 2014
this looks fabulous
Catherine March 2, 2014
As far as I can tell, this recipe is different from the one from Cook's Country. While her grandmother may have based the cake on that recipe (I'm going to guess the OP wouldn't have known about that), the recipe is definitely not word-for-word. Maybe Cook's Country and her grandmother both got the recipe from the same source.
J J. February 11, 2014
My comment was directed to the contributor of this recipe. This Texas Sheet Cake recipe is word-for-word from Cook's Country. We should always be careful to correctly attribute any recipe we share--with anyone (even if Aunt Mable got it from Cook's Country). Because we all swap recipes so casually, we forget about intellectual integrity. If, for example, Aunt Mabel's recipe is one she has been making for decades and she passes it on to her niece, the niece can call it "Aunt Mabel's...." BUT, if Aunt Mabel got the recipe from Cook's Country and passed it on to her niece, she should credit CC. We should always be in the habit of listing the source immediately beneath the title of any recipe, even it it's hand-written on a recipe card. For example, wouldn't it be nice to know that your family's traditional recipe for brisket came from your grandmother, but she got it from her neighbor who got it from her aunt who worked in the Tsar's kitchen? Or your spaghetti and meatballs recipe can be traced back to Al Capone's cook? These are two examples I know of personally. Feel yourself as a link in the history of American cuisine when you pass on a recipe. The artist deserves credit for their creation (in this case, CC, perhaps in another case, YOU).
Donna February 10, 2014
What is the quote your talking about?? The icing recipe ? I don't know where the original recipe came from, it's 25+ years old and given to me by a friend! hand written on a recipe card. I never mentioned the cake recipe, and the icing is a standard confection drizzle recipe.
J J. February 10, 2014
One should ALWAYS give the attribution for a recipe. This is word-for-word from Cook's Country, Feb/Mar 2008.
Donna February 9, 2014
I went looking in my recipe collection for a Texas Sheet Cake I made so often years ago, that I got tired of my family requesting it !! Found it after reading this selection. Mine used plain and simple margarine and run of the mill baking cocoa, but everyone loved it !! It was a No Fail cake and you didn't have to be a fancy baker. This recipe looks good, updated and I'm going to try it to compare. The frosting used in my recipe is just , 1/2 stick of margarine , 2 tablespoons of cocoa and 3 tablespoons of milk. Heated on stove, then remove , add 2 cups 10x sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla . Blend well then pore over hot cake out of the oven. Garnish as you wish . You can tweak this to suit your occasion !! Love this cake !! Thanks for the memories !! :)
chefmacgregor December 10, 2013
WITH VINEGAR...
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/judy-s-texas-sheet-cake-172289/
Loves F. December 10, 2013
I've been looking for a Texas sheet cake recipe, and this looks amazing! Can't wait to try it!
Gibson2011 October 25, 2013
43xx, it's a pretty thin cake so it cooks quickly.
43xx September 15, 2013
15-20min?seriously?
chefmacgregor September 1, 2013
Texas sheet cake for those times when you have no sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt on hand:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/judy-s-texas-sheet-cake-172289/
jimnjoy August 30, 2013
My kids are visiting this week-end. I'm printing this out and making it ASAP. It looks wonderful. Thanks.
Lorac August 26, 2013
Looking for a texas sheey cake recipe that has vinigar in it. Mom used to make it when we were kids.