Grandma’s Chocolate Sheet Cake
aka Texas Sheet Cake
There are dozens of variations on this rich chocolate sheet cake. I think it is so enduring because it is simple, makes a big, affordable, sheet cake that is quick to fix and, uses common kitchen ingredients.
Pre heat oven 350 degrees, set the oven rack to mid level. Toast and chop ½ cup pecans. Watch carefully or they will quickly burm. Let cool.
Coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder or flour.
To Make Cake:
Sift together first 5 ingredients. Set aside in large mixing bowl.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Add water, margarine and cocoa to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour into flour mixture. Beat until well mixed and smooth.
3/4 cup water
1 stick margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
Add final three ingredients. Beat until well mixed.
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs beaten
Pour into prepared pan. Tap pan on counter to release big air bubbles. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. (It’s exactly 33 minutes in my oven.) Toothpick test to check if it is done.
While cake is baking, make icing.
Icing:
1 stick margarine
1/3 cup milk or buttermilk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
While you bring to boil in medium sauce pan while you combine next three ingredients.
Pour hot boiling margarine, buttermilk and, unsweetened cocoa over next three ingredients.
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Mix together, add
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Mix until smooth. Pour warm icing over warm cake. Allow cake to cool before cutting. Otherwise, half of this cake will disapear before before dinner. Strange, I know. But it happened to me.
Cake Ingredient List
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1 stick margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs beaten
Icing Ingredient List
1 stick margarine
1/3 cup milk or buttermilk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup chopped toasted pecans
350° oven until a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.
About 20 to 25 minutes for the 15X10-inch pan. (Happens to be 22minutes in my oven.) Or bake in a 13X9 cake pan for about 30 to 35 minutes.