The legend of Texas hospitality is valid. Texas people possess a friendly spirit and
willingness to accommodate that I am certain must exist in other places, but not on such a
grand scale as in Texas. That spirit, and Texas food, are probably the things most missed
by expatriate Texans who relocate elsewhere. It's certainly not the 108-degree weather.
Texas hospitality most certainly extends into wonderful food of every description. Let there
be company coming or birth, death, illness, wedding, engagement, graduation or whatever,
home-prepared food in covered dishes is going to make the scene. My mother was famous for
this. While she did not literally meet planes with fried chicken in both hands, the
truth wasn't far from that.
Texas Sheet Cake is a perfect example of Texas hospitality translated into food. While it is
absolutely delicious and satisfying to the senses, it can be whipped up -- start to finish,
baking, frosting and all -- in 40 minutes or less. Ready to commemorate, celebrate or aleviate
life events. It's also perfect when you want something delicious and you want it fast.
As with last month's spotlighted dessert, Red Velvet Cake
(see
Red Velvet Cake and The Great Neiman Marcus Cookie Hoax), there are several different
versions of this recipe. Our version is formulated for convenience, speed and overall
deliciousness. It relies upon butter, not margarine, for flavor, cooking oil for moistness,
and cocoa for deep flavor and convenience.
This cake, and its frosting, should be mixed by hand; you don't need to drag out your 40-pound
KitchenAid mixer or even trot out your portable for this one. And by all means, get yourself one of those
9x13-inch pans with the nicely fitted plastic lids. But be sure and tape your name to the
bottom so you don't lose track of it when you make this cake as a gesture of hospitality.
Mix the milk and cocoa in a heavy saucepan (stir, stir, stir). Add the butter and, over
medium heat, stir until the butter melts. Remove from heat and gradually stir in
the sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the pecans.
When the cake is just out of the oven, spread the frosting evenly on the hot cake.
Being a chocolate freak, I use just a half-teaspoon of cinnamon in this
cake. I want the cinnamon flavor to come through, but I don't want it to overpower
the chocolate.
If buttermilk is not a staple item at your house, this is a good recipe in which to use
dry buttermilk. For a product review, see Dry Buttermilk.
If you aren't sure about your oven, you can test it with one of those little dime store
oven thermometers. With its comparatively thin batter, Texas Sheet Cake requires every
bit of the 400° heat in your oven, if it's going to get done in 20 to 25 minutes.
This is a wonderful cake, whether you make it for yourself or as an act of hospitality. You
can eat it out of hand or serve it on your best china. Or you can deliver it to someone
else and let them make those serving decisions. In whatever way it is served, Texas Sheet
Cake will be relished and appreciated.
If you would like to print out this recipe in a less chatty form, see
Texas Sheet Cake in Grandma's Cookbook.
You can purchase a 9x13-inch baking pan from Amazon by
clicking here.
