Some of you may have never heard of Texas Sheet Cake but it’s a thin, rich chocolate cake that I remember my mom making frequently when I was little.  The cake itself isn’t uber-chocolatey like a death-by-chocolate cake but it doesn’t need to be.  The batter is spread out onto a cookie sheet, baked thin, and covered with a velvety, sinful layer of more chocolate goodness.  The frosting is the real star of this show.  Butter, cocoa, and buttermilk are cooked together and then blended with powdered sugar, vanilla, and walnuts.  As it cools on the cake, it thickens while still staying creamy and decadent.  Texas Sheet Cake isn’t just a chocolate cake – it’s THE chocolate cake to make.  Think of it like a lighter (in texture, not calories!) version of a frosted brownie.  Whether you made it with your mom like I did or if you’ve never tried it before, please put it on your to-do list. 

The cake ingredients:

Bring butter, water, and cocoa to a boil in a saucepan.

Add in the dry ingredients.

I’m pretty sure I used sour cream instead of buttermilk here now that I look at the pictures, but the cake turned out phenom anyway!

Pour the batter into a sheet pan and bake at 375ºF (Tip: make sure  your pan isn’t as shallow as mine was or you might end up with frosting all over your counter…just sayin’!)

The frosting ingredients:

Add butter, cocoa, and buttermilk to a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Add in walnuts.

Carefully pour the cooked frosting over the cooled cake (again, make sure your pan is deep enough to contain the frosting!).

Once the frosting has cooled, dig in!

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

• Reduced-fat sour cream for buttermilk in the cake 

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Better Homes and Gardens Magazine