HOMECOOKINGCHRONICLES
Texas
sheet
cake
BY BRIAN MEDFORD
I’m attempting to scale down several
aspects of my life: my junk drawer, my pant
size and the number of guesses it takes me
to crack the daily Wordle. Simultaneously,
I’m trying to scale up other things: the num-
ber of minutes I brush my teeth, my water
intake and my patience. It’s a battle that
I’m not always very good at, but I do what
I can.
I do not believe in scaling down dessert,
though. I always want to scale up, which is
why I’m failing at scaling down my pant
size. Sometimes a big dessert is needed to
feed a mess of people or just to feed a hun-
ger of the heart for one. When this is the
case, think of Texas sheet cake.
Why Texas? I don’t know exactly. Surely
it has something to do with the size of the
state, but if that’s the case, shouldn’t it be
Alaska sheet cake? It doesn’t quite have the
same ring, though, so call it what you will.
A Texas sheet cake is a quick, sin-
gle-layer chocolate cake, topped with a
chocolate fudge icing and chopped pecans.
It’s a big cake, baked in a 10 by 15-inch
sheet tray. It’s perfect for a family gather-
Brian Medford
A Texas sheet cake, topped with pecans.
ing, or an accompaniment for a really sad
movie marathon for one.
Texas sheet cake
Serves a mess of hungry people. Slightly
adapted from Julie Richardson.
Cake
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa,
lightly-packed
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• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups all-purpose fl our
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, lightly-
packed, preferably Dutch-processed
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Preparation
Grease a 10 by 15 by 2-inch baking pan.
Center in an oven rack and preheat to 375
degrees Fahrenheit.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over
medium heat, then whisk in cocoa. Add oil and
water and bring to a rolling boil for 30 seconds.
Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside
to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, sift together the fl our, sugar,
baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, then
whisk the ingredients thoroughly. Pour the
warm cocoa mixture into the sifted ingredients
and whisk until combined.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, but-
termilk and vanilla. With a rubber spatula, stir
the buttermilk mixture into the batter. Pour
the batter into the greased pan and place in the
center of the oven. Bake until the top is fi rm,
or until a wooden skewer inserted in the mid-
dle of the cake comes out with moist crumbs,
about 32 to 34 minutes.
While the cake is in the oven, make the
frosting. First, melt butter in a saucepan over
medium heat. Whisk in cocoa and bring
the mixture to a rolling boil for 30 seconds.
Remove from heat and whisk in the milk and
vanilla. Add the confectioners’ sugar while
whisking continuously.
Pour frosting over the hot cake and sprinkle
with nuts immediately after removing from the
oven. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.
Brian Medford is a baker, teacher and the
owner of The Rusty Cup in Astoria. He has
lived in the Northwest for more than 20 years
and delights in Southern cooking. Contact him
at blmedford@gmail.com.