Texas Sheet Cake

Back in another lifetime, before husband, kids, or grandbaby, I lived with my friend Denise. She got married, I got married, and unfortunately we lost touch. But I do still have her recipe for Texas Sheet Cake. Delicious fudgy Texas Sheet Cake. And it's just as good now as it was back in 1980.

It's a great cake to make for a crowd...it's super easy, super fast to make, and is big enough for seconds (which you'll likely want.) It uses ingredients you probably have on hand, and mixes together so fast you can be in chocolate heaven in no time at all. Thank you Denise, wherever you are!

Texas Sheet Cake (printable recipe here)

Cake Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks butter
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cocoa (I heaped them.)
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (If you don't have buttermilk, put 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a measuring cup and fill to the 1/2 cup mark with regular milk.This works just as well as buttermilk.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and salt.
• In a saucepan, melt 2 sticks of butter. Stir in cocoa and then add water. Bring to a brief boil and remove from heat.
• Beat together eggs and buttermilk. Add vanilla and baking soda and mix well.
• Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir together. Add the egg mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 12x18x1 baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. (I've also made it without greasing the pan, and it did just fine.)

While the cake bakes, make the icing-
In a medium saucepan, heat together 1 and 1/2 sticks butter, 4 Tablespoons cocoa powder (heaped if you like), and 6 tablespoons milk. Bring to a brief boil and remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and gradually add 1 box (1 lb.) powdered sugar. Stir in 1 cup of chopped nuts if desired. Pour the hot icing on the hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cool and enjoy!