Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients

  • For the cake:
  • 2 cups flour (but not really … more like 1 cup and just a hair shy of another cup … 1 cup and 1 not-quite-level cup)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) margarine
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 Tbs. cocoa powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • For the frosting:
  • 8 Tbs. (1 stick) margarine
  • 3 Tbs. cocoa powder
  • 6 Tbs. milk
  • 1 box (1 lb.) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease a sheet cake pan (be sure it has raised edges).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour (I use a little less than 2 full cups), granulated sugar and salt.

In a saucepan, combine the margarine, water and cocoa powder. Stir while bringing to a boil. Pour over the flour mixture.

In another bowl, stir together the eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, vanilla and cinnamon. Add to the flour-cocoa mixture.

Transfer the batter to the prepared sheet cake pan and bake for 18 minutes.

Five minutes before the cake is done, make the frosting: In a saucepan, combine the margarine, cocoa powder and milk. Heat and then add the confectioners’ sugar, nuts, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour the frosting over the cake and allow to cool.