I was intrigued by a feature in Cooking Light’s most recent issue–a chocolate dessert bake-off. Set up in tournament style brackets, the magazine displayed 16 chocolate recipes from the magazine’s past and pitted them against each other, re-testing each to declare an ultimate chocolate recipe winner. I studied the outcome of each rivalry–bourbon-caramel truffles vs. chocolate baklava, chocolate pudding vs. chocolate-hazelnut mousse, and Mexican chocolate cream pie vs. triple-chocolate cheesecake, to name a few.
The championship came down to Texas Sheet Cake and Classic-Fudge Walnut Brownies. Although the brownies pulled through for the title, it was the pictures of the sheet cake that screamed “make me!” from the pages of the magazine. Normally I’d always choose brownies over cake, but I’ve long heard praise for Texas Sheet Cake and I was eager to give it a try.
I’ll have to make the brownies to declare my own personal winner, but this cake was definitely a winner in its own right. It makes enough for a crowd, especially because a small piece is enough to satisfy any chocolate cravings you have. It’s very chocolatey and very sweet–there’s no questioning why it was picked by the editors of Cooking Light. Don’t omit the nuts-they’re a nice texture addition and help cut some of the sweetness! 
Texas Sheet Cake
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 20+ 1x
Description
A moist chopped cake topped with a sweet chocolate frosting studded with pecans
Ingredients
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (480 ml) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) butter
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened cocoa, divided
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) low-fat buttermilk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tbsp (90 ml) butter
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) fat-free milk
- 3 cups (720 ml) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped pecans, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 15 x 10 inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray and dust with 2 tsp flour. Set aside.
- Weigh or lightly spoon 9 oz (2 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour with sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/4 cup cocoa. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Pour chocolate mixture into flour mixture and beat with a mixer until well-blended. Mix in buttermilk, 1 tsp vanilla, and eggs. Beat well before pouring batter into prepared pan. Bake at 375F for 17 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack.
- In a saucepan, combine 6 tbsp butter, fat-free milk, and 1/4 cup cocoa. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gradually stir in powdered sugar. Add 2 tsp vanilla and pecans. Spread frosting over hot cake and allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- From Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2012 *Note–these bars freeze well, even frosted!
- Just wrap them well before freezing.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 17 mins
- Category: Chocolate
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 280
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this chocolate cake have cinnamon in it?
Texas Sheet Cake traditionally includes 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in the batter alongside the cocoa — it adds a warm, subtle depth to the chocolate flavor rather than a noticeable cinnamon taste. It’s a classic regional touch from the original Cooking Light recipe that helps differentiate this from a standard chocolate sheet cake.
Does it matter that the frosting goes on while the cake is still hot?
Yes — step 4 explicitly says to spread the frosting over the hot cake immediately after it comes out of the oven. The heat helps the frosting (made with 6 tbsp butter, fat-free milk, 1/4 cup cocoa, and 3 cups powdered sugar) spread evenly and set into the distinctive fudgy-glazed top layer Texas Sheet Cake is known for.
Can I skip the pecans?
The author specifically advises against it: “Don’t omit the nuts — they’re a nice texture addition and help cut some of the sweetness.” The frosting contains 3 cups of powdered sugar and is quite rich, so the 1/4 cup of toasted chopped pecans stirred in provide textural contrast and balance the sweetness.
Does this cake freeze well?
Yes — the notes specify that the bars freeze well even after frosting, as long as you wrap them well before freezing. Given the recipe yields 20+ servings from a 15 x 10 inch jelly-roll pan, freezing individual bars is a practical way to spread out a batch this large.
