Texas Sheet Cake

I've made it according to directions before, but this time, following advice here, I reduced sugar in cake to 1.5 cups from 2, and the powdered sugar down to 2 cups from 3, and then the cinnamon to 1/2 tsp.  Still delicious and rave reviews, gobbled up by my students!  Next time I'll try the special dark cocoa in the cake and also adding the instant coffee to try and emphasize the chocolate flavor in the cake, as it was quite delicate.

It's only a quarter cup of pecans. That's about 1/10th of a pound or so. Where I live pecans are about $12/lb. so that's only about $1 or so. 

Yes if you like another type of nut, but take TX out of the name because we don't do walnuts very much - they don't grow here; pecans do.

can I use something to substitute the pecans? 

I love this cake! It comes out perfect every time. Those of you that don't understand the directions and make it anyway can't complain. Ask questions and get clarifications before wasting your time and money. Always read the directions completely before starting to make sure you have all the ingredients and understand the recipe process. The directions with this cake couldn't be more explanatory if they tried. 

This was a stunner! I baked it for a game night with friends and it was a hit, and my husband and I can't be left alone in the house with it. It also freezes very well. I cut ours into portion-sized squares, put them in a single layer in a plastic bag, and set them down on a reasonably flat surface in the freezer. Once they're frozen, you can jumble them around. A quick microwave defrost and you have instant YUM. Just be warned: it's going to be very hard to just defrost ONE serving. ;)

Ok, so I followed the recipe exactly, and once the cake was in the oven, I noticed that the baking soda and granulated sugar had not been mentioned anywhere in the directions. The cake came out tasting disgusting. I understand bakers with experience might have intuitively known when to add those basic ingredients, but for us novices, this turns me off completely from baking. Please don't write directions for a recipe if you can not make them clear and thorough.

My girlfriend in college gave me this recipe 30 years ago, and it has been a hit every time I make it! Yes, a big cookie sheet or jelly roll pan is the best pan for it. I think my husband might have married me because of this yummy, moist, spicy cake. I baked 2 of them for his 25th birthday and the pans were picked clean before the kegs were empty!

I am with Joyful on this...jelly roll pan!!!! and I like to add 2 teaspoons instant coffee with the wet ingredients for the brownie and NO cinnamon...as we call this Texas BROWNIES...

A true Texas sheet cake is baked in a shallow 11x15 jelly roll pan, it is not baked in a 9x13 cake pan. You will never achieve the true taste and texure of a Texas sheet cake using a 9x13 cake pan to bake this recipe.

This is the exact recipe I have used in the past to make a coca-cola cake except that it used water in the cake batter (when cooking on the stove) and milk in the icing batter. For a coca-cola cake, you'd substitute coke both those places and it makes it oh that much better. Its not lighter but this cake isn't very light to begin with. I did cut back on the sugar about 1/4 cup and I think next time I'll go even to 1/2 cup. Its a fantastic cake!

My family loved this cake - they couldnt even wait for it to cool completely before eating some and having seconds. I really enjoyed the fudge-like frosting and how it 'soaks' into the warm cake. Would be interested to try this in a jelly roll pan to get the higher fudge to cake ratio as one reviewer mentioned. A tip - make sure you fluff your powdered sugar before measuring it out, You could easily add too much if it is packed down.

I loved this cake! I would definitely make it again. The only thing that i might change is to add slightly less cinnamon so that the chocolate flavor isn't overpowered in the cake.

As a South Texas native, this cake is very familiar to me.Back in the 60's and 70's we also called it 20 Minute Fudge Cake and it could be found at birthday parties, pot luck dinners, showers and all types celebrations. The original recipe called for the cake to be baked in a 15x11x1/2" floured jelly roll pan. That made the cake thinner, the amount of icing fit the cake, and it served more people. The resulting fudge/cake confection was tastier and richer than a standard chocolate cake.

Great recipe! It's been one of my favorites for years, and this lighter version is just as good as the original!

I was impressed by this cake. It's really rich and moist, and I loved the fudge-y icing.

I won't bother with this recipe again. Very disappointing flavor. That's an awful lot of sugar in the frosting and not to mention poorly written instructions. There are so many other great recipes for chocolate cake. Wonder how this gets rated as a winner.

This is the most wonderful cake. It gets rave reviews every time. You must use Special Dark cocoa or the flavor isn't as rich. I have made it with regular cocoa and it was unremarkable. The cinnamon is the secret ingredient. I, personally, think the frosting is a bit much. I now make half the frosting recipe and it is more than enough. I have needed to bake it five extra minutes every time. I agree with other reviews that the frosting needs to be beaten well or else it's lumpy. My kids have brought it to school for birthdays and we take it to every potluck... truly amazing.

I want to add my 2 cents because this recipe is easy and never fails to make guests very happy. I look forward to occasions where this cake is an appropriate offering but I always give the leftovers away. It's addictive. Licking the frosting bowl is a more-than fair trade. If you have fresh, intense cinnamon (sometimes I do), reduce amount just a tad. Otherwise a tsp is great.

Seriously..shame on some of you..you can't rate the recipe if you don't folow the recipe..so don't moan until you make it correctly FIRST. It's not the same recipe if you don't make it the way you are supposed to. GREAT cake.

@ abitw2010 - - sift the powered sugar befor adding to the boiled mixture. My mother made this cake often after recieving the recipe in the early 60's and so have I. She baked it in a cookie sheet. When she removed the cake from the oven, she would sprinkle miniature marshmallows over the top, as many as you want; then sprinkle on the chopped pecans. Drizzle on the frosting and it makes for a very pretty presentation with the white of the marasmallows peeking throught the frosting. I use an 18 X 12 inch pan, which is a large pan. I personal don't like thick sheet cakes. You will have a cake with "rocky road candy" frosting. BTW, if the boiled part of the frosting is boiled too long, add the powdered sugar; mix well, add pecans and you'll have fudge!

i love this recipe the only thing i do different is i dont really care for the cinnamon i like it much better with out it but its awesome either way .....

When this recipe was first introduced, it called for a sheet pan instead of a 13X9. The cooking time is reduced.

Yummy and so easy to make!

I've been baking this cake for many, many years ever since I first saw a recipe probably over 30 years ago. It is the very best chocolate cake ever and so easy to make. The cinnamon gives it such a unique flavor that is delicious, and the icing--well, what can I say--you almost want to just eat it straight from the pan. It is the BEST.

I grew up in Texas where every Sunday afternoon the sweetest granny brought Texas Sheet Cake to church luncheons. Later in life I was hoping to run across a great recipe for this cake while trying to relive a little bit of my youth...this is the one!! Some reviewers have rated this as too sweet and maybe for them it is...but for me, this recipe is perfect.

great tasting cake and easy to make. also had lumpy icing so will try other reviewers suggestion for making the smooth icing next time. will make again for sure.

Always a hit!

I have made this cake several times over the years and it is always a big hit. One year I was out of vanilla extract and replaced it with almond extract (half the amount). Reviews were even better that year.

My husband loves this cake and I have made it every year for his birthday since this recipe appeared.

Made Jan 08. This was more of a choc glaze than an icing but the cake was good. Definitely remember thinking it wasn't five stars, but a solid 4.

A great moist cake. I left out the pecans for my not-so-loving nuts family, even though I love them. Even without them, ooo-la-la! A great flavored cake!!

Absolutely addicting! This cake never lasts long at our house. Very easy to make.

LOL This just came in my email box but I made the exact same icing last week. It was on the side of a boxed choc cake mix. (A butter recipe Duncan Hines I believe) Hubby DID say that it tasted like the old fsahioned cakes that his grandma used to make...but the same exact icing is found on cake boxes from the grocery. :) The only difference was that it did not call for constant stirring and as directed, the nuts were mixed INTO the chocolate and then spread onto a 13x9 layer cake. :)

This is the absolutely best cake ever! I have made it more times than I can count and it always turns out delicious. Everyone asks for seconds and the recipe. At a recent dessert auction, I noticed that the hostess had made this dessert for our table. Not only did it look pretty on a plate but it tasted great!

This recipe is a keeper, as everyone in my family loved it. I used 1 1/2 cups of sugar for the cake and 2 c. powdered sugar for the frosting, and it was sweet enough. My frosting was somewhat lumpy so I just used a hand beater for a smoother texture.

The cinnamon makes the difference - great party cake! One of the few recipies I never alter. Also delicious with cooked butter cream icing. Several people have already asked for the recipe.

I made this for a neighborhood bbq and it was a hit! I put it in a 15x10 jellyroll pan and baked it for 16 minutes. The cinnamon is what makes this special...don't omit it! I did leave out the pecans in the frosting because you never know who has allergies these days.

Nice texture, good flavor w/ the cinnamon. I used dutch processed dark cocoa to mute the sweetness that some early reviews complained about. Needed to bake a few minutes longer than stated but turned out excellent!!!

This cake was overpoweringly sweet and did not have a rich chocolate flavor as I expected. I substituted fat free sour cream for the buttermilk but I do not think that substitution affected the recipe. I disliked the frosting-all sugar with no real flavor. I will not make this one again. I had planned to serve it as a special occasion cake but was glad that I made it ahead. I did not want to serve this cake to company.

The cake was very easy to make and delicious! I made it in a jelly roll pan, brought it to work and watched it disappear. This is a keeper. I was out of butter and used canola margarine instead and it was great.

I, too, had lumpy icing due to the powdered sugar Until I started using this method: I put the sugar in the bowl that I used for the cake, then pour the liquid mixture over it, and use my mixer to mix it until no lumps are left. Voila! Smooth frosting!

This recipe is even better than the original Texas Sheet Cake that I think was made famous by Lady Bird Johnson. It needs the cinnamon to stay true! How can you NOT love this??? I make mine in a jelly roll pan and it comes out perfect every time.

Sorry JeannineM. This recipe was outstanding. Very moist and just the right amount of cinnamon. Thank you Cooking Light for this recipe. It worked perfectly. Maybe baking isn't Jeannine's thing?

Can't believe the wonderful reviews this cake received. It was sickeningly sweet - the texture was wonderful - would make the cake again but the frosting was just awful. Also would remove the cinnamon which was overbearing and add some coffee granules. The cake was very attractive but was a disappointment.

Living in Texas I can attest that this case is a standard offering. People love it - including this version! I like this just as well as my Mom's - without the extra butter. My only issue was needing to bake a few more minutes for it to be done. Traditionally it is made in a larger, more shallow pan (like a jelly roll pan) - maybe that is why?