Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake made the Michigan way!  With the warm decadent fudge frosting poured over top marshmallow fluff and swirled around with the melting fluff. This moist chocolate cake is the size of Texas, but with all the swirly “white stuff” it’s as heavenly as the Great State of Michigan!

Why we love our “Michigan Style” Texas sheet cake so much!

That’s the way we do it baby (sing it with me). No chopped pecans.  We don’t grow those up here.  But we do have a lot of white stuff! Egads!  Do you Texans want some?  Do you even get snow in Texas? I’m googling Texas, snowfall, weather. If you are from the great state of Texas, let me know if you get snow, like lots of snow, not just a dusting.  I’m talking feet of snow, people. I am a chocolate and pecan lover, however in my opinion, this is the best way to make Texas Sheet Cake. Growing up, this chocolate cake recipe was a picnic staple. It was always at potlucks, and I would basically run past all the casseroles, and jello salads until I found this cake and then I would snag me a piece before it was gone! There are so many versions of this recipe. This is the classic cake recipe that we always made from our church cookbook.

Gather these ingredients

Equipment needed

• Half sheet pan 13×18 also called a jelly roll pan
• medium sauce pan
• large bowl
• whisk
• large spatula

This is how to make “Michigan Style” Texas Sheet Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil enough water for 1 cup.

Add butter to a medium sized saucepan. Melt butter, add in 4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and whisk when smooth, add 1 cup boiling water. Whisk to combine. Remove from stove top.

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl, whisk together. Set flour mixture aside.

Measure 1/2 cup buttermilk, add eggs to the buttermilk and whisk until eggs are completely whipped together. Add baking soda to these wet ingredients.

Add chocolate ingredients to the dry ingredients, combine with a spoon until smooth.

Add egg mixture next and stir until smooth. Batter will look glossy when it’s mixed well.

Pour batter into an ungreased jelly roll pan or sheet cake pan. There will be a lot of bubbles, tap the pan on the counter a few times to knock out some of those bubbles.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, it may need another 5 minutes. If the cake springs back when you press down gently in the center, then its done!

Immediately open your jar of marshmallow fluff and eat one large spoon of it, then dollop the rest of the jar on top of the warm cake. It will start to melt and then you can spread it a round just a bit.

Make the frosting. No need to completely clean the sauce pan from earlier, maybe just wipe it out with a paper towel if you feel you need to. Add 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks) to the pan, over medium low heat, add 4 heaping tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, whisk until smooth.

When mixture starts to boil, remove from stove top and whisk in vanilla extract.

Add 1 pound powdered sugar, 1/3 cup milk and whisk until smooth. Work fast because you want this to be rather warm when you pour over the marshmallow fluff. If it seems too thick and not pourable add just a little bit more milk like a teaspoon at a time.

Pour warm frosting over cake covered in marshmallow fluff, using a frosting knife or a spatula, swirl frosting and fluff around together. There will be a few spots that the frosting runs over the edge. No worries, if it gets floody and look like it wants to run over the edges of your pan. This is no time to panic. Spread it around, pour more, let is seep in around the edges.  It’s going to be just fine, more than fine actually!

Now you can eat this right away; dollop a scoop of ice cream on top while its warm. Or if you must, let cake cool, cover with plastic wrap and bring it to the party!

Tips and Variations

• Buttermilk Substitute: If you find yourself with out buttermilk in the house, have no fear! Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of whole milk, let this stand for 5 minutes, stir, and Voila! Buttermilk!
• Special ingredient: Add one teaspoon of cinnamon to the cake batter and you will not be sorry! Adding cinnamon gives it a twist that is barely detectable, it’s delicious! Add the cinnamon in with the dry ingredients.
• Mexican Chocolate Cake: add 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredient for the cake batter. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cayenne pepper to the frosting as you add the powdered sugar. Bring on the heat! This is so delicious especially topped with vanilla bean ice cream when the cake is warm.
• Peanut Butter: Instead of marshmallow fluff dollop 1 cup of creamy peanut butter on top of the warm cake and then pour the warm frosting over and swirl around. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the top! YUM!

More perfect cakes for sharing….

All of these cakes are perfect for family gatherings, birthdays, picnics with friends, and summer potlucks . Remember to tell people Eat2gather.net is where they need to go if they ask for the recipe!!

Strawberry Cake

Peanut Butter Snack Cake

Caramel Apple Sheet Cake

Enjoy!! XOXO Sheila

Did you grow up munching on Texas Sheet Cake?  How did your momma make it? Do you call it Texas Sheet Cake, or maybe just Chocolate Sheet Cake?

Whatever you call it is heavenly! XOX Sheila