Day 258: Texas Sheet Cake

I have been meaning to post this recipe for quite some time. Texas sheet cake is Boyd's  absolute favorite thing in the world. The last time I made Texas sheet cake it was a disaster! My oven was too small to fit the jelly roll pan and I didn't realize the rack tilted up in the back. Needless to say we had a 1/3 burnt, 1/3 raw, and 1/3 normal sheet cake. Luckily my oven is big enough now. 

Another reason why I'm posting this recipe is because my current recipe looks like this:

 I didn't quite know what to make of this recipe card. Boyd says it has a lot of character and has been used many, many times. He always tells me a recipe needs to look like it has been used. I didn't really know how to read it or what anything meant. That is why I'm redoing it, so it is user friendly. 

Ingredients

Cake

• 1/2 C. Shortening (Crisco)
• 1/2 C. Oleo (Margarine)
• 1 C. Water
• 4 TBS Cocoa Powder 

• 1/2 C. Sour Milk or Buttermilk
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla

•  2 C. Sugar
• 2 C. Flour
• 1 tsp. Soda
• 1 tsp. Salt 

Topping

• 1/2 C. Oleo (Margarine)
• 4 TBS Cocoa Powder
• 6 tsp. Milk
• 1 LB Powdered Sugar

• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes 

What the recipe card meant to say was. . . . 

Combine dry ingredients (sugar, flour, soda, salt) in a mixing bowl. 

In a medium pot combine Shortening, Oleo (I had no clue oleo meant margarine), water and cocoa powder. Stir on Medium heat until shortening and oleo are melted. Do not boil. 

 If you don't have sour milk you can add a tsp of vinegar to your milk and it will curdle.

Stir, in milk, then add your eggs. 

Make sure it is not too hot so you don't cook your eggs. 

Add vanilla.

Pour your chocolate mixture into your dry ingredients. Mix on low till combined. 

Slowly pour into a 17.25 x 11.5 " Jelly Roll Pan

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes

When you have 10 minutes left on your timer, start to make your topping. 

In a medium sauce pan melt 1/2 C oleo.

Add 4 TBS cocoa powder. 

Stir in 6 tsp milk (I needed more). 

Slowly add in 1 LB of Powdered Sugar (I used less), 

then, as Boyd puts it, "Then beat the snot out of it!"

You want the consistency to be runny, but have it still slightly stick to the spoon.  If you need more milk, like I did, add it a few drops (literal drops) at a time. If you add too much too fast it will just become runny.

 

Insert toothpick into cake and make sure it comes out clean. 

AS SOON AS you pull your cake out of the oven pour chocolate topping over the cake.

(Tin foil trick: Place your hot cookie sheet over some tin foil. Sometimes the topping will spill over the sides, that's ok. It makes for an easy clean up)

Spread topping around with a metal spatula. Be careful not to rip your cake. 

ENJOY!

Upon special request, Boyd wanted toasted marshmallows on top of his sheet cake tonight. I just sprinkled some mini marshmallows on top and threw it under the broiler for a second to toast it. YUM! I will say it is better with the mallows!