TEXAS SHEET CAKE - CAKE TEXAN

Lately, I have noticed that sheet cakes have made a kind trendy comeback in America. Not one magazine I've opened lately didn't have a recipe for this old-fashioned bakery item...

This easy to make, classic, humble and single-layer frosted cake baked in a sheet pan or jelly roll pan seems to trigger people's interest again. It provides an ideal solution for a sweet treat at a larger gathering and can be customized as wished, so this is what makes this cake very appealing. It is no wonder it's popularity never seems to decrease.

I've always appreciated the unpretentiousness of sheet cakes and always liked their advantageous shape. And being the big bar addict that I am, sheet cakes somehow remind me of them and feels quite familiar!

As I've been quite busy lately and haven't had much time to bake anything fancy, I thought that I'd go for that variety of cake and prepare something that would look modest, but would be a total knock over.

I have thought a lot about Texas lately. Since my good friends and ex-neighbors Jessica & Jonathan (Jessica has two great blogs named "In Search Of Dessert" and "Jessica Maier Photography") moved to Austin at the beginning of the year, I have wanted to learn more about this southern USA state and it's culinary traditions.

So, in order to expand my food knowledge I decided that, this time around, I was going to bake something from Texas. My choice naturally went to Lisa's ( "Homesick Texan", USA) "Texas Sheet Cake" recipe which I had been eying my for quite a time now.

Whether this famous cake really originates or not from Texas is difficult to say, but there is no doubt that it is very popular in this part of America as you'll have difficulties finding someone who doesn't serve this rectangular chocolatty treat at BBQs, pot-lucks, birthday parties, picnics, bake sales or any other event that'll require portable food.

For me, this "Texas Sheet Cake" is really a revelation as it is super moist, wonderfully chocolaty and droolworthingly rich, yet quite fluffy/soft in texture (it stands somewhere between cake and Brownies). And with it's contrasting crunchy pecan bits, the shiny icing makes this cake even the more irresistible.

This old favorite will fill your chocolate cravings and will soon become your personal favorite after only your first bite!

~ Texas Sheet Cake ~
Recipe by Lisa at "Homesick Texan".

Ingredients for the "Cake":
2 Cups (420g) Castor sugar
2 Cups (255g) Flour
1 Pinch Salt
2 Sticks (1 cup/240g) Unsalted butter
4 Tbs (22.5g) Unsweetened cocoa
1 Cup (240ml) Water
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 Cup (120g) Buttermilk
1 Tsp (5g) Baking soda
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Ancho chile powder (optional)
Ingredients for the "Icing":
1 Stick (120g) Butter
4 Tbs (22.5g) Unsweetened cocoa
6 Tbs Milk
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 Cup (120g) Pecans, roasted and chopped
1 Pound (450g) Powder sugar

Method for the "Cake":
1. Preheat oven to 200° C (400° F).
2. Sift the sugar and flour together in a bowl.
3. Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, and when melted add cocoa and water and heat until boiling.
4. Pour cocoa mix over sugar and flour and mix well with a spoon.
5. Add eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda and chile powder, and mix well with a spoon.
6. Pour batter into greased 9x13 inch pan, and bake for about 30 minutes, checking it at 20 minutes.
Method for the "Icing":
7. Five minutes before cake is done, bring to a boil the butter, cocoa and milk.
8. Remove from heat, and mix in sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nuts.
9. Beat well, and then spread over cake while both are still warm.
10. Let cool on a rack.

Remarks:
If you want a more chocolaty tasting, you can always add 1 tablespoon more cocoa to the cake batter and the frosting.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

***************

~ Cake Texan ~
Recette par Lisa de "Homesick Texan".

Ingrédients pour le "Cake":
420g de Sucre cristallisé
255g de Farine blanche
1 Pincée de Sel
240g de Beurre, non-salé
4 CS (22.5g) de Cacao, non-sucré
240ml d'Eau
2 Oeufs, légèrement battus
120g de Babeurre
1 CC (5g) de Bicarbonate de soude
1 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
1 CC de Cannelle en poudre
1 CC de Poudre de piment ancho (en option)
Ingrédients pour le "Glaçage":
120g de Beurre, non-salé
4 CS (22.5g) de Cacao, non-sucré
6 CS de Lait
1 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
1 CC de Cannelle en poudre
120g de Noix de pécan, torréfiées et hachées grossièrement
450g de Sucre en poudre

Méthode pour le "Cake":
1. Préchauffer le four à 200° C.
2. Tamiser (dans un grand bol) le sucre, la farine et le sel ensemble.
3. Faire fondre le beurre, à feu doux, dans une casserole moyenne et ajouter l'eau ainsi que le cacao une fois que le beurre aura fondu. Porter à ébullition.
4. Verser ce mélange sur la farine et le sucre dans le bol. Bien mélanger à l'aide d'une spatule.
5. Ajouter les oeufs, le babeurre, la vanille, la cannelle, la bicarbonate de soude et la poudre de piment puis bien mélanger.
6. Verser la pâte dans un moule beurré de 23x28cm et cuire pendant 30 minutes.

Méthode pour le "Glaçage":
7. Cinq minutes avant la fin de la cuisson, porter à ébullition le beurre, le cacao et le lait.
8. Retirer du feu, ajouter le sucre en poudre, la vanille, la cannelle et les noix.
9. Bien mélanger et immédiatement verser sur le cake encore chaud.
10. Laisser refroidir sur une grille.

Remarques:
Si vous voulez un goût plus prononcé de chocolat, vous pouvez ajouter 1 CS de cacao à la pâte et au glaçage.

Idées de présentation:
Servez ce cake avec de la crème chantilly ou avec de la glace.