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Kitchn food editor Nicole Rufus published a Texas sheet cake recipe built around a simple whisked batter and warm frosting poured over the warm cake. The recipe serves 12, takes 17 to 20 minutes to bake, and calls for refrigeration of leftovers for up to three days.
Kitchn has published a recipe for Texas sheet cake, a chocolate cake baked in a half-sheet pan and finished with warm stovetop frosting poured over the still-warm cake. Food editor Nicole Rufus’s version serves 12 people and takes 17 to 20 minutes to bake, offering home cooks a straightforward option for sharing dessert at gatherings.
The recipe uses an 18-by-13-inch baking sheet and a batter mixed with a bowl and whisk rather than a stand mixer. Its ingredients include all-purpose flour, granulated and light brown sugars, baking soda, salt, Dutch-processed cocoa, butter, boiling water, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. The pan is greased with butter, and the oven is heated to 350°F.
For the batter, Rufus’s instructions call for melting butter, whisking in cocoa and boiling water, then combining that mixture with the dry ingredients. Buttermilk, eggs and vanilla are mixed separately and added before the batter goes into the pan. The cake bakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, with the stated baking time of 17 to 20 minutes.
The frosting is made on the stovetop from butter, cocoa, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. The instructions begin making it about 10 minutes before the cake is due to finish baking. After the cake cools for 10 minutes, the frosting is poured and spread over it, then topped with half a cup of chopped pecans. It is left to set for 30 minutes before being cut into 12 pieces.
A Cake Designed for Sharing
The recipe’s main practical appeal is its single-pan format: the cake is baked and served from the same sheet pan, with no layers to assemble. That can make it easier to portion for a potluck, bake sale or family gathering than a layered cake, though the source does not compare preparation times with other recipes.
Its method also defines the texture and finish. Rather than waiting for a cake to cool before applying a thick frosting, the recipe pours a loose, warm chocolate frosting over the warm cake. Rufus describes the frosting melding with the cake as part of the dessert’s gooey quality. The recipe’s suggested storage is more precise than its serving advice: refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.
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How Texas Sheet Cake Differs
Rufus frames the dessert as a familiar Texas cake with a personal connection: she says she grew up in Dallas and recalls it at school bake sales and birthday parties. That is her account of its place in her own life, not evidence about how widely or uniformly the cake is served across Texas.
The article compares Texas sheet cake with German chocolate cake. Both are chocolate-based and may feature pecans, but Rufus says German chocolate cake is typically layered and topped with a coconut filling, while this Texas sheet cake is baked in one pan and finished with stovetop chocolate frosting. She also notes that German chocolate cake batter involves creaming butter and sugar, unlike this recipe’s whisked batter. The source describes German chocolate cake as having been created in Texas, despite its name, but does not provide a history or citation for that claim.
““It’s easy to make, doesn’t require any special equipment.””
— Nicole Rufus, Kitchn assistant food editor
Recipe Details Still Unverified
The source provides a recipe and the editor’s description, but no independent testing details, reader ratings or comparison with other Texas sheet cake recipes. Its description of the cake as able to withstand hot weather is Rufus’s assessment; the report does not specify a safe room-temperature holding time or a temperature range for serving outdoors.
The ingredient list includes wheat, milk, eggs and pecans, which may matter to people managing allergies. The supplied recipe does not offer substitutions or say whether the cake has been tested with alternatives. It also does not state whether the cake must be fully chilled before serving after refrigeration.
Serving and Storing the Cake
Following the published instructions, cooks can serve the cake after the frosting has set for 30 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and use them within three days, as the recipe recommends. For gatherings, the recipe’s directions are to cut the cake into 12 portions; the source does not provide a separate transport or outdoor-storage procedure.
Kitchn’s report does not announce a future test, update or related recipe. Readers seeking more detail would need to consult the original recipe page for any subsequent edits or reader notes. The supplied article gives no change log or information about whether the recipe has been revised since publication.
Key Questions
How long does the Texas sheet cake take to bake?
The recipe says to bake it at 350°F for 17 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
When should the frosting go on?
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then pour the stovetop frosting over the still-warm cake and spread it evenly. Add chopped pecans and let the frosting set for 30 minutes before serving.
How many people does the recipe serve?
Kitchn lists 12 servings. The cake is baked in an 18-by-13-inch pan and cut into 12 pieces.
How should leftovers be stored?
The recipe recommends storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
What allergens are present in the recipe?
The listed ingredients include wheat, milk, eggs and pecans. Anyone with an allergy should check ingredient labels and avoid the recipe unless it can be prepared safely for their needs.
Source: thekitchn.com
