Texas Sheet Cake (another one)

Texas Sheet Cake - made March 2, 2014 from Chocolate, Chocolate, and More

My obsession with Texas Fudge Cake or Texas Sheet Cake continues. Nowadays I find myself searching out a new recipe for it whenever I need a good quantity of something to give away. I used to do that with new brownie recipes but the brownies are getting nudged aside by Texas Sheet Cake. It's probably a phase but I don't see it ending anytime soon.

Even I am surprised at my recent devotion to it though as I didn't think brownies could be toppled off my baking must-have list. But Texas Sheet Cake is just as easy to make as brownies and that whole pouring frosting over it while the cake is warm is luring me in like a siren's song. If sirens were male. While I normally make Texas Sheet Cake in a 9 x 13" pan instead of a sheet pan because I like a thicker cake, this time I did hold back some of the batter and instead baked two thin layers in 6" round cake pans. Not sure why except to experiment with my new 6" cake pans that came in a set of 5. I have grandiose visions that I'm going to make a 5-layer cake someday. But this time around, I only did two layers, just enough to use up the extra frosting I inevitably end up with whenever I bake a sheet cake in a 9 x 13 pan and there's less surface area for the frosting.

It probably goes without saying that this was fantastic. I liked it better than the last version I made and it was more consistent with earlier versions I've made that hooked me on Texas Sheet Cake in the first place. It was cakey and fluffy yet moist, aided by the frosting melting into the top layer. Just the right amount of chocolate tempered with the sweetness of a thin layer of frosting. So much goodness, so much exercise I need to do to offset it. But worth it.

1 cup butter
1 cup water
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
dash of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk
4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 15 x 10 x 1" jelly roll pan or a 9 x 13" pan for a thicker cake; set aside.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water and cocoa. Heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat, add in sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla, blending well.
4. Carefully whisk in flour a little at a time, making sure there are no lumps or flour pockets. Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and frost immediately. Let cool completely before serving.
5. While cake is baking, make the icing: combine butter, cocoa and milk in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add in vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix well; strain if powdered sugar lumps remain. Spread over hot cake.