Texas Sheet Cake with Pecan Frosting

Chocolate cake topped with chocolate pecan icing! Texas sheet cake is baked and served in straight from the pan so it's easy to transport. Great for picnics or potlucks!

This week the Sunday Supper group is getting ready for summertime fun.  Picnics and family reunions in parks or at the beach!  What’s a picnic without dessert?

This cake is moist, chocolaty and altogether delicious.  I got the recipe many years ago from my friend, Sharon, who is an excellent cook as well as a delightful person with a great sense of humor.  She is also from Louisiana, so that explains a lot.  I almost always have the ingredients on hand and it's quick to put together.  You don't even have to get out your electric mixer (although sometimes I do) because it can be mixed by hand.  But the best part of all is that it is baked and frosted and served straight from the pan, so it is easily transported to a picnic or potluck or party.   If you want to make your life even easier, bake it in a disposable aluminum pan and you won’t even have anything to bring home to wash up.  Because I can assure you, there will be NO CAKE left.

Many thanks to our host for this week’s Sunday Supper, Katy from Happy Baking Days!  If you haven’t met her yet, go on over and say howdy.  She’s cute and sweet and always shares lovely recipes from her happy kitchen.  I know I have at least a few readers who cook and bake gluten-free and Katy can help you out there!

Ingredients
For the cake:
2 cups or 450g sugar
2 cups or 250g flour
1/4 cup or 20g cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter 115g, softened
1/2 cup or 120ml buttermilk
1/2 cup canola or other light vegetable oil
1 cup or 240ml water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons or 90ml milk
1/4 cup or 20g cocoa
1/2 cup or 115g butter
16 oz or about 450g confectioners or powdered sugar, sifted (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans

Method
Preheat oven to 400°F.  Grease and flour a 13x9x2 inch or 33x23x4cm baking pan.

Toast your pecans in a skillet over a medium flame.  Shake the pan regularly until the fragrance of toasted nuts tells you they are done.  This takes just a few minutes.  Chop the pecans roughly and set aside.

Sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda and cinnamon, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together the two eggs, softened butter, buttermilk, canola, water and vanilla.

Pour your dry ingredients into the wet ones, stirring or beating until you have a smooth, rather thin batter.

Pour into your prepared pan, and bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting.

Mix the milk and cocoa in a heavy saucepan and stir, stir, stir.  I used a whisk because the cocoa sometimes doesn’t want to mix in right away.

Add the butter and, over medium heat, stir until the butter melts.

Remove from heat and gradually stir in the sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Finally, add the pecans.

When the cake is just out of the oven, spread the frosting evenly on the HOT cake.

Enjoy!

My apologies for not taking a photo of the cake being served.  I took this along to a ladies lunch and we were too busy eating to remember pictures!

Update: I MADE IT AGAIN. See, I told you it was a favorite.  So here's the photo.  This time I used Hershey's Dark Special Cocoa (Special Dark Cocoa?) so it was even more fudgy and delicious.

Make sure you check out the links below for more great picnic party ideas!

Salads and Slaws

• Bacon Ranch Potato Salad from Juanita’s Cocina
• Caprese Spinach Salad from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Chicken Chopped Salad from Table for Seven
• Cold Pea Salad  from Shockingly Delicious
• Creamy Potato Salad with Roasted Pears, Cilantro and Romano Cheese from Gourmet Drizzles
• German Potato Salad from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Hawaiian Cole Slaw from Curious Cuisiniere
• Italian Chopped Salad from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Kale Pasta Salad from Hip Foodie Mom
• Mediterranean Pasta Salad from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Mizeria (Polish Cucumber Salad) from From Fast Food to Fresh Food
• PA Dutch Pepper Cabbage from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Pineapple Slaw from I Run For Wine
• Spaghetti Salad from Country Girl in the Village
• Tortellini Pasta Salad from Supper for a Steal

Sandwiches and Mains

• Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich from Momma’s Meals
• Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Tomato Sandwich from Magnolia Days
• Grilled Bratwurst and Onion Open-Face Sandwiches from The Urban Mrs
• Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Green Goddess Sauce from Foxes Love Lemons
• Herbs-Garlic and Parmesan Croissants from Basic N Delicious
• Indian Spiced Chicken Drumsticks from Soni’s Food
• Japanese Picnic Bento Box from The Ninja Baker
• Mini Chicken Salad, Avocado and Cheese Subs from Big Bear’s Wife
• Moroccan Fried Chicken from MarocMama
• Pepper, Spinach and Goat’s Cheese Quiche from Happy Baking Days
• Picnic Basket Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Noshing with the Nolands
• Salmon in a Jar from Healthy. Delicious.
• Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Spam Musubi fromKimchi Mom

Desserts

• Apricot Oat Nut Bars from Pies and Plots
• Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treat Pops from In The Kitchen With KP
• Cocoa Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Fruit Salad from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Fruit Salad with Honey Port Drizzle from Family Foodie
• Loaded Butterscotch Bars from Vintage Kitchen
• Nathan’s Cookies from What Smells So Good?
• Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treat Truffles from Chocolate Moosey
• Shandy Popsicles With Raspberries from Ruffles & Truffles
• Texas Sheet Cake with Pecan Frosting from Food Lust People Love
• Triple Chocolate Punch Bowl Cake from Neighborfood

• Fresh Limeade with Chia Seeds from girlichef
• Pineapple Sangria from Growing Up Gabel
• Strawberry Basil Lemonade from The Messy Baker Blog
• Strawberry Lemonade from Gotta Get Baked
• Top 10 Wines for Picnic #SundaySupper from ENOFYLZ Wine blog
• Watermelon Agua Fresca from Daily Dish Recipes