Being a Texan who’d never eaten Texas sheet cake, I was surprised reading about its supposed fame in the New York Times. This sheet cake is known for being big as Texas and being topped with pecan-embedded frosting. And to survive brutal Texas summers, the frosting isn’t whipped — instead, it’s made on the stove and poured on the cake while hot. The thin chocolate frosting is perfect in the heat.
I decided to have my try at this state delicacy, but without using a pound of sugar. The result is still a mouthwateringly moist and decadent cake. But I made it with healthy ingredients like apples, yogurt, and whole wheat flour so you can eat it guilt-free. With huge parties and get-togethers still not advised because of the pandemic, small batch Texas sheet cake is perfect to serve at a gathering of close friends. It’s irresistibly chocolatey, topped with a melt-in-your-mouth frosting, and studded with crunchy pecans. It’s truly a dessert people will want extra helpings of.
Craving more chocolate? Check out my recipe for Vegan Date Cake that tastes like chocolate cake, or make some Espresso Brownies.
Small Batch Texas Sheet Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: American12
servings30
minutes15
minutesIngredients
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup applesauce, or 1/2 peeled and grated apple
10 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
- Frosting
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and take out a 9” x 13” baking sheet.
- Make the cake: melt butter in a small saucepan on medium-low heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk together, then add water. Let the mixture come to boil, then remove from the stove.
- In a small bowl, mix together applesauce and Greek yogurt. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Check the cocoa powder mixture on the stove. If it’s thicker than a thin smooth mixture, add a tablespoon or two of boiling water and whisk again, then add to flour mixture and mix. Add yogurt mixture and mix until just combined.
- Pour cake batter into the ungreased pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean or with crumbs. Begin making the frosting as soon as the cake is in the oven.
- Make the frosting: melt butter in a small saucepan (I use the same one as before) on medium-low heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk together, then add milk and vanilla and whisk again. Add powdered sugar and whisk, then add pecans and mix a last time.
- Once the cake is out of the oven, check the frosting to make sure it hasn’t thickened. If it has, add a couple tablespoons of boiling water again. (I find that a thin, smooth frosting melts into the cake best, creating a fudgy and deeply moist texture.) Pour the frosting over the cake while still warm, and serve the cake warm or cold.
This recipe was adapted from The Recipe Critic’s Skinny Texas Sheet Cake.
