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The title of today’s Pioneer Women recipe post is a little different you may have noticed.
Ree vs. Leigh{Anne} instead of Ree and Leigh {Anne}.
Today’s PW recipe is her Chocolate Sheet Cake. Her cake was yummy. It was chocolaty and actually more fudge like than cake like in my book. Fudge like is not a bad thing I just prefer my Texas Sheet Cake to be more cake like! Although I must admit the photo of my version of her cake looks more fudge like than the photo of the one she made!
I have a Chocolate (Texas) Sheet Cake recipe that I have used for years that I love. I was anxious to compare it to PW’s version.
I love Pioneer Women, you know that, but I’ve got to say that my recipe is better than hers. Especially if you prefer a little more “cake like” Texas Sheet Cake. As I compared the recipes there was very little difference, in fact there is only really one difference. Mine has vinegar in it – I guess that must be the secret ingredient!
So I’m throwing out a challenge to all of you – if you’ve tried PW’s version I’d love for you to try mine and let me know what you think. See if you think that vinegar makes any difference!
Those of you who haven’t tried either – have some fun and have a Texas Sheet Cake tasting party and let me know which one you like better! Be sure and invite alot of people over because it makes a nice big cake (a jelly roll pan size)
One of the tricks to a good Texas sheet cake is that you frost the cake while it is warm. You want that frosting to soak into the cake part way – yum!
I don’t have any photos of my version of Texas Sheet Cake so you’ll just have to imagine. PW also uses nuts in her icing but I left them out as I’m not a big fan of nuts in my baked goods.
So here’s Pioneer Women’s version
Chocolate Sheet Cake
FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
FOR FROSTING:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
Texas Sheet Cake
Leigh Anne’s version
Mix together in a bowl and set aside:
2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 tsp salt
Mix together in your mixer:
2 cubes/sticks butter
1/4 C cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 C buttermilk
1 C hot water
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp vinegar
Mix together. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 15x10x1 pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes
Frosting:
1 cube/stick butter, softened
6 Tbsp milk
1/4 C cocoa
3 3/4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Mix butter, milk and cocoa together. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat well and spread on hot cake as it comes from oven.
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I keep hearing how fantastic this cake is, but I’m afraid to try it because I’m pretty sure it uses more butter than even Paula Dean has ever used haha!
YUM. I need to try this recipe, but I think I will use yours. I’d prefer my cake to be…cake!
It’s the baking soda in combination with the vinegar that makes your Texas sheet cake more cake like. Try mixing vinegar and baking soda in a bowl together and watch the way they bubble and foam when you add them together. My cinnamon roll recipe calls for baking soda and vinegar in addition to the yeast and they turn out so nice and light!
mmmm! we just made pioneer woman’s sheet cake a couple of weeks ago and it was delicious! but i have to say, ours was very cake like, i wouldn’t have called it fudgey… i’ll have to try your recipe and let you know how they compare
I like a good food challenge like this… just need to find some people who aren’t being “healthy” to test it on. I will let you know if/when I do and the results.
I am a big fan of PW Texas sheet cake. I’ll try your recipe with the vinegar
Thanks for the comparison.
too. I’m always looking for the best recipes.
I’ve made PW’s sheet cake before and loved it. Mine turned out cake like. I didn’t have the big pan so I did some as cupcakes, and preferred them to the sheet cake slice. (blogged here http://ldylvbgr.blogspot.com/2008/02/best-chocolate-sheet-cake.html ) I wonder what happened to yours?
I gott be honest, my family’s Texas Cake recipe has been a favorite of EVERY function we’ve brought it to. But it’s quite a bit different than these two because it’s made with sour cream and cinnamon in the cake. It’s to die for!
Sour cream and cinnamon make for the absolute best Texas Sheet Cake!
My recipe is like your’s and one of my favorite
cakes however I’ve started adding cinnamon to
my cake AND frosting-it is delicious
I have a favorite Texas Sheet Cake recipe similar to Rebecca Luke’s recipe, but I’m always ready to try something new so…I made your recipe of cake and since my own recipe has a cooked frosting recipe, I used PW’s frosting recipe. Anxious to see how it turns out! I’m also making chicken pesto for lunch tomorrow! My guests are going to be guinea pigs!
Yum! Yum! Yum! Why am I always on a diet?????
I have made PW’s Chocolate Sheet cake twice now & loved it, but I can’t wait to try your version since I have loved every recipe of yours I have made also!!
For some reason, my mom has always called her Texas Sheet Cake recipe hot fudge squares. It’s similar to both you and PW’s recipes. The only time I’ve used vinegar though is when I haven’t had buttermilk, and someone told me once that adding vinegar to milk in a recipe is a substitute for buttermilk. I don’t know, but it works. My mom’s also has cinnamon in the cake part and marshmallows melted into the frosting part.
This recipe cracks me up. An entire pound of butter!!! I’ve made it a couple of times, though mine didn’t look nearly as dense as yours. Interesting.
Hey! I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been making your sheet cake for a couple of years now and it is always a HUGE hit! Out of curiosity I tried the Pioneer Woman’s last month and didn’t care for it. I’m not sure exactly, but I think it was the texture. So tonight I have to bring a dessert and am bringing your Texas Sheet Cake once again! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for letting me know and that you agree with me!! Mine is better!