Sheet cakes are a sweet but humble addition to the dessert spread. Though they may not present as much visual grandeur as a layer cake or as much convenience as a cupcake, the sheet cake serves a crowd with little fuss but plenty of flavor. One of the most beloved incarnations of the sheet cake is the Texas sheet cake, but it looks a bit different from the rest.
Traditionally, when we think of sheet cakes, we picture a cake packed into a trusty 9×13 dish. But for a Texas sheet cake, like everything else in the Lone Star state, the dimensions are much bigger. The classic Texas sheet cake is often made with a jelly roll pan, a pan that measures 10×15 inches, or an even longer 12×18-inch sheet pan. The long, shallow pans allow for a short baking time and result in a thin, but still decadent cake. Then a rich chocolate frosting is applied to the still-warm cake, melting into the surface with a glossy finish. The final touch is a scattering of nuts, be it walnuts, almonds, or pecans (the orthodox choice). The result is a dessert that looks more like a nutty glazed brownie rather than a chocolate cake. So when did this sprawling chocolate cake first set itself apart from other standard sheet cakes?
The primary difference between sheet cake and regular cake is the size of the cake pan. Sheet cake is made in a sheet cake pan which is a shallow, large pan. Regular cake is usually made in a 9×13 baking dish or, for a double layer cake, it’s made in two 8-9” round pans.
A chocolate and nut-filled classic
The history of the Texas sheet cake is a bit murky. While it most likely came from the American South, it cant be pinned down to any one state. The rise of chocolate cakes and other cocoa-rich baked goods experienced an explosion in the early 1900s when chocolate became an affordable purchase for home cooks. Not long after, recipes for brownies and the brownie-like sheet cake began to emerge in community cookbooks.
In 1936, a recipe published in the “Galveston Daily News” featured a chocolate sheet cake baked in a jelly roll pan, but frosted with cooked vanilla icing. Not until the 1967 printing of the Alabaman “Huntsville Heritage Cookbook,” did a cake that closely resembled our modern Texas sheet cakes pop up. Titled Mrs. Elkins Sheath Cake, this thin cake was made with buttermilk and cocoa powder while the frosting was a mix of chocolate and chopped pecans. At the time, “sheath” was interchangeable with the word sheet, both referring to a shallow, long pan. Other chocolate sheet cakes with chocolate nut frosting and buttermilk consistently showed up, but these were baked in the classic 9×13 baking pan.
Even if all the ingredients were identical, the texture of the Texas sheet cake would still end up differently due to how quickly it would bake in the shallow pan. Plus, the cake is famed for its sweetness, so thinner servings make for a more palatable experience.
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FAQ
What is the difference between a sheet cake and a kitchen cake?
Is it better to bake a cake in a sheet pan or cake pan?
What makes a sheet cake?
What is the difference between a sheet cake and a layer cake?
What is the difference between sheet cake and regular cake?
The primary difference between sheet cake and regular cake is the size of the cake pan. Sheet cake is made in a sheet cake pan which is a shallow, large pan. Regular cake is usually made in a 9×13 baking dish or, for a double layer cake, it’s made in two 8-9” round pans.
What is a sheet cake?
The term “sheet cake” generally refers to any cake that is baked in a large, shallow sheet pan. Regular cakes are often baked in 9-inch round cake pans and stacked in multiple layers, or in thicker 9 x 13-inch rectangular pans.
How do you make a sheet cake?
Sheet cake is made in a sheet cake pan which is a shallow, large pan. Regular cake is usually made in a 9×13 baking dish or, for a double layer cake, it’s made in two 8-9” round pans. Add to saucepan: water, butter, and cocoa powder and bring mixture to a boil. I n a bowl: mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Is a sheet cake better than a layer cake?
Sheet cakes are also easier to decorate than layer cakes because the frosting is just spread over one, big surface. Bakers can stop there or go on to decorate the cake with more icing and designs. Frosting lovers tend to go wild for sheet cake because the single, thin layer means a higher ratio of frosting to cake.