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Kitchn has published Nicole Rufus’s recipe for Texas sheet cake, a chocolate cake baked in a half-sheet pan and topped with warm stovetop frosting and pecans. The recipe lists 30 minutes of preparation, 17 to 20 minutes of baking and 12 servings; the article recommends refrigerating leftovers for up to three days.
Kitchn has published Assistant Food Editor Nicole Rufus’s Texas sheet cake recipe, which makes a chocolate cake in an 18-by-13-inch pan and tops it with warm, pourable cocoa frosting and pecans. The recipe is listed as serving 12 people, with 30 minutes of preparation and 17 to 20 minutes of baking.
The method uses a bowl and whisk rather than a mixer: flour, granulated and brown sugars, baking soda and salt are combined, then mixed with butter melted with cocoa and boiling water. Buttermilk, eggs and vanilla are whisked in before the batter is spread in a buttered half-sheet pan. The cake bakes at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, the frosting is made on the stovetop with butter, cocoa, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Rufus’s instructions call for pouring it over the cake after it has cooled for 10 minutes, then spreading it evenly and adding chopped pecans. The frosting is left to set for 30 minutes before the cake is cut into 12 pieces.
The ingredients include wheat, milk, eggs and pecans. The recipe permits raw or toasted pecans, and uses buttermilk plus whole or 2% milk. Kitchn says leftover cake can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
A Pan Cake Built for Sharing
The recipe’s practical appeal is its single-pan format: the cake is baked and served in the same sheet pan, with no layers to assemble. That makes the method a relatively straightforward option for serving a group, according to the recipe’s 12-serving yield.
Rufus also describes the loose frosting as a reason the cake works well for potlucks and cookouts. That is her assessment, not a tested guarantee that the cake will remain unchanged in every warm setting. The recipe’s main technique is to spread frosting while both it and the cake are warm, creating the soft, melded topping highlighted in Kitchn’s description.
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How It Differs From German Chocolate Cake
Kitchn places Texas sheet cake alongside German chocolate cake, while distinguishing the two by preparation and assembly. In Rufus’s comparison, German chocolate cake uses a creamed batter and is layered with coconut filling; Texas sheet cake uses a whisked batter and is baked and served in one pan.
The frosting differs, too. The recipe describes Texas sheet cake’s topping as a looser stovetop frosting poured over a warm cake, rather than the fluffy buttercream associated with German chocolate cake in the article. Rufus writes that the cake was a familiar part of her childhood in Dallas, appearing at school bake sales and birthday parties. This personal account supplies the recipe’s connection to Texas, but the source does not establish a definitive history for the cake’s name or origin.
““It’s easy to make, doesn’t require any special equipment, and is the definition of chocolatey, ooey-gooey goodness.””
— Nicole Rufus, Kitchn assistant food editor
Recipe History and Heat Limits
The supplied article does not give a documented account of when or where Texas sheet cake originated, despite discussing its name and comparing it with German chocolate cake. It also offers no temperature range or transport-duration test to support a specific claim about how the cake performs in heat; Rufus’s comments about warm-weather gatherings are personal experience.
The recipe provides an oven temperature, doneness test and refrigerator storage limit, but no alternative pan sizes or substitutions. It also does not specify how long the cake may safely remain unrefrigerated. Readers handling the cake for an event should follow standard food-safety guidance for perishable ingredients and avoid leaving it out for extended periods.
Bake, Set and Refrigerate
The recipe’s next steps are set out in its instructions: bake until a toothpick comes out clean, cool the cake for 10 minutes, add the warm frosting and pecans, then let the topping set for 30 minutes before serving. The source does not announce a follow-up, testing update or future publication tied to the recipe.
For leftovers, Kitchn recommends an airtight container in the refrigerator and gives a storage period of up to three days. The article does not provide further guidance on freezing or reheating.
Key Questions
How long does the Texas sheet cake take to bake?
Kitchn lists 17 to 20 minutes at 350°F. The recipe says to check the center with a toothpick; it should come out clean.
How many people does the recipe serve?
The recipe makes 12 pieces, according to Kitchn.
What makes this different from German chocolate cake?
Kitchn describes Texas sheet cake as a one-pan cake with a whisked batter and warm, pourable frosting. Its comparison says German chocolate cake is layered and includes coconut filling.
Does the recipe contain common allergens?
Yes. Its ingredients include wheat, milk, eggs and pecans. Check ingredient labels and account for allergies when serving.
How should leftovers be stored?
Kitchn recommends keeping leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Source: thekitchn.com
