Raise your hand if you love Texas Sheet Cake! I’ll be honest….it took me a while to like it. I’m not sure if the cinnamon threw me off at first or what, but now I’m a die-hard fan. But do I make it often? No. No, because it’s a whole sheet pan full of cake and I just can’t deal with the temptation. There’s just something about the way that frosting seeps into the cake that just….great, now I’m drooling.
But as I was scrolling through Pinterest recently (why do I feel like all my recipes start with this line?) I came across a recipe for Texas Sheet Cake in a cast iron skillet.
Well, if you know me, you know that I LURV my cast iron skillets (I mostly use Lodge but also have this lovely Le Creuset) and am always looking for new recipes to use in them. So, of course, I jumped on this one!
The size of this recipe is just perfect. It’s enough to feed a family dessert and maybe have a few portions left for dessert after dinner the next day. Or to eat for breakfast. Not that I did that or anything.
Anyway…..here’s a tip: the recipe calls for buttermilk but you can make your own buttermilk substitute by pouring 3/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar into a measuring cup, then fill to the 1/4 cup mark with milk. Let stand a few minutes, then add to the recipe.
All right…off with you…let them eat Texas Skillet Cake!
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup plus
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 heaping Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup buttermilk*
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp. milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your skillet; it should be well-seasoned and greased. I poured a little vegetable oil in mine and wiped it around the inside with a paper towel.
- Sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Combine the water, butter, oil, and unsweetened cocoa in a sauce pan and bring to a boil while stirring. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Mix the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla together then add to the chocolate mixture, mixing the batter well.
- Pour this mixture into your prepared cast iron skillet (mine is about 10" across). Bake for 20-25 minutes. It's done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few tiny little crumbs on it.
- While the cake is baking and is almost done, prepare the frosting by combining the butter, unsweetened cocoa, and milk in a saucepan. Slowly bring it to a boil, remove it from the heat, and add in the remaining frosting ingredients. Mix it well and pour it over the cake when it comes out of the oven.
- Let the frosting set up before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- *Here's a tip: the recipe calls for buttermilk but you can make your own buttermilk substitute by pouring 3/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar into a measuring cup, then fill to the 1/4 cup mark with milk. Let stand a few minutes, then add to the recipe.