Texas Sheet Cake

First things first, Merry Christmas everybody! I hope the holidays are treating you well this year. My mom used to make this cake all the time. It’s really really really good. It’s more like frosted brownies and it’s delicious. You should make this. Today. Or tomorrow since you might be in a food coma already today.

I made these during my lunch break on a day that I worked from home. I sent them to work with hubby the next day so we wouldn’t eat them all!! These are REALLY good warmed up with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

There are a few things about this recipe that just feel weird after all the baking I’ve done in the past few years. For one, you just throw all the ingredients together (this recipe is SO easy!) None of this adding flour and alternating with milk blah blah blah. It’s kind of refreshing to just throw everything in and turn on the mixer. You also boil butter and cocoa. Twice. It’s awesome. And don’t worry about the 3 sticks of butter. They’re totally worth it.

Texas Sheet Cake – from my mom – no idea where it’s originally from, although PW does have the same recipe posted on her cooking blog…
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vingar + 1/2 cup milk
2 sticks butter
4 tbsp cocoa
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the flour, sugar, sour cream, salt, eggs, baking soda and buttermilk in a large bowl.

Bring the butter, cocoa and water to a boil.

Add at once to flour mixture. Mix well and pour into greased cookie sheet. The batter is VERY runny.

Bake 20 min at 350. While the cake is baking, you will have just enough time to clean up the mess you made, wash the dishes and prepare the frosting. It’s important to frost the cake immediately out of the oven, so no slacking here!

Frosting1 box powdered sugar (1 lb) – I just eyeball it to 1/2 of a 2 lb bag
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick butter
6 tbsp milk
4 tbsp cocoa

Combine the following the powdered sugar, pecans and vanilla.

Bring remaining ingredients to a boil. Add to the sugar mixture. Ice cake right out of oven.

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13 Responses to “Alton Brown’s “The Chewy””

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    1
    Bridget — March 5, 2009 at 6:02 pm

    Aren’t they the best? They’re so addicting. I’ve actually starting using the same ingredients, but mixing them like a more traditional chocolate chip cookie (i.e., softened butter instead of melted), because I like the dough better with softened butter. The baked cookies were just as good. Best of both worlds!

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    Laure — March 5, 2009 at 9:45 pm

    These look gorgeous. Don’t you just love AB??? 🙂

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    Julie — March 6, 2009 at 4:06 am

    The cookies look great. I love AB too..he’s such a dork (in a good way).

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    CoCo — March 6, 2009 at 5:50 am

    I love the ATK/CI Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. I will have to try these to see what I think. I remember seeing that the recipes looked similar so I am sure I will love them.
    Another AB lover here. My husband gives me a hard time about my DVR list with him but loves it when I give him a fun tidbit or cook him something from AB.

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    Jen — March 6, 2009 at 1:34 pm

    I completely agree CoCo. Hubby does the same thing. I sometimes even watch episodes I’ve seen before! Hubby doesn’t like to admit it, but he loves AB too. Sometimes he’ll be the one saying “AB says to do this…”

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    foodess — March 9, 2009 at 3:38 am

    They look SO good!! I am a sucker for a chewy chocolate chip cookie. Although, I must side with your hubby – I prefer mine with just a bit of chocolate.

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    Naomi — March 9, 2009 at 6:46 am

    How much is a stick of butter? I’m not in the US and have never come across this measurement before.

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    Jen — March 9, 2009 at 11:08 am

    Sorry about that Naomi – 1 stick of butter = 8 Tbsp. Does that help?

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    Dani — March 9, 2009 at 11:46 am

    this is very similar to the ccc recipe i use, but anything that makes it chewier is good in my books! i will have to keep this one in mind 🙂

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    Naomi — March 13, 2009 at 10:05 am

    Yes Jen, thank you!

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    Allie — June 2, 2010 at 8:43 pm

    Yum! I will definitely be trying these. I always chill my cookie dough too usually because I’m too busy with 3 little ones but I also read that article in the NY times awhile ago and I felt like I deserved a nice big pat on the back for always doing the 24hour chill 🙂 Great post and beautiful cookies!

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    Susan — June 23, 2015 at 4:41 pm

    I love Alton Brown because of his scientific approach to cooking and baking. I’ve been baking “The Chewy” for years. One thing I do differently: Before chilling the dough, I scoop it into balls. This makes the process much easier. Sometimes I freeze the balls for baking later. After I place the balls on parchment, I carefully place a few extra chocolate morsels on top, pointy side up. This extra step produces picture-perfect cookies every time.

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    Desiree — July 2, 2016 at 1:56 am

    The Chewy is my go to recipe for cookies. I make a few alterations, occasionally, such as substituting 1/4 of the brown sugar with dark brown sugar. I bake small portions in mini muffin tins; one batch makes 48 cookie bites that are super chewy and the perfect size bite. I’ve made them every year for Christmas gifts for a few years now.

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