Texas Sheet Cake {Egg-free}

I found an interesting article, by Jennifer Harbster, about the origins of this delicious cake.  According to the article, "The Texas sheet cake goes by many names: buttermilk brownies, brownie sheet cake, chocolate brownie cake, chocolate sheet brownies, Mexican chocolate cake, Texas brownie cake, Texas cake, Texas sheath cake, and “plain old” chocolate sheet cake."  Regardless of what you call the cake, it is so delicious.

There are so many variations of this recipe.  But all start with a deliciously moist chocolate sheet cake topped with layer of chocolate icing.  Several of the recipes include pecans in the icing.  The article suggests this is how the name may have changed from simply Chocolate Sheet Cake to Texas Sheet Cake, since pecans are indigenous to parts of Texas.  Very few of the recipes also include coconut in the icing.

The recipe I am posting here is the egg-free adaptation of the one my mother made growing up.  Her recipe used pecans and coconut, which I think makes it all the more delectable.  But you could certainly leave them out without having to adjust any of the other ingredients.  This has always been, and still is, one of my favorite cakes.  I hope you enjoy it! 

Texas Sheet Cake

1 stick margarine

½ c shortening

1 c water

¼ c cocoa

½ c milk

2 c flour

2 c sugar

2 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla

2 T white vinegar

Preheat oven to 375^o.  Spray a 9”x13” cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.  Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon and set aside.  Combine margarine, shortening, water and cocoa in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add milk and vanilla.  Slowly mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Then mix in vinegar.  Immediately pour into greased pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Do not over bake.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Chocolate Pecan Icing

1 stick margarine

¼ T cocoa

6 T whole milk

1 t vanilla

1 c pecans (optional)

1 c coconut (optional)

1 16 oz box confectioners’ sugar (about 4 c)

Place margarine, cocoa and milk in a sauce pan; bring to a boil over low heat.  Add remaining ingredients, stirring well.  Pour immediately over cooled cake.

Yeild: 20 servings