Oh sheet, it’s cake!
Texas Chocolate Leches Sheet Cake recipe
Texas sheet cake, a.k.a. cake known to be served at funerals in the south, and yes, particularly here in Texas. Tres leches cake, a.k.a. cake ceremoniously served at birthdays, graduations, and weddings. As we can see, cake is clearly a beacon of gathering & community regardless of the circumstances. Having enjoyed the comforts of both throughout the years as a Texan from Houston, I thought why not combine the two local staples? I guess you can say, this is my ode to Texas and Mexico in cake form as our cultural fusion makes one unique and flavorful state.
Y’all, there is something about eating cold cake. Contrary to what I tell all of my cake clients to temper their cakes before eating (umm, cold buttercream is just texturally weird no matter how it's flavored) this cake YOU MUST EAT COLD. Or don’t, you do you. Yes, this cake is very chocolatey and sweet at first glance, though somehow by a beneficent gesture of the rye and its earthiness, it's not quite as sweet as you may think! It will not make that back molar ache is what I am getting at. This is no “cuppa cuppa cuppa recipe” though you may serve it over ice cream to cut the sweetness (if you know that line you know) as my not so dessert loving husband did over the course of a week.
Texas Chocolate Leches Sheet Cake: Deaux Baker Speaks Easy Recipes
Developed by: Pamela Thibodeaux
Yield: One 12x12 OR 9x13 cake (about 20 generously large servings…because again, Texas)
NOTE: This recipe has been developed using stone ground whole grain unsifted rye flour from Barton Springs Mill. You can try and use other flour varieties, but it will come out differently as the liquid ratio was tested specifically for whole grain rye flour.
INGREDIENTS:
210g (1 ⅔ cups) BSM Ryman Rye Whole grain flour
300g (1 ½ cups) unrefined sugar
75g (¾ cup) cocoa powder (100% pure Valrhona™ cocoa used here)
10g baking soda (2 tsp)
3g baking powder ( ½ tsp)
6g salt (1 tsp)
2 whole eggs (room temp)
180g full fat buttermilk (¾ cup buttermilk)
145g hot water (145ml)
6g espresso powder (1 TBSP)
60g grapeseed oil (¼ cup)
10g vanilla extract (2 ¼ tsp)
Icing/milk soak:
375g (3 cups) confectioner’s sugar
225g (1 cup) whole milk (scald)
112g (1 stick) unsalted butter (melted)
10g (2 tsp) vanilla extract
4g (1 tsp) salt
170g (1 cup) chopped pecans (toasted)
METHOD:
Preheat an oven to 350°F.
In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, or what large mixing bowl you may have, weigh out all of your dry ingredients together. Whisk out any lumps and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. You may use buttermilk straight from the fridge as the hot water will bring the buttermilk to room temp. Whisk the wet ingredients together, then pour into the dry ingredients with the whisk attachment and the mixer set on low. Allow the mixture to come together just until you no longer see any dry ingredients. If using a hand mixer, follow the same instructions. Remove from the mixer, then fold the batter by hand, ensuring you get down to the bottom and fold in any dry bits.
Grease your cake pan well as you will not use any parchment here. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, then bake for 25 min give or take depending on your oven.
While the cake bakes, make your icing. You will want to pre-toast your pecans before you go to bake the cake! Melt your butter, heat your milk, then mix all of the icing ingredients together. Don’t worry, it's meant to be very loose.
Allow the cake to slightly cool, then poke holes across the entire cake.
Pour the icing across the cake, spreading the pecans evenly so they do not lump together. Chill the cake for at least 2 hrs before serving to allow the cake to soak in the milky icing. This cake is best served cold, and eaten similarly to tres leches cake.
This cake will literally last for several days in your fridge (if it makes it that far) and I find it gets better over time!
Cheers y’all!
