Kristin at The Kitchen Sink put her own twist on classic sheet cake and now I’m sharing it with you. She made it truly Texas with the addition of earthy cinnamon and spicy chipotle powder. I chickened out at the last minute and left out the chipotle. I love the idea of chocolate + chili, but I was serving this to guests and wanted to play it safe. But now I know how delish this cake is minus the kick, I won’t hesitate to throw it in next time!

Per her instructions I baked it in a 9×13 pan, but I think I’d prefer it thinner (such as in a sheet pan). It is, after all, called Texas sheet cake. I hypothesize that increasing the cake-making-contact-with-frosting ratio would improve upon the irresistible gooeyness. But either way it’s a moist, rich, chocolaty cake.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch chipotle chili powder (optional)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Frosting:
6 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup milk
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of chipotle powder (optional)

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan or sheet pan.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and chili powder (optional) and stir together with a whisk. In a small saucepan, combine water, butter, and cocoa and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Pour into flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs. Beat well. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes (it will bake even faster if you are using a sheet pan), until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack.

3. To make the frosting, combine the butter, milk, cocoa, and chili powder (optional) in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Spread over warm cake. Sprinkle with pecans (optional). Cool completely.

Makes a 9×13 or sheet pan cake.

(Adapted from The Kitchen Sink who adapted it from Cooking Light)