Doofus Cake

Also known as Texas Sheet Cake, but based on my performance while preparing it, the first name is a better fit. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about this cake on my cooking board, so when my September issue of Cooking Light arrived featuring the cake, I knew I had to try it. Joe and I are having a Labor Day cookout so I had the perfect reason to bake. I've never made a cake and/or icing from scratch before, but the recipe seemed pretty foolproof. Rest assured, nothing is impossible for this fool to screw up!

I prepared the batter for the cake and poured it into my prepared pan. As I was doing this, I thought, "Wow, this cake doesn't have any sugar! I wonder where it gets its sweetness?" Then I thought, "IS it sweet?" and tasted the batter. Ew, ew, ew! Returned to the recipe and realized I had left out the 2 CUPS of sugar required. Poured the batter back into the bowl, beat in the sugar and returned the batter to the pan...and realized I never greased the pan this time around. Dumped the batter back into the bowl, greased the pan, returned batter and baked. Cake came out looking perfect and the icing was made without incident. The finished cake was beautiful. So beautiful in fact that it distracted me from the fact that the cake was piping hot out of the oven, and I grabbed the pan with both bare hands to move it from the counter. OUCH! This cake better taste damn good...

I followed the recipe exactly, except that in my oven the cake took 35 minutes to bake in my 13X9" pan as opposed to the 22 the recipe recommended.

Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients
Cake:

Cooking spray

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup butter or stick margarine

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Icing:

6 tablespoons butter or stick margarine

1/3 cup fat-free milk

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.
To prepare the cake, coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons flour. Set prepared pan aside.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour and next 4 ingredients (2 cups flour through salt) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine water, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/4 cup cocoa in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; pour into flour mixture. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs; beat well. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake at 375° for 17 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack.
To prepare the icing, combine 6 tablespoons butter, milk, and 1/4 cup cocoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in powdered sugar, pecans, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread over hot cake. Cool completely on wire rack.
Note: You can also make this recipe in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 375º for 22 minutes.

Yield
20 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 298(30% from fat); FAT 10g (sat 5.5g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 3.1g; CHOLESTEROL 44mg; CALCIUM 25mg; SODIUM 188mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.8g