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If you’re familiar with Texas Sheet cake, meet her blonde sister! We must be missing home. But there’s nothing a Texas Blondie Sheet Cake can’t fix! We’re swapping the traditional chocolate Texas sheet cake for a vanilla and caramel-pecan cake. A light and fluffy vanilla cake topped with a caramel pecan icing.
This cake instantly takes us back to our summers growing up. It is dangerously easy to make. All you’ll need is a box of vanilla cake mix and a handful of other ingredients to make this cake. It’s the perfect dessert for almost any occasion.
Looking for more Tex-Mex inspired meals? Check these out!
Loaded Tex-Mex Sheet Pan Nachos
Blonde Texas Sheet Cake
What You’ll Need
For the cake:
For the icing:
- White cake mix
- Buttermilk
- Butter
- Egg whites
- Almond extract
- Chopped pecans
- Butter
- Light brown sugar
- Buttermilk
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
What is Texas Sheet Cake?
Texas sheet cake is quite a treat! Traditionally, Texas Sheet Cake is a fluffy chocolate cake topped with a fudgy chocolate icing. Many times it is topped with walnuts or pecans.
Some staple characteristics that are irresistible about a Texas Sheet Cake are the super fudgey icing and a thin but fluffy chocolate cake.
How to make the Blonde Texas Sheet Cake
Grab a boxed cake mix and let’s get to baking! Here’s what you need to do:
Preheat oven and prep sheet pan.
Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a sheet pan. You can either use cooking spray or butter, but make sure the bottom and all edges and corners are greased.
Line the bottom of the cake pan with a sheet of parchment paper that is long enough to hang over the edges of the pan. The parchment paper will act as a sling for removing the cake.
Make cake batter and bake.
A boxed cake mix makes this recipe super simple! Start by mix together white cake mix, buttermilk, egg whites and almond extract until the mixture is combined. (The egg whites will make the cake super soft and fluffy. )
You’ll pour the cake batter into a greased, parchment-lined cake pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. The cake will be done when you can cleanly remove a toothpick from the pan.
Let the cake cool and make caramel pecan frosting.
The caramel pecan frosting is the star of the show. It’s sweet, buttery and nutty.
To get a caramel flavor, you will bring butter and brown sugar to a boil over medium heat. Make sure to whisk the butter mixture constantly so it doesn’t burn. It should start smelling delicious at this point!
You’ll remove the butter mixture from the heat and slowly add in butter milk, continuing to whisk.
Lastly you’ll mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract until it comes together smoothly. Stir in the pecans before pouring over the top of the cooled cake.
Ice cake, slice and enjoy!
Once mixed, the icing will start to harden quickly. Make sure immediately pour the icing over th cake and spread to all corners. Let the cake set for about 5 -10 minutes before slicing and serving!
How do I know when my cake is cooked?
You can test doneness of your cake by sticking it with a toothpick or fork into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, your cake is done.
Can I swap pecans for another nut?
Although pecans are our our favorite for this specific cake, you can easily swap with other nuts. Here’s what we recommend:
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Walnuts
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Texas Blondie Sheet Cake
Description
We’re swapping the traditional chocolate Texas sheet cake for a vanilla and caramel-pecan cake. A light and fluffy vanilla cake topped with a caramel pecan icing.
Ingredients
Sheet Cake
- 1 package white cake mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
Caramel Pecan Frosting
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease cake pan and line with parchment paper.
- In an electric mixer, on low speed, beat all ingredients together for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased, parchment paper lined 9×13 inch cake pan.
- Bake cake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Cake will be done when you can poke with a toothpick and cleanly remove. Cool cake on wire cooling rack for 1-2 hours, until completely cooled
- Make Caramel-Pecan Frosting. Pour immediately over the top of the cake and spread quickly. The icing hardens quickly.
Caramel Pecan Frosting:
- Roast pecans in oven. Place chopped pecans in single layer in a shallow pan. Bake at 350ºF for 6 minutes, until slightly toasted. It doesn’t take long.
- Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk butter mixture constantly for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in buttermilk.
- Return the mixture to the heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, pour the hot mixture in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add vanilla and almond extract and 1/3 powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/3 at a time until all is mixed in. Beat at medium high until smooth.
- Stir in toasted pecans an immediately pour over top of cake.
