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Best Texas Chocolate Cakes

The two best chocolate cakes ever that were made happen to be the Chocolate Sheet Cake and German Chocolate Cake, both popular Texas cakes. They’ve been a southern thing but their popularity has spread beyond the South.

History of German Chocolate Cake

Sam German created a chocolate bar in 1852 that would bring joy to a multitude of chocolate lovers. The first “German’s Chocolate Cake” recipe, as it was originally called, was first published in 1957 by a Texas homemaker. My mother must have read that Dallas newspaper because, from the time I was a little girl, she made German Chocolate Cake. It was my favorite cake then and is now. I’ll share an easy recipe coming this week for German Chocolate. For now, though, check out the incredible Texas chocolate sheet cake.

Texas Sheet Cake

The second best chocolate cake is the Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake (well…in my opinion ’cause I LOVE German Chocolate Cake!!).

Chocolate Sheet Cake has been a Texas favorite since the early to mid-1900’s. It’s also referred to as Texas Sheath Cake, a brownie cake, and brownies.

Who knows exactly the first person that actually made the very first chocolate sheet cake. Lady Bird Johnson was known to have made the cake popular. Maybe she served the chocolate dessert often so that people linked it to her.

I learned to make Texas Sheet Cake in the early 1970’s. A lady in our church would make it and bring it to our house a lot of times when visiting ministers’ families were guests in our home. Since Dad was the pastor, we ate well when the church was having special services or revivals.

In the 1950’s my dad, a pastor from the time I was born, not only worked as the pastor of a church. He was a top salesman for a feed company and at the time of my birth, he sold Gladiola flour. One of his customers was Lady Bird’s aunt and uncle. Dad became friends with them and occasionally saw her when she was visiting. I don’t know if Dad ever ate the famous chocolate cake at their house, but if not, he had his share of the delicious dessert when it became a favorite of our family’s in the early 1970’s.

My husband and I visited our oldest daughter and her husband for the July 4th holiday weekend, and she made the awesome Chocolate Sheet Cake, a regular item on their dessert menu at Heroes Cafe.

The Chocolate Sheet Cake and Buttermilk Pie are two of Heroes Cafe’s desserts that are ordered the most. Both are incredibly mouthwatering and won’t disappoint.

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake may have acquired its “Texas” popularity by the frosting many home bakers make with finely chopped pecans. That’s the way I like it. It tops off the chocolate brownie cake superbly.

A note of history about the pecans: the pecan is the Texas tree. Chocolate and pecans make a delightful match in this cake with rewarding rich pleasurable goodness. But if you don’t like nuts or are allergic to them, not a problem in the least when you bite into Heroes Cafe’s smooth iced perfect chocolate sheet cake. Plus, you get a huge serving to boot.

 

This recipe is mine, not that of Heroes Cafe. If you make it for the first time, tell me what you think. Perhaps you live near Dallas or Fort Worth and want to try a new restaurant out. Visit Heroes Cafe located in the Wright Plaza in Cleburne, Texas. You’ll enjoy great food, Texas-size servings, and fun shopping.