White Texas Sheet Cake

November 2023. Fall in Memphis, and I am 65, walking the neighborhood in my light jacket, watching the leaves turn on the oaks and maples that line Deadrick Avenue. The smoker is happy in fall — the cooler air holds the smoke lower, keeps it closer to the meat, and the results are always a shade better in October than in July, as if the season itself is a seasoning.

Walter Jr. came by with the grandchildren, bringing the noise and energy that grandchildren bring, the house expanding to hold them the way a good pot expands to hold a good stew. Trey at the smoker, learning, absorbing, his hands getting steadier each visit, the fire recognizing him the way fire recognizes those who are meant to tend it.

Ribs this week — spare ribs, dry-rubbed, five hours at 225, no foil, no rush. The Memphis way. The bark cracked when I bit into it, and the flavor was layered: smoke first, then spice, then the sweetness of the pork, each layer arriving on its own schedule, patient as a sermon. Rosetta ate two ribs and said nothing negative, which is a standing ovation from the toughest critic in my life.

Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.

After a Sunday like that — spare ribs on the smoker, Trey at my side learning the fire, Rosetta eating two ribs without a single complaint, and the choir holding me up at Mt. Zion — the only thing left to do right is bring something sweet to the table. Sweet potato pie is what my mother would have made, and some Sundays I do, but when the grandchildren are underfoot and I need a sheet pan’s worth of dessert fast enough to survive a house full of noise, I turn to this White Texas Sheet Cake: tender, buttery, finished with a warm almond frosting that pours right over the top like a blessing nobody asked for but everybody needed.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 24

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup water
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Heat your oven to 375°F. Grease and lightly flour an 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet (a standard half-sheet pan) and set aside.
Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
Melt the butter. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and water. Stir until the butter is fully melted and the mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat immediately.
Combine wet and dry. Pour the hot butter mixture over the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Add the beaten eggs, sour cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Mix until the batter is well combined and uniform — it will be fairly thin.
Bake. Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it evenly to the edges. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center is set and the edges are just turning golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Make the frosting. About five minutes before the cake comes out of the oven, melt the butter and milk together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm — do not boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and almond extract until smooth. Stir in the nuts if using.
Frost immediately. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the warm frosting evenly over the top. Let it spread on its own and then smooth it gently with a spatula if needed. The frosting will set as the cake cools.
Cool and cut. Allow the cake to cool completely on the pan — at least 30 minutes — before cutting into squares and serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

White Texas Sheet Cake — The Sweet That Belongs at Every Table That Matters