White Texas Sheet Cake

I think most people know what a chocolate Texas Sheet cake is (and I love it- it's delicious!) but I love this white version just as much as the chocolate version.  The cake is tender, moist, and delicious, and both the frosting and cake are lightly almond-flavored.  The frosting should have walnuts in it, but since I made this for a potluck, I left them out; you never know who is allergic or just picky about nuts!  I prefer it with the nuts, though. 

I remember my mom making this when I was younger.  After moving overseas and only having access to a tiny oven, I thought I could no longer make Texas Sheet cakes, since they are baked in a jelly-roll pan (15x10 inch), and a there is no way I'm getting a big ol' jelly-roll pan into my tiny oven.  It just won't fit!  Last year, though, I was browsing Amazon, and love my Chicago Metallic bread pans.  I saw that CM had a half-size jelly-roll pan!!  Here it is.  So I bought it, and now I have all of my jelly-roll pan needs taken care of; I just halve any recipe I'm doing and it's always worked out perfectly.  Yay!  (Less Texas Sheet cake around me is probably a good idea anyway....)  So, here is a half-recipe for Texas Sheet cake, made in a small (12 1/4x9inch) jelly-roll pan.  To make a full-sized cake, just go to the original recipe link or double everything.  :)

It's important that your cake be warm while spreading the frosting; this frosting sets up VERY quickly and it still might have a hard time spreading over the whole cake before it sets up (hardens).  I start making the frosting as soon as I pull the cake from the oven; it seems to work well. 

White Texas Sheet Cake
from Allrecipes (via Taste of Home)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup water

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING:

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons milk

2-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional

1.  In a large saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in the flour, sugar, egg, sour cream, almond extract, baking soda and salt until smooth.

2.  Pour into a greased 12 1/4-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean and cake is golden brown.

3.  For frosting, in a large saucepan, combine butter and milk. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in sugar and extract. Stir in walnuts if using; spread over warm cake.

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