Gluten Free Texas Sheet Cake

Since a couple of members of my family must eat gluten free, I really do not ever bake with wheat flour anymore. Luckily I have a great gluten free baking mix recipe that I keep stocked in the pantry and with it I can make any of my old favorite recipes gluten free.

We tend to host large dinners at least once or twice a month at our home, often 10-20 college students.  For these dinners and when I need to bring a dessert to a potluck, this sheet cake is my standby. The most expensive ingredients are the eggs and butter. If you always get them on sale, it can be a pretty inexpensive dessert that feeds a lot of people. (I buy my coconut flour at Dekalb Farmer's Market in Decatur for only $1.59/lb. And it's so rich and delicious, everyone loves it!

I make mine in a sheet cake pan - 18x13 inches. This makes it thin, but that is a good thing when I need it to feed a lot of people. You can bake it in a 9x13 pan and it will just be a little thicker.

Texas Sheet Cake - Gluten Free

1/2 cup coconut flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
6 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9x13 or 18x13 pan. Mix all ingredients well. Beat for about 2 minutes in Kitchenaid or with hand beaters until batter becomes a lighter color and shiny. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Larger pan will need less cooking time. To see if cake is ready, touch it in the middle and see if it springs back.

While cake is cooking, prepare topping.

In a stovetop pan combine:
1 3/4 sticks of butter
4 T cocoa power (heaping)
6 T milk
Cook until melted together, remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla and 1 lb powdered sugar and 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Pour topping on cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, while still hot.

Serve warm, or wait until cooled. Once cooled topping will adhere to top of cake and will not be runny. I have served this cake alone and with vanilla ice cream. Both are great!