Texas Sheet Cake-- A Love Story

Some years back I asked my then brand-spankin'-new boyfriend what kind of cake he'd like for his birthday. I figured I'd made or at least tasted just about every type of cake out there, and I was going to impress him with my culinary skills. He didn't even have to think before saying he wanted the same cake his Grandma Esther used to make him: a Texas sheet cake. Uh-oh! I had never even heard of a Texas Sheet Cake, much less tasted or made one. And all the boyfriend could tell me was that it was chocolate and made in a jelly roll pan.

Thanks to Google and the baking gene I inherited from Grandma Jinx, I was able to come up with something that got his seal of approval. In fact, he liked it so much that he's asked for it on every one of the five birthdays he's had since then. Even this year when both of our baby boys had ear infections and I had strep throat, and the cat had been in a fight, Texas Sheet Cake was here to help us celebrate his birthday.

I don't know if it was the cake, or the baking gene, or some other mysterious force that made him fall in love with me, but I sure am lucky to have someone like him to bake for.

Now, more about the cake: Oh, she might not look like much, but the cake itself is so tender and moist and light and fluffy and the icing is chocolaty and smooth (well, save for the walnuts). It's so decadent that you've got to top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to cut the sweetness. You'll hate yourself for eating it and then you'll find yourself putting another piece on your plate.

Coconut and Macadamia Nuts and White Chocolate Oh My!

Lately I've learned that a lot of people don't particularly care for coconut. I, on the other hand, think coconut is nature's perfect food. So when people tell me they don't like it, I figure that means more for me!

For those of us who love coconut (and macadamia nuts and white chocolate) I've created this delicious cupcake.


That's coconut cake with macadamias and white chocolate chips frosted with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and topped with toasted coconut. If there ever were a way to improve upon nature's perfect food, this is it! I think I'll go have one, or four.

Carolina Blue and White Cupcakes

Here in North Carolina, we have a couple of colors that just don't exist anywhere else. You might think of them as light blue or sky blue and dark blue or navy blue, but here in NC, they're Carolina Blue and Duke Blue. And as a North Carolinian, one of the biggest decisions you'll ever have to make is which of these colors you're going to be associated with. It doesn't matter if you didn't attend Carolina or Duke, you still have to root for one and hate the other. That's just the way it is.

I, of course, would never advertise my affiliation; that would be bad for business. I'll just let these cupcakes that I made for a graduation weekend get-together speak for themselves.







Thanks to Lisa (whose husband Greg teaches at UNC's Kenan Flagler School of Business) for commissioning this project. It was so much fun for me, and I hope everyone enjoyed the cupcakes!

Happy Birthday Laura!

My sister Laura had a birthday this week. I won't tell you how old she is, but suffice it to say that she's waaaayyyy older than me! She celebrated by painting the town red in a most unusual way. She invited a huge group of friends to go to our local Red Cross and donate blood. What better gift is there than the gift of life? In 6 minutes, 2 seconds I saved 3 lives. Laura did it in 4 minutes, 36 seconds. (Older sisters are like that- always trying to outdo their much younger siblings.)

Everyone who donated got a cake pop-- or two-- that I made for the occasion.


If just one person can save three lives in under 10 minutes...



imagine how many lives can be saved by a very loving and loyal group of friends!

If you're eligible, please donate blood!