A twist on the classic Texas Sheet Cake, this Maple Pecan Texas Sheet Cake features a tender cinnamon-maple cake topped with a maple-pecan buttermilk icing. It's a stand-out in a sea of holiday pies, pumpkin, and peppermint. 

This is the first of three holiday recipes I'll be bringing you with my friends at Adams Extract®. Growing up, the vanilla in our pantry was always from Adams Extract®. The simple red and white label brings back all the nostalgic feelings for me, so I'm thrilled to partner with this Texas company! 

For our Maple Pecan Texas Sheet Cake, we'll use three of Adams Extract®/Flavorings: Maple Flavor, Imitation Butter Flavoring, and Adams Best® Twice as Strong Vanilla. 

I love using this maple flavoring because it's so easy to use in a recipe. Unlike using maple syrup, there's no need to think about adjusting liquids or sugar ratios. The maple flavor shines through and doesn't bake out. 

If you're wondering about Butter Flavoring, it's an Adams ingredient I've used for ages. 

Here are a few more recipes using Butter Flavoring:

• salted butterscotch blondies
• frosted lemon cookie bars
• mom's italian cream cake
• butterbeer sugar cookies
• unicorn blondies
• copycat beaver nuggets
• cake batter blondies

How to Make Maple Pecan Texas Sheet Cake

The ingredients for both the cake and the icing are simple. Cake ingredients include: flour, sugar, butter, buttermilk, eggs, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, our Adams Extract®/Flavorings, and water. 

Texas Sheet Cake is traditionally made in part by boiling water, adding that to the butter and then other cake ingredients. We're sticking with tradition and doing the same here. 

Be sure to use a medium saucepan, not a small one, for combining the boiling water and melted butter. It will boil furiously once combined. 

Pour the butter/water into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. 

Whisk the remaining "wet" ingredients and add to the batter. The only tricky part here is that both mixtures are almost identical in color, so stir when well to make sure they're combined. 

That's it! Pour into a rimmed 13x18-inch half sheet pan/cookie sheet and bake! 

While that bakes, you'll make the icing. Using the same saucepan, toast the pecans. Toasted pecans have so much flavor! 

Then, melt the butter. Add powdered sugar, Adams Best® Twice as Strong Vanilla, Adams Extract® Maple Flavor, and buttermilk. Add in the toasted pecans.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the warm icing over the hot cake, spreading quickly. 

Maple Pecan Texas Sheet Cake

YIELD: 24 pieces

PREP TIME: 35 minutes

BAKE TIME: 20 minutes

for the cake:

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup salted butter

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons Adams Extract® Maple Flavor

1 teaspoon Adams Best® Twice as Strong Vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Adams Extract® Butter Flavoring

for the icing:

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 pound powdered sugar

6 tablespoons buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons Adams Extract® Maple Flavor

1 teaspoon Adams Best® Twice as Strong Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13x18-inch half sheet pan/cookie sheet. 

Make the cake. 

Whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Pour boiling water into the melted butter and continue boiling for 30 seconds. (Once the water is added initially, the butter will boil furiously.)

While the butter is melting, whisk buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, maple flavor, vanilla, and butter flavoring in another bowl. 

Add the butter/water into the flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Add in the buttermilk mixture and mix well. These two parts will be roughly the same color, so take care to incorporate completely.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake for 20 minutes. 

While the cake bakes, make the icing.

Wipe out medium saucepan. Add pecans and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the pecans become fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Remove pecans to a plate. Melt butter in same pan. 

Once melted, remove from heat and sift in powdered sugar. Stir to combine, then add buttermilk, maple flavor, and vanilla. Stir until no lumps remain. Add in toasted pecans. 

Remove cake from oven and immediately pour icing evenly over the top. Working quickly, use an offset spatula to smooth icing over as needed. Let cool. Cut into large squares and serve!