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For our final Celiac Awareness Month #BakingWithTitos treat, we’re sharing a cake so delicious, you would never guess in a million years that it was gluten-free. But don’t take our word for it… just ask the legion of Blackbird Bakery customers that buy out the bakery before closing time every day! The cocoa powder and vanilla add to a sweet, chocolatel-y, carmel-y start, while the cayenne finishes each bite off with a little fiery kick. But, it’s the Tito’s Handmade Vodka that keeps this classic Texas favorite so mysteriously moist and tender. This recipe is perfect for satisfying large parties of sweet-toothed friends.

Tito’s Ultimate Texas Sheet Cake

For the Cake:

• 2 cups Blackbird Bakery Cake & Muffin Blend
• 1 Tbsp Tito’s Handmade Vodka
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 4 Tbsp (heaping) cocoa powder
• 2 sticks (16 Tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 whole beaten eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla

For the Frosting:

• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 Tbsp (heaping) cocoa powder
• 6 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 cup) powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch sheet pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa and then whisk together. Carefully add boiling water, whisk to combine, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the beaten eggs into the buttermilk, followed by the baking soda, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture and mix until you can no longer see any flecks of dry ingredients. Add the Tito’s Handmade Vodka and stir just enough to combine. Pour the batter into sheet cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Mix in milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Add pecans, stir to combine, and pour over warm cake.

Allow the cake to cool until the icing crackles (about 10 minutes) before cutting the cake into generous squares. This cake is delicious warm, but just as good right out of the fridge with a glass of cold of milk. Cake will keep up to a week in an airtight container.