The Heartwarming Legacy of Virgie's Texas Sheet Cake

It was the 1960’s, the world’s population had increased to 3.7 billion people, the Vietnam War raged on, the Beatles became global stars, and Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. The United States had rapid and sustained economic growth and the little café that my parents owned had it’s own rapid growth. It was busier than ever, and our lives seemed to revolve around it and those people that worked there, those that we met there, and those that inevitably became such an inestimable part of our lives. Everything around us was changing fast and what with our own family growing, Mama needed help in the best possible way. She was in her fifties, and my father was in his sixties; they had adopted five young children. Talk about changing. Oh lordy.

Karen's Mother

Mama was working at our little café, the original Alta Loma Café, along Highway 6 in Alta Loma Texas, (Elise show a map where Alta Loma, Texas is) in order to help out; she decided we needed someone to come to the house. She wanted a person she could depend and rely on. She chose none other than Virgie, who we all knew from the café where she was a cook. She was always a breath of fresh air and indescribably sweet. She had occasionally come to our house but now came right regular to mind us kids, we must have been quite a handful.

Not resting on her laurels, Virgie also took to starching and ironing our clothes. I would go into the small washroom and there she was, singing a song of praise, hard at work. Little beads of sweat formed across her forehead and every little bit she took a hankie and swabbed it away, continuing with more joy than I could imagine. In those days, we didn’t have air-conditioning, and it was hot as blue blazes outside. One day, I could scarcely believe my eyes, she had my two new church dresses hung on small hangers, all ready to take to my room. She was toiling away on my other dress, carefully ironing a ruffle all along the bottom, her mouth set just so. I don’t even think she knew I was there as she pushed a button on the iron, misting the material before she set about enticing it to release its stubborn wrinkles. I have rarely seen anyone work so earnestly, it made me love her even more. The simple act of her trying to make me look my best touched me beyond that little room; it reverberates somewhere in me even now. 

Mama said she trusted Virgie with her life. As time passed, Virgie became like a second mother; she really ran the place with her sweet smile and kind disposition. She looked different than us, with her ebony skin and beautiful hair. She was warm and understanding.

Virgie also washed and folded clothes, and straightened the house some too, although I do not know how she could clean with all of us there underfoot. We wanted to ease her workload; but all of this was so novel to me. I couldn’t imagine full-scale sweeping and mopping or cleaning the bathrooms for no reason. I get that now but then it was truly a foreign concept, you would have to know where I came from before I lived in and was adopted from the Galveston’s Orphan Home. Virgie taught us that “cleanliness was next to Godliness,” and that if we took care of something, it would last, lessons I still know today. 

I can’t imagine what she thought of me, asking endless questions with my non-stop chatter. We lived amongst century-old oak trees that were an assurance that they would be there for centuries more to come. I remember swinging outside on a rope swing daddy made that hung from the oaks. Closing my eyes, I’d launch off slow at first, then swing for the sky, hoping I’d touch a cloud to lift me to the heavens. Virgie would find me there, dreaming. I asked her once if I had even a ghost of a chance, could I do something to make a difference in some other little girl’s life, did I have what it took? Virgie gave me one of those looks, like her answer mattered, like I mattered. She told me that I was special, my parents picked me and my brother out, how she could see great things for us, how we could do anything, that she was so glad she knew us, knew my family. She and my parents were great believers in installing in us a sense of quiet confidence and knowledge for us then, all those years ago, and for what was to come. From that day on I thought I could be a giant slayer, a conquered for whatever came my way. Their direction marked my life as I desperately searched for answers. 

Virgie cooked for us too and made the biggest and best chocolate cake on the planet. In fact, she usually smelled like cake. Really, no joke; she was soft and warm when she hugged us, a butter-sugar aroma enveloped and surrounded. I don’t think it was just the sweet fragrance that drew me to Virgie, I know she provided cheer and happiness in whatever we were doing and of those delightful memories that brought us pleasure, not only then, but today and for always. 

All of us kids were outside from dawn to dusk running nonstop, playing baseball and riding our bikes. We came in starving when we hit the house. I remember Virgie making us wash up and then poured us big glasses of milk, telling us this cake was too rich and luscious without a glass of milk. That it was. Her heavenly concoction of a cake was moist and had the very best icing ever. She used an old family recipe for the cake and toasted Texas pecans in the icing. I have tried to duplicate it over the years, but it never tasted the same as Virgie’s, no matter what I did.

Virgie's Sheet Cake ready to eat!

Today, I enjoy a piece of that cake while watching the sunset, reminiscing about those years when we would sneak extra slices, licking every last bit of frosting from the bowl, the spatula, and our sticky hands. This moment is for you, Virgie.

Sunset on the Texas Gulf Coast

Virgie’s Texas Sheet Cake Recipe-2.pdf

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Virgie’s Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Chocolate-Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Toasted Pecan Frosting

Recipe By: Karen Hand Allen (www.karenhandallen.com) 

This luscious and mouthwatering chocolate cake and pecan studded gooey chocolate frosting are simply scrumptious and sure to be a big hit at any gathering, party or event. It serves a crowd and is wonderfully delectable so be on the lookout for a cake thief!

Servings: 32 servings

Prep Time: 20 mins | Cooking Time: 20 mins | Rest Time: cool 2 hrs | Total Time: 2 hrs & 40 mins

Ingredients:  Cake: 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 5 tablespoons cocoa powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 sticks butter 1 cup boiling water ½ cup buttermilk 2 eggs beaten 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla Icing: 1 Cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans (Toast pecans in skillet for five minutes then chop). 2 sticks salted butter 5 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 6 Tablespoons half and half 4 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions: Cake: Combine flour, sugar, salt in mixing bowl. Set aside In saucepan on low heat, melt butter Add cocoa & cinnamon  Add boiling water-let mixture boil 25 seconds. Turn off heat and pour the hot liquid over flour mixture, stirring just to mix. In a small bowl, pour buttermilk and beaten eggs together, adding baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour-chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared, greased 18 x 13 sheet cake pan and bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t over bake. Icing: While cake is baking make the icing. Melt butter in saucepan. Add cocoa, cinnamon, and salt  Whisk to combine. Turn off heat. Stir in powdered sugar, half and half, vanilla, and toasted pecans. Pour over warm cake. Let cool and serve with vanilla ice cream. Cut into squares, heavenly!