Texas, with all its cattle and dry brush country, has chocolate, cinnamon-flavored Texas Sheet Cake. This lovely vanilla-flavored cake comes from Montana, the state of island mountains, and mountain ranges topped with glistening white snow and icy glaciers. The vanilla flavor gives the cake a hint of home and times gone-by. There are other recipes for white sheet cake, but they are almond-flavored. I love almond, but it does not highlight the buttery, rich flavor of this sheet cake as well as vanilla does.

A sheet cake is more my style than the cake I bought for Bradley's Hunger Games Surprise Party. This sheet cake is made in a 10x15-inch pan so it serves many people, is quick and easy to make, and the frosting is just poured on the hot cake. For decorations, if needed, I use candles or candy. For my son, Mitchell's, 39th birthday I put a line of three candles. Then I left a space and put 9 candles in a 3 candle by 3 candle square. As I said I am not a cake decorator, but his cake was unique looking and a conversation starter.

I learned from my dear assistant, who died too young of brain cancer, to always add a pinch of salt to frostings or icings wither the recipe called for it or not. She was a fantastic baker and built a wedding cake business for herself. I can't even imagine assembling a wedding cake, decorating it, and transporting it. Doing all that is way above my pay grade!

MONTANA WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE

This wonderful white cake gets better and better as it ages if it lasts long enough to age. Like its cousin Texas Sheet Cake, it feeds a crowd, is simple, and quick to make.

CAKE

1 c butter

1 c water

2 c flour

2 c sugar
1 t salt
1 t baking soda

2 eggs, beaten

½ c sour cream

2 t pure vanilla extract

FROSTING

½ c butter

6 T milk

4 ½ c powdered sugar
Pinch of salt

1 t pure vanilla extract

1 c nuts, chopped, optional

Cake ingredients: Flour, sugar, baking soda, butter, water, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.

Frosting or icing ingredients: Milk, salt, butter, vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar.

For the cake: In a saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil or you can use a microwave safe measuring cup and microwave the butter and water. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, stir in flour, sugar, salt and baking soda together. Add butter/water mixture and mix well. Beat eggs together and stir in vanilla extract. Add egg mixture and sour cream to flour/butter mixture and beat until smooth. Pour into a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan which has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake in preheated 375° oven for 20 to 22 minutes or until cake is done. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan. For the frosting: Combine butter and milk in saucepan or microwave safe bowl. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Stir in nuts, if desired, and pour on warm cake. Carefully spread frosting to cover cake.

Spray a 10x15-inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together.

Mix well.

Beat eggs together and add vanilla extract. Combine together.

Put butter and water in a saucepan or microwave safe bowl and heat to melt butter.

Pour melted butter/water into flour mixture.

Beat well.

Beat in egg mixture and sour cream until well mixed.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan.