Radio host shares a favorite sweet treat

Have you ever had a chocolate Texas sheet cake? It is a delicious treat and one that I was recently introduced to while recording a radio show with Aly Billingsley and Scott Staley in their studio.

These two award-winning radio hosts are a blast to be around and always lighten the mood and lift one’s spirits. Aly brought in a freshly baked Texas sheet cake for me to try. Yum!

She graciously agreed to provide her motherin- law’s recipe for me to share with readers.

Aly grew up in Texas and later married a man with western Colorado roots. She worked at a TV station in Dallas but when her husband decided to go to school at Colorado Mesa University, they moved to Grand Junction.

Aly got a job co-hosting a radio morning show with Scott after hitting it off during a two-hour interview. Several years later, they have won multiple awards including their recent first place win from the Colorado Broadcasters Association for Best Morning Show in Major Markets in the entire state of Colorado! Having being around them, I can see why. Their easy and friendly banter is a joy to behold.

As a decidedly NOT morning person, I was curious about the behindthe- scenes of co-hosting a morning show. Aly told me her alarm goes off at 3:45 a.m. (This is painful for me to even think about!). She starts working around 5 a.m. and likes that her work schedule allows her time later in the afternoon to take care of other things, such as baking a yummy chocolate cake!

One of the things Aly loves about her job is bringing a smile to people. “I love making people laugh, and if I can make someone’s day just a little better on their way to or from work. then I am happy,” she said.

Aly also loves to nurture people through her cooking. “I really enjoy all things in the kitchen! I grill all summer long for almost every dinner. I love to bake my Snickerdoodle Bread in the winter as Christmas gifts. I make spicy pretzels that are always a hit. I will always deep fry a turkey at Thanksgiving. Cooking is another way I like to make people happy!” she said. (Note: I will definitely try to get her Snickerdoodle Bread recipe to share later this year.)

I was curious about how she learned to make Texas sheet cake and she told me, “I was first introduced to this cake at my in-laws’ house in Dallas many years ago when my husband and I were just dating. My mother-in-law makes it every so often for family dinners, and I definitely fell in love with it after the first bite. My (mother-in-law) is actually a Grand Junction native — Sheryl Gardner, now Sheryl Billingsley.

“Many years later, I was craving this cake, but we now lived in Colorado. When the family came up for a visit, she was sweet enough to share the recipe with me AND come over to make the cake by my side so I’d know all the steps and her little tricks along the way.

“I love this cake because it’s halfway between a delicious German chocolate cake and a brownie. It’s moist, pretty thin, and the frosting is amazing. The best part is really how quick and simple it is. I make one up when a craving hits, or when I need to bring something to an event. However, if I buy the buttermilk to make it, I usually keep making them until I run out or the buttermilk is not good anymore. Or until my pants start fitting tight — then it’s time for a break!”

I’m sure you will enjoy this delicious chocolate treat. Tune in to hear Aly and Scott from 6–10 a.m. every weekday on 107.3 The Outlaw, and Aly from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 94.3 The Beat.

Email Christine Gallagher at allthingsfoodchristine@gmail. com.

“I love this cake because it’s halfway between a delicious German chocolate cake and a brownie,” said Aly Billingsley, shown holding a Texas sheet cake. Billingsley is a radio host on 107.3 The Outlaw and 94.3 The Beat.

CHRISTINE GALLAGHER/Special to the Sentinel

allagher