When I hear sheet cake, I have these weird flashbacks to terrible 80′s movies and decorations that are reminiscent of the cakes on Cake Wrecks (see link on sidebar). They are usually ugly, from Food Emporium, and are as dry as George Carlin’s humor. However, this cake is different. Real Different. Commence drooling.
The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.
By the Pioneer Woman
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_chocol/
Ingredients:
CAKE INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups Flour
- 2 cups Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 4 tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
- 2 sticks Butter
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- ½ cup Buttermilk
- 2 whole Beaten Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
FOR FROSTING:
- ½ cup Finely Chopped Pecans
- 1¾ stick Butter
- 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
- 6 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar
Preparation Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, 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 buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate/flour mixture.
Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.
MY NOTES:
- I used a ½ sheet cake pan measuring 13 inches x 12 ½ inches.
- The cake only took 17 minutes to bake.
- I did not use pecans in the frosting. Instead, I sprinkled toasted hazelnuts over half of the cake and shredded, sweetened coconut over the other half.
Pioneer Woman, I have always loved your blog, but now you have a loyal admirer. However, I was in such a sugar coma from this cake that I forgot to remove the wonderful slippers that my Grandmother gave me before I jumped in the car on the way to mall after brunch. Then, as I pulled into the parking lot, I realized I was wearing said slippers. My Aunt convinced me to walk into the mall anyways, and there I proudly strutted along in the wealthiest, over the top, overpriced mall in the heart of Westchester in my slippers. I have no dignity.
