Chocolate Sheet Cake

I’m not a big cake eater – give me a cookie any day – but I needed a cake for a potluck. And I had some buttermilk to use. And I always have eggs from those busy little chickens. So this fit the bill.

This cake is easy, delicious, easy (I know I already said that), chocolaty, and just a fabulous sheet cake. I got the basic recipe at:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_chocol/

I did tweak it by adding the bittersweet chocolate and the egg yolk. Oh, and the chocolate chips sprinkled on before baking. I just think something chocolate can always be better by adding more chocolate.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

FOR THE CAKE:

2 cups Flour

2 cups Sugar

¼ teaspoons Salt

1/3 c. Cocoa

2 sticks Butter

1 oz. Bittersweet chocolate

1 cup Boiling Water

½ cups Buttermilk

2 whole Beaten Eggs

1 Egg yolk

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Vanilla

¾ c. Semisweet chocolate chips

FOR FROSTING:

½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans

1-¾ sticks Butter

1/3 c. Cocoa

6 Tablespoons Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar = about 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Note: I use an 18×13 sheet cake pan.

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

In a saucepan, melt butter and bittersweet chocolate.

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 mixture. 

Pour into sheet cake pan sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the surface. 

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. Let this frosting just ooze into the warm cake.

Have you noticed all the butter and chocolate? So good. 

Try to wait until it's cool enough to cut into squares. Then eat and enjoy. But it's ok if you don't wait until it's cool enough to cut. Still eat and enjoy!