Description
Rich chocolate sheet cake from Pioneer Woman brings Southern comfort to dessert tables with its classic chocolate frosting. Simple ingredients and quick preparation make this crowd-pleasing treat perfect for gatherings you’ll love sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 400g (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 250g (2 cups) plain flour
- 226g (2 sticks or 226ml) butter
- 200g (1 ¾ sticks or 200ml) butter
- 30g (4 heaping tbsps) cocoa powder
- 240ml (1 cup) boiling water
- 120ml (½ cup) buttermilk
- 90ml (6 tbsps) milk
- 2 whole eggs, beaten
- 430g (1 pound minus ½ cup) powdered sugar
- 65g (½ cup) pecans, finely chopped
- 10ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 5g (1 tsp) baking soda
- 1.5g (¼ tsp) kosher salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Heat oven to 175°C (350°F) and ready an 18×13-inch sheet cake pan with grease and flour or parchment paper.
- Dry Mixture: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Chocolate Base: Melt butter in a saucepan, then whisk in cocoa powder until smooth. Add boiling water and remove from heat.
- Batter Creation: Pour hot chocolate mixture over dry ingredients, stirring to form a cohesive base. Separately, blend buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla extract.
- Mixing and Baking: Incorporate buttermilk mixture into chocolate batter, blending until just combined. Transfer to prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Decadent Frosting: While cake is warm, craft icing by melting butter, blending with cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Fold in chopped pecans.
- Finishing Touch: Generously spread warm icing over the cake, ensuring complete and even coverage.
Notes
- Prevent Burning Butter: Watch butter closely when melting to avoid scorching, which can create bitter flavors and ruin the cake’s delicate taste.
- Activate Baking Soda Properly: Ensure buttermilk is at room temperature to help baking soda activate fully, creating a lighter, more tender cake texture.
- Master Mixing Technique: Stir batter just until ingredients are combined; overmixing can lead to a tough, dense cake with less appealing crumb structure.
- Timing is Critical: Check cake at 18 minutes instead of full 20 to prevent overcooking, as sheet cakes can dry out quickly in the oven.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 60mg