Chocolate Sheet Cake

Well, tonight is home group at our house again. If anything I am more unprepared than I was last week…I am starting to think that this is the way my life is now-chaotic and unorganized. What a kick in the pride!

One of the things I am learning from the chaos is that everything does not have to be an event to be pleasant and good. The people that come to our home group enjoy simplicity as much (and maybe more) as the stellar concoctions I have come up with in the past. There is a reason that sheet cakes, bundt cakes and such turn up at church potlucks time after time.

This is simplicity. I am in the process of making it so I will come back and add photos later. The cake is moist, rich and deliciously chocolaty. And best of all…simple. So sorry, no chipotle today…I think my family is chipotled out. BUT…seriously….chipotle would be really good in this…

Chocolate sheet cake

1 cup water ( or coffee)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

4C powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk or cream

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 15 1/2 x 10 1/2×1-inch baking sheet. Whisk 1 cup water, 1/2 c butter, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Whisk in sugar, flour, salt, then buttermilk and eggs. Spread batter in prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle batter with semisweet chocolate chips. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake in pan to rack.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 1/2 cup butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar, whole milk, remaining 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Spread frosting over warm cake. Sprinkle with nuts. Cool cake completely in pan.

Serves 24

O.k..now that I have made it…

I did end up tweaking the frosting. Well..it wasn’t even a tweak.  I used 4 c powdered sugar, 1/2 hershey’s special  dark cocoa, 1/2 c butter,  1 tsp almond extract, 1/3 c coffee, 1 tbs chili powder, 1 tsp cinnamon

I am calling it aztec chocolate frosting.    It paired very well with the dark chocolate cake..The pictures weren’t very good and the cake was gone before I could get more pictures. ….