Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cake

I have read so many recipes for flourless cakes, and see pictures of these rich fudgy cakes without flour, but just hadn't been able to bring myself to invest the time or ingredients. That all changed recently. I was watching an episode of Pati's Mexican Table and she made Nana Jose's Flourless Chocolate Cake. It had been in her husbands family for years. So, not just a recent trending fad, but a tried and true family recipe. Ok, I was getting more interested. And, it had Pecans! When in South Carolina, my friend Missy sent home lots of Pecans from their tree's, so I have been wanting to try more pecan recipes.

This recipe could not be easier!  Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, and then the rest is done in the blender. Seriously, can it get any easier than that? Into the oven, it went. I was still really nervous that this whole thing was not going to go well, but when I pulled it out of the oven, everything was still good. I let it rest for a couple hours, and served it for dessert that night.

Rich, fudgy, everything I hoped it would be. Truckin' Man loved it, too. Rich enough that he even wanted smaller slices than normal.  He didn't even guess anything was different about this cake, until I told him. The next day, I took some into work for the crew to try. My friend that is on a gluten free diet loved it. I was happy that she was finally able to enjoy some of my baking!

Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cake (source: Pati's Mexican Table)

1/4 cup unsalted butter 

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate 
1 cup pecans 
6 large eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract 
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp kosher salt
Confectioners sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray, then line bottom with parchment paper.  

Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally. Once melted, set aside to cool. 

Add pecans to blender, chop until pecans are very fine. To the pecans, add eggs, vanilla, sugar, salt and cooled chocolate.  Blend until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes.  Cake is done with a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a moist crumb. 

Cool for 20-30 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen the cake. Remove side of pan and serve on bottom of pan. Or, if you want to serve on a plate, place serving plate upside down over cake; turn plate and cake over. Remove bottom of springform pan. Dust top of cake with Confectioners sugar. 

Enjoy!

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Double Chocolate Muffins

I recently won a cookbook from Carole over at Carole's Chatter. If you don't know Carole, please stop by her blog, she always shares so many wonderful things! This cookbook was so fun for me to win because it was a MUFFIN cookbook, perfect for me!  I'm definitely looking forward to trying more of the recipes in this cookbook because they are just a little bit different from what I am used to....  the recipes are from New Zealand!

The first recipe I tried is Double Chocolate Muffins. Reasons for trying this recipe are obvious by the name, right? I have to tell ya, just from the batter, I knew they were going to be chocolatey bliss. Once sitting down to enjoy the finished product, they have the perfect crisp muffin top, and moist inside. And definitely, the right amount of chocolate!

Double Chocolate Muffins Adapted from (Marvellous Muffins by Alison Holst)

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
7 Tbsp butter
1 egg
1 cup yogurt (I used Greek Strawberry Yogurt)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup white coarse sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 12 muffin cups with non-stick spray; set aside.  In large mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients.

In medium sauce pan, melt butter. After melted, let set for 5 minutes to cool. To the melted butter, add egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.  Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Fold together until all ingredients are moistened. Do NOT over mix.  Divide mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle each muffin with chocolate chips and coarse sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool in muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Enjoy as many of them as you like, then repeat with another batch! (optional)

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Tiger Butter

A few months ago, I found a food blog that was new to me, Southern Plate.   I even won a cookbook by the author of Southern Plate, Christy Jordan. After reading through her blog, I found recipes there, as well as her cookbook, that I am so anxious to try.

Let's start with Tiger Butter. I feel like I have been missing out on a very important treat that I had never experienced until this past week.  Am I the only one that has never heard of this before? I did a quick google search on it this morning, and it is quite popular. There are tons of versions and recipes, but it all comes down to two key things. Chocolate. And. Peanut Butter. Sign me up for this treat please!  What I am sharing with you today is a bark. It's quick. It's simple. It's 3 ingredients! So, if you need a last minute recipe to impress, make this!

Ever since making this, I keep remembering commercial's from the 70's for Reese's Peanut Butter cups. These commercials are so funny to watch today. Do you remember these commercials?

Tiger Butter (Slightly Adapted From: Southern Plate)

1 lb White Almond Bark
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large microwave safe bowl, break almond bark into chunks. Melt according to directions on package.  When completely melted, add in peanut butter. Stir until completely mixed.  Pour onto lined sheet pan. Smooth and spread with spatula, until desired thickness of bark is reached.

In small microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips following package directions. Drop spoonfuls of melted chocolate onto peanut butter mixture. Swirl with a knife (have fun with this!).

Set pan aside to cool and harden, or refrigerate for faster results. When hardened, break into pieces, and store in airtight container.

Enjoy!

Chocolatey Rice Krispie Bars

Hershey's Drops. Have you tried them? I LOVE them. They are one of my favorite candies. 

We seem to always have a bag laying around.

Sometimes, it is the simplest recipes that are the best. What to do when you have extra candy laying around, just add it to Rice Krispie Bars! Remember my Overloaded Rice Krispie Bars? Well, these are super yummy too, but not so crazy sweet. With these Chocolatey Rice Krispie Bars, you CAN have two!  Really... It's ok... Go ahead and have another one!

Chocolatey Rice Krispie Bars
3 Tbsp butter
1 - 8 oz pkg Hershey's Drops
1 - 10 oz pkg marshmallows
6 c. Rice Krispies

Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan, and set aside.  Set aside 1 cup of the Hershey's Drops.  Take remaining chocolate candies and rough chop for topping.

In large saucepan melt butter and the reserved 1 cup of Hershey's Drops over low heat.  Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat.  Add Rice Krispies, stirring until coated.  Pour into the prepared pan, and use buttered spatula or piece of wax paper, press evenly into pan.

Sprinkle with chopped candies.  Let set for 15 minutes.


Enjoy!!!

Printable Recipe

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Chocolate Edition of Foodie Friends Friday

The Farmer's Daughter's Cake

Sadly, some of my cookbooks get neglected. In trying to get the dust off of one of Gram's cookbooks this week, I pulled out one by Maida Heatter. After reading about her and the awards she has won, I was excited to try one of her recipes.

The recipe that caught my eye was the Farmer's Daughter's Cake. It is different. No oil. No butter. But, it has cream! Maida's thoughts on the name of this cake was the recipe was perfected on a dairy farm where cream was in abundance. It really was a yummy cake, delicious flavor and moist. One that needs to be eaten soon though, on day 2, it was drying out already. Although, that could be my house and the season, since I could just go sit in a tub of lotion right now to try and hydrate my skin.

I thought the frosting was lovely. Ever since I have gone away from the can's of frosting, I have fun trying out new recipes. This one was especially fun and different in how the recipe has you pour it on. 

The Farmer's Daughter's Cake (Source: Maida Heatter)

2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. whipping cream (not whipped)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8 x 8 cake pan, dust all over lightly with fine dry bread crumbs. Lightly tap and shake out any extra crumbs.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In medium bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer.  Add in vanilla, and almond extract.  Stir in sugar, mix until combined.  Beat in cream and lastly, add the sifted dry ingredients, and beat on low speed only until mixture is smooth.  Pour into prepared pan. Smooth top if necessary.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until cake just begins to pull away from sides of pan and toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes, then cut around the sides carefully to release, and let stand for 5 minutes more.  Invert cake onto wire rack, and let cake stand upside down to cool.  When cool, transfer to cake plate or cutting board.  

Old Fashioned Chocolate Icing
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c. milk
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp, plus 1 tsp unsalted butter
1 t. vanilla extract

Place chocolate, milk and sugar in small, heavy saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir until chocolate is melted and sugar is dissolved.  Do NOT boil.  Remove from heat and let stand for one minute.  

In small bowl, stir yolks lightly, just to mix. Gradually stir in about half of the chocolate mixture, then add yolk mixture to remaining warm chocolate mixture.  Cook over low heat, stirring, for one minute.  Remove from heat.  Pour mixture into medium bowl, and stir in the butter and vanilla.  Let stand until cool.   Once cool, beat icing at high speed for 10 to 15 minutes (Use lower speed if icing is splashing to much).  Beat until mixture is smooth, shiny, and paler in color.  

Slowly pour half of icing onto cake.  Let stand for a minute.  Slowly, pour half of the remaining icing onto middle of cake, push with a spatula into directions necessary. Wait another minute.  Pour remaining icing onto top of cake.  Push it to the edges just so you get a little bit of icing to run over the sides.  Let cake set for a few hours for icing to set.


Printable Recipe



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Overloaded Rice Krispie Bars

Sometimes you have that big extra bag of candy just waiting for you in the pantry, and you want to do something special with it. Just transform it into something crazy and indulgent. That's what happened with my bag of Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

If you want to whip up a quick and oh so impressive treat for Valentine's Day, this is a sure fire winner. It was so overboard, I couldn't even keep them at home. I took a couple bars out for us, and took the rest of the pan in for the guys at work. Every one loved them, even the one guy that doesn't care for Peanut Butter! I knew I did good then!

Overloaded Rice Krispie Bars (Adapted from:  Brown Eyed Baker)

5 cups Rice Krispies
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2  cups creamy peanut butter, divided
1 bag (10.5-oz) mini marshmallows
12 oz bag Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, quartered and divided
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Butter a 9x13-inch pan, and set aside.  In large saucepan melt butter, and 1/2 cup peanut butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies, stirring until coated. Pour into the prepared pan, and use buttered spatula or piece of wax paper, to press evenly into pan.

In microwave, melt 1 cup of peanut butter. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until thin. Set aside 1/3 cup of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Gently fold in remaining quartered peanut butter cups.  Pour mixture over over bars spreading until evenly distributed. 

Melt the chocolate chips in microwave.  Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until melted.  Drizzle the melted chocolate chips over top of peanut butter layer. Evenly sprinkle reserved peanut butter cups over top.  Refrigerator for several hours until set. 

Store in an airtight container.

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Homemade Butterfinger Bites

Butterfinger candy bars have long been one of my top five favorite candy bars. Snack size, miniatures, king size..  whatever size, you can't go wrong. A Dairy Queen Blizzard with chopped Butterfingers mixed in... heavenly! With my love for Butterfingers, I was curious about this recipe when I first stumbled across it. Could you really make a butterfinger candy bar with 3 ingredients? In my own kitchen?? 

Well, finally a year later, I bought the candy corn. Step one accomplished! I surfed through numerous recipes, comparing them. All very similar, just slight variations. I finally decided to go for it! I was so worried that I was throwing away a jar of peanut butter, and a bag of chocolate chips for this. No worries though... It was a complete success! All of my friends who have tried these, LOVE them. The texture is not as crisp as the candy bar, but the flavor is just amazing! 

Homemade Butterfinger Bites (Inspired by Plain Chicken and The Baking Robot)

16 oz. candy corn
16 oz. creamy peanut butter
12 oz. milk chocolate chips
1 T. Shortening (optional)

Line 8”x8” pan with wax paper. Melt candy corn in microwave for one minute.  Stir, and continue in 30-second intervals until melted. Stir after each interval. Stir in peanut butter.

Spread mixture into pan and cool completely. Cut into bite sizes. Trim edges if necessary.

Melt chocolate according to package instructions. If needed, add one tablespoon vegetable shortening to thin the chocolate.  With fork, dip each "bite" into melted chocolate and completely cover. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in airtight container.

Enjoy :) 

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Frosted Peanut Butter Fingers

I was flipping through a cookbook the other day and found this recipe that used to be one of my favorites to make. Somehow, I had forgotten about it. How does that happen to such a good recipe? Especially one with chocolate and peanut butter?! I was a little disappointed in myself for letting such a thing happen. 

I did of course, get them made, and was so happy. It is such a peanut butter delight! It was the first time for Truckin' Man to try these bars, and let me tell you, he was a fan! The oatmeal layer has a lovely texture, topped with the smooth peanut butter, and finally the chocolate frosting! Yum!

Frosted Peanut Butter Fingers  (Adapted from Taste of Home)

1 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 c. sugar

2 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter, divided **Please see note below

1 egg

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. oats (Quick cooking or regular)*

2 c. all purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Frosting

3 T. butter, softened

2 c. confectioners' sugar

1/4 c. baking cocoa

1/2 t. vanilla extract

3 to 4 T. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars.  Add 1 cup of peanut butter, the egg, and vanilla; mix well.  In separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture.  Spread into a greased 15" x 10" baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 13-17 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool slightly on a wire rack, about 10 minutes. Then spread with the remaining peanut butter. Now, cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, cocoa, vanilla and enough of the milk to get the frosting to the spreadable consistency.  Spoon over the peanut butter layer, then spread. 

*Note: You can use regular or quick cooking oats, but I like the texture better when using regular.

**I have found a note on this recipe stating generic or reduced-fat peanut butter is not recommended for this recipe. I have not tested this, and usually use Jif or Planters Peanut Butter.

Enjoy :)

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Frozen Fudge Bites

Do you have that one sweet treat from your childhood that you remember as being the best treat ever?  My mom made Frozen Fudge Bars, and they were soooo very much my favorite! We didn't get them often, but we loved when she would make a batch up. She would pour 'em into the cupcake pans and go back later and placed the stick in after they had set-up for a while. Then, when they were all frozen into their fudge destiny,  for a few minutes on the hot summer days, my sister and I wouldn't be whining. We would be sitting there enjoying the fudge bars, and Mom had a few minutes of peace and quite.

I thought those Bars would be a nice refreshing treat this week since the temps and humidity are horrible. I did change 'em up a little bit, and made them in my mini-muffin pan, so they will be just a pop-able bite of chocolate fudge goodness!

They still do the trick, and get me to stop whining about the heat :)

Frozen Fudge Bites

1 pkg (4 oz.) instant chocolate pudding

2 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

1 c. evaporated milk

Sprinkles (optional)

Mix pudding as directed on package.  Next, add sugar and evaporated milk. Mix well. Cool for 5 minutes.  

If you want to add some fun sprinkles, add them to the "mold" before you pour the pudding mixture in.  Pour pudding into paper cups, molds, or muffin pan.  Add sticks if needed.  Freeze. 

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Peanut Butter Frosted Chocolate Cake

I think it was about 3 months ago, I ordered a couple mystery novels for reading in my free time. I have not yet turned a page in a single one of them. My problem is that my mom, and my gram, have both been cleaning out cookbooks and sending them my way. Whenever I do have time to sit and read for a bit, I end up picking up a new cookbook and paging through. Am I the absolute luckiest to be having this problem?? The bad part for my truckin' man is that the new item on his honey do list is to get some shelving created to help me organize all this!

I was star struck the other night when I found a Chocolate Cake covered in a Peanut Butter Frosting. So much for my branching out and baking without Chocolate or Peanut Butter for a while! It did not disappoint. Give this a try. Make sure you have a glass of milk ready :) 

Chocolate Cake

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. sugar

2/3 c. baking cocoa

2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs

1 c. milk

2/3 c. vegetable oil

1 t. vanilla extract

1 c. brewed coffee, room temperature

In mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes.  Stir in coffee (batter will be thin). Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Frosting

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

2 c. powdered sugar

2 T. milk

1/2 t. vanilla extract 

1 Hershey bar, chopped

Beat cream cheese and peanut butter in a mixing bowl until smooth.  Beat in sugar, milk and vanilla.  Spread over cake. Sprinkle with Hershey bar pieces.   Store in refrigerator.

***Note*** If you like a thicker frosting, double the frosting recipe!


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No Bake Double Chocolate Energy Bars

Hello Sunday! Hello new week! Last week was certainly not a week I care to repeat, from flopped recipes, to totaling out my new (used) vehicle. All turned out well in the end. I walked away from the vehicle, unharmed. And the flopped food, was edible, but certainly nothing to write about!

I am trying to kick this week off to a good start with some healthy recipes to try. I love my junk food, greasy food, and just plain bad for ya food. But, I need to be eating healthier foods and I would rather eat good when I can, and still be able to enjoy the indulgent treats when I want!

As always, I like to find foods that travel well, and that my truckin' man will like as well.  When I found the recipe for these No Bake Double Chocolate and Prune Energy Bars over at Eat Good 4 Life, I was sold.  With 2 kinds of chocolate, peanut butter, almonds, and honey, how can it go wrong???  Add in some prunes, and flax seed meal, it is a good healthy snack.  Flax seed meal is a new ingredient for me. Since finding it at the store, I am running into a variety of recipes that call for it, so I doubt that it will last long.

If you have any picky eaters, you can probably sneak this right by them as a chocolate delight.  When I gave my truckin' man his first bar to try, he thought it was a new fudge recipe! Yup, he didn't even know it was good for him, until I told him :)

No Bake Double Chocolate Energy Bars  (from Eat Good 4 Life)

1 c. raw almonds
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
1/2 c. flax seed meal

1 lb whole pitted prunes
1/2 c. cocoa powder
3 T. honey
2 T. Peanut Butter

In food processor, add almonds and pulse until they are in coarse pieces. Add dark chocolate chips and flax seed meal, pulse til finely chopped. Pour into another bowl, and set aside.

In food processor, add prunes, honey, peanut butter and cocoa powder and pulse until mixture is finely chopped and comes together. Add almond mixture back to the food processor and pulse for a few seconds until the entire mixture comes together.

Line a 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper extra long, so that the parchment paper hangs over the ends of the pan.  Press the chocolate mixture evenly into the pan and fold parchment over the bars. Set a plate in the pan, to cover the bars. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Remove bars from pan, and cut to desire size.  Store covered in refrigerator. 

Chocolate Covered Cherry Bars

As soon as From Cupcakes to Caviar posted her Chocolate Covered Cherry Bars, I knew that was a recipe I would be making.  For as long as I can remember, my dad has LOVED chocolate covered cherries.  Even at the old age I am at today, I still get my dad his box of Chocolate Covered Cherries every year for Christmas.  When my sister moved to Canada, I made sure I got an extra box each year, just in case she had trouble finding them.  

Much to my surprise when I made these, I loved them! I am not much of a cherry fan, but dang they are good! I had meant for the bars to make it to Dad for Valentine's...  Due to schedules, we couldn't get together yet, and the bars are just about gone. Ooops!!  I will just have to make another pan this weekend, and hopefully (for my waistline) we get to share the bars this time.

Check out the recipe here.

Valentine's Cookies

Valentine's has to be the second biggest holiday for treats in our house.  Not that we need a reason for goodies or chocolates, but we like to have an excuse!  Of course, we love our Sugar Cookies!  I had planned on baking up some Sugar Cookies today, but I felt like doing something a little different than the normal frosting.  Chocolate felt like the right way to go!  

This really was so simple to do, and probably took less time than if I had decorated with Royal Icing. I have already delivered some to my parents, so hopefully the rest will make it til my man gets home! 

Roll-out Cookies

1 c. unsalted butter

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. almond extract

2 3/4 c. all purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In your mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and extracts.  In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt; add to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition.  Divide dough into two balls.  Roll dough out to about 1/8" and cut with cookie cutter.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 6-7 minutes.  

Depending on the size of your cookies, this will make about 2 dozen.

Fudgy Frosting

1/4 c. butter

2 c. powdered sugar

3 T. cocoa

1 t. vanilla extract

2 T. milk

1 t. corn syrup (optional)

In mixer bowl, beat butter until light.  Add sugar and cocoa, a little bit at a time, beating on low speed.  Once all sugar is incorporated, and vanilla and milk.  Beat on medium speed.  Add more milk, if needed to reach desired consistency.  

Match up your cookies to the closest in size.  Flip one cookie upside down, and pipe or spread with frosting.  Cover with another cookie.  When done, thin out the remaining frosting to drizzle over top of the sandwiched cookies.  I used a little bit of corn syrup for thinning my frosting.

Enjoy :) 

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Cowboy Cake

Geeez...  those cookbooks got dusty!  I have spent so much time online looking at the great recipes, that my cookbooks got quite the layer of dust on them!  I didn't realize this until I started digging through some of my mom's cookbooks last weekend,  just looking for something different. Once home, I realized how long it had been since I had looked at my own cookbooks! 

I did find a dessert recipe for the weekend, and was ready to make it today.  When I was prepping earlier, my Truckin' Man got a little worried when he found me making a second pot of coffee ( I get a little bit jittery if I drink to much!).  But, when I told him it was for his cake today, he was relieved and happy to know there would be cake waiting for him when he gets home today :)

This is a one pan cake recipe.  I love that there is virtually no clean up! It turned out so good.  I was a little worried about adding cider vinegar to a cake, but there was no need to worry.  It is super chocolately goodness! Very moist.  Perfect!  I didn't even miss having frosting on it.  

Cowboy Cake

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. cocoa

2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2/3 c. vegetable oil

2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. vanilla

2 c. cold coffee

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In an ungreased 9x13 baking pan, sift together flour, 1 1/2 c. sugar, cocoa, soda and salt.  

Make 3 wells in the  mixture; pour oil in one, vinegar in one, and vanilla in one.  Pour in coffee and stir all with a fork until well mixed.  Spread into an even layer.  

Combine 1/3 c. sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle half of this mixture of the batter.  

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over hot cake.  Cool 30 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy :)

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The Best (Texas) Chocolate Sheet Cake

Today, I am at home relaxing during my first snow day in years.  The last time I had a snow day was 1991, so I think I am entitled!!  Granted, I could have made it in today, but the office is fully staffed and it will be a quiet day, so why should I deal with horrible roads? The office managers are a wonderful husband/wife team that are making their two and a half hour drive to work today, and I am not going to drive my pathetic 18 miles?  I really can justify staying home, I think..!  If there wasn't so much ice under the snow, I would suck it up and go.  But, my boyfriend is probably being forced into taking the day off due to roads conditions, and someone needs to be home to make him lunch, right??? If only my co-worker that lives down the road another 3 miles hadn't made the drive in at 5 a.m. I think that is the part that is making me feel a little on the guilty!

Over the weekend, I went to Pinterest to look at the recipes I had saved, and decided to make one.  The Best (Texas) Chocolate Sheet Cake was grabbing my attention in my need to have chocolate.  The pin took me to the recipe as posted by NancyCreative who had adapted it from The Pioneer Woman.  It is insanely chocolatey and moist beyond words. Every bit as good as the picture looked!  After it was finished, I had a small piece, and kept cutting "slivers" each time I walked past.  Next thing I know, there was a whole row gone... Did I do that???

Once I had the cake in the oven and was getting ready to make the frosting, I did make one change for us.  In an effort to not use a full pound of better in this recipe, I cut the frosting measurements in half.  It isn't a thick frosting, but it is plenty for us! I did bake the cake in a 10x15, since that is my largest pan.  If you have a 13x18, use that and you will have an easier time getting the frosting to not run over the edges!

The Best (Texas) Chocolate Sheet Cake 

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. sugar

1/4 t. salt

4 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa

2 sticks butter

1 c. boiling water

1/2 c. buttermilk 

2 large eggs, beaten

1 t. baking soda

1 t. vanilla

FROSTING

6 T. butter

2 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa

3 T. milk

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 lb. powdered sugar

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Melt butter in a saucepan and 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 and bake for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. If using nuts, chop them 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 nuts, stir together, and pour over warm cake. 

***Note*** If you want the full frosting amount, double the measurements I listed.  I was trying to cut back on the amount of butter used!!

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Foodie Friends Friday - Chocolate Edition