Recipe: Easy Cocoa Chocolate Sheet Cake

Image by Lonnon Foster via Flickr

From Denny: Do you need a simple cake recipe that doesn't require a whole lot of fuss? This easy recipe is the answer! What I like about it is that you don't even have to take it out of the pan to frost it. Better yet, while the cake is still hot, you pour hot frosting on top of it. How easy is that?

The frosted cake stays in the pan and you serve from there or you can "make it and take it" to a family gathering or school function for your kids. Try baking it in a disposable aluminum pan and then you can just throw away the pan after they gobble up this chocolatey goodness! :)

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 9x13-inch sheet cake

1 stick butter or margarine

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup cococa

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Frosting (recipe follows)


Directions:

1. Combine butter, oil, cocoa and water and bring to a boil.

2. Mix sugar and flour together and add boiling cocoa mixture. Mix well. When mixture has cooled down a bit, then add the eggs.

3. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and add to mixture. Add vanilla and cinnamon.

4. Spray with nonstick vegetable cooking spray a 9x13-inch sheet pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree F. oven for 30 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and frost immediately.


Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar (granulated)

6 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1/3 cup half-and-half or evaporated milk

1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate

3/4 cup pecans


Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, butter, half-and-half or evaporated milk and chocolate and bring to a boil over medium heat.

2. Continue boiling for about 4 minutes until mixture reaches soft ball stage like in candy making. Remove from heat.

3. Sprinkle pecans over cake. Pour hot frosting on top of cake.

Note: Hide all the forks in your house because this cake won't last long! :)


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Recipe: Alberta Fudge Cake

Basically, this cake has a thick layer of real pecan fudge laying on top as the icing. This cake is so very rich you might want to serve only in very small portions or keep it for the holidays.

Note: Be specific about cooking the fudge until it registers 236 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Alberta Fudge Cake

From: Michael Doumit, from Lafayette, Louisiana, originally featured in Travelhost Magazine.

Yield: Makes a 9x13-inch cake.

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1-1/2 cups flour

6 tbls. cocoa

2 tsps. vanilla

2 cups chopped pecans

Fudge Icing

4 cups sugar

1 stick butter

1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk

12 ozs. semisweet chocolate chips

1 (7-oz.) jar marshmallow crème

3 cups chopped pecans

1 tsp. vanilla


1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a (9x13x2-inch) baking pan with parchment paper.

2. In mixer, blend butter and sugar until thoroughly mixed and creamy. Add eggs one at a time and blend.

3. Sift flour and cocoa together and add to above mixture. Add vanilla and chopped pecans.

4. Pour into greased or parchment-lined pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool, then top with Fudge Icing.

Fudge Icing

1. In heavy saucepan, combine sugar, butter and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture registers 236 degrees on candy thermometer.

2. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and marshmallow crème. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in pecans and vanilla and pour over cake. Cool until fudge sets.