Frosted Chocolate Sheet Cake Food

CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs and mix in the sour cream, and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and stir in the cocoa powder, and hot water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from the heat. Cool slightly, and incorporate the cocoa mixture with the dry ingredients, mixing just until blended.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
• For the frosting:
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the peanut butter and mix until smooth. Remove from the heat. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the milk, and powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla, and slowly incorporate the peanut butter mixture, blending well after each addition.
• Frost the cake while both the frosting and cake are still warm. Top with nuts, if desired.
• Cook's Note: Making a sheet cake is the best bang for your buck when it comes to dessert for a group. To vamp it up, take small biscuit cutters and create tiered cakes that can be dusted with powdered sugar. Cake scraps can be saved for a delicious trifle the next day.
• Sheet Cake Variations:
• Chocolate Fudge Frosting: instead of peanut butter frosting, replace peanut butter in frosting recipe with 1/3 cocoa powder. Prepare the frosting the same way.
• Toasted Coconut: In addition to topping with nuts, top cake with toasted coconut.
• Caramel/Fudge Cake: Drizzle warm caramel sauce and/or fudge sauce over frosting just before serving.
• Sheet Cake Variations, follows.

CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Stir together and set aside.
• In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and eggs. Mix with a fork and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the cocoa. Whisk together to combine. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil. When the butter is melted, pour the boiling water in the pan. Allow to bubble for a moment, then turn off the heat. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Stir together for a moment to cool the chocolate, then pour in the egg mixture. Stir together until smooth, then pour into an ungreased jelly roll pan (or rimmed baking sheet) and bake for 20 minutes.
• While the cake is baking, make the icing: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Add the milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir together. Dump in the pecans and stir until well combined.
• Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pour the warm icing over the top. You'll want to avoid doing much spreading, so try to distribute it evenly as you pour.

CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE WITH VANILLA BEAN FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the flour, granulated sugar and salt to a large bowl and stir together; set aside. Add the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and eggs to a separate bowl. Mix with a fork and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa and whisk to combine.
• Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Pour the boiling water into the butter and cocoa pan. Allow to bubble for a moment, then turn off the heat.
• Pour the cocoa mixture into the flour mixture. Stir together for a moment to allow it to cool slightly, then pour in the egg mixture. Stir together until smooth. Add the chocolate chips, stirring, then pour into an ungreased jelly roll pan (or rimmed baking sheet). Bake until an inserted cake tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
• For the frosting: While the cake bakes, combine the powdered sugar, butter, milk, salt and vanilla bean caviar in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix on low until incorporated. Increase the speed and mix until light and fluffy; set aside.
• Spread the top of the cake with the frosting, slice and serve.

YELLOW SHEET CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick spray. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the cake: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the egg yolk, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine, 15 to 30 seconds.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the mixer and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add about half the milk and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 15 seconds more. Repeat with another batch of flour mixture, the remaining milk, then the remaining flour mixture until fully incorporated.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is golden and separating from the pan at the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the electric mixer, and sift the confectioners' sugar and cocoa into the bowl with the butter. Stir with a spatula a few times to incorporate slightly. Return the bowl to the mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth and uniform in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and melted chocolate and mix on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and salt and mix to combine.
• Spread the frosting on the cooled cake in an even layer. Garnish with sprinkles, if desired.

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15-inch cake pan.
• Mix flour, sugar, and baking soda together in a large bowl; set aside.
• Heat butter, water, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth and just boiling. Pour over the flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in buttermilk and eggs. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine butter, milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract for the icing in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slow boil, then stir in powdered sugar. Pour icing over the hot cake. Let sit for 2 hours before serving.

MOM'S SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE (SHEET) CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Dissolve cocoa in the boiling water.
• Dissolve soda in a little water.
• Cream sugar and butter.
• Add sour cream to sugar and butter, mix, then add cocoa and water and mix.
• Add 1 C flour, the eggs, the other C of flour, then water with soda.
• Mix well.
• Pour into 8"x13" sheet pan.
• Bake at 350 F for about 1/2 hour to 40 minutes.