October 28, 2009

This is not cake.  I know that Cook's Country calls it cake, but it's not cake.  It's a slab of rich, dense, ooey-gooey chocolate decadence.

Cook's Country Texas Sheet Cake

I baked this for my boss's birthday, and I think it went over well! The usual Texas Sheet Cake or Sheath Cake is delicious. In fact, it's SisMama's signature cake and the one we all request for birthdays. It's a lighter cake than this though. Both recipes contain cocoa powder in the batter and icing, but this Cook's Country version also includes a half pound of semisweet chocolate in the batter! That's where the fudginess comes in!  I'd call this more of a brownie, but whatever you call it, I call it yummy!

Texas Sheet Cake
(Cook's Country)

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Chocolate Icing
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk eggs and yolks, vanilla, and sour cream in another bowl until smooth.

2. Heat chocolate, butter, oil, water, and cocoa in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk chocolate mixture into flour mixture until incorporated. Whisk egg mixture into batter, then pour into prepared baking pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.

3. For the icing: About 5 minutes before cake is done, heat butter, cream, cocoa, and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Off heat, whisk in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Spread warm icing evenly over hot cake and sprinkle with pecans. Let cake cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until icing is set, about 1 hour longer. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Cut into 3-inch squares. Serve.

BigSis Notes: I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the batter and used Penzeys Mexican Vanilla, so I used about 1/3 less than the recipe called for.  I used evaporated milk instead of heavy cream in the icing, salted butter rather than unsalted, and toasted walnuts on top in place of pecans.  I baked my cake in a 13 x 9 glass pan, and it took 35 minutes. Cut these pieces small; this stuff is rich! This cake is best at room temperature OR nuked for just a few seconds!  Wowee!!  😀

~BigSis