Chocolate Sheet Cake (with Cinnamon)
You’ve probably had Chocolate Sheet Cake before but until you try Mary Ann’s Chocolate Sheet Cake, gracious. That’s all I can say … I mean, just look at that lovely!
Mary Ann (my brother-in-law’s precious mom) brought this delicious cake to nearly every family birthday event. And the minute she walked in the door, we would all do the happy dance cause sakes alive, yum!
I have taken to making this every couple weeks lately. Maybe because all the kids are home. Or maybe because my co-workers like it so much. Or maybe because, if we’re being honest, there is just nothing like a slender, scrumptious bite-sized slice right before bedtime. (Shiver … )
Mary Ann’s Chocolate Sheet Cake
Combine: 2 c. flour * 2 c. sugar * 1 t. soda * 1/2 t. salt * 1 t. cinnamon and set aside.
Melt: 2 sticks butter * 1 c. water * 4 T. cocoa
Add dry ingredients to melted mixture then add: 1/2 c. buttermilk * 2 eggs * 1 t. vanilla
Grease a 9 x 12 pan and pour in mixture. Careful not to taste this. It’s wicked delicious. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
But meanwhile, prep the icing. In a saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter. Add 4 T. cocoa and a box of powdered sugar (about 3 + cups). Stir in about 5 T. of cream. Add a dash of salt. Taste. Add 1 t. vanilla. Taste. Then taste. Did I say taste? Yes, one more time. Okay. Good.
When the cake is done (check by inserting knife – should come out clean-ish but please, don’t over bake!) – pour icing over hot cake. Watch it seep into the cake. Gracious.
Couple things … Mary Ann always used a 1″ high cookie sheet to make her cake which meant it fed a lot of people. I didn’t have one when I started making this recipe and used a 9 x 12 instead which resulted in a deep, gooey cake. Either way, it’s delicious. But if you’re feeding a crowd, go for the cookie sheet and decrease cooking time. Another caveat: Lots of people add pecans like this recipe from The Pioneer Woman. But Mary Ann didn’t. So I don’t. Finally, the cinnamon adds a special kind of spectacular. Don’t skip it. Please.
So … celebrate today and bake this cake. I promise it will make your world a better place.
Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.