Best Chocolate Sheet Cake

Ok folks, I'm going to start this post by saying that when I see a recipe named "best ....... ever", I always think it's just a way to get people to click on it, or try it.  Really!!!!

So I'm always a little apprehensive until I've tried it myself.

Truth?  Most times the recipes are ok, not really anything out of this world and definitely not the best of anything, ever.

This cake though, yeah, this one can call itself the best chocolate sheet cake ever, because it certainly earned it's title.

Recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman, and again, I've never been a super fan of hers, but credit has to be given where it's due, and she certainly hit the jackpot with this cake.

Tomorrow, I have my daughter's boyfriend, his brother and a few of their friends coming over and spending the night before they all head to the Anime Fest in Dallas.  I wanted to make some sort of dessert seeing as I'm ordering Pizza, and young kids like cake right?  Chocolate cake especially, so in my search for the perfect recipe, I remembered that during our family reunion, my husband's cousin made this sheet cake, and so it came to be.  By the way, I totally made 2 of these this afternoon, even though they're super big, but really, it's that good.


Now enough talking.....let's get right on the recipe.

Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever

Source: The Pioneer Woman

FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
1/2 cup Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla

FOR FROSTING:
1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
1-3/4 stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar


Note: Pioneer Woman uses an 18x13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. 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 at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans 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 pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.