Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

If you have not already done so, you MUST check out the Pioneer Woman website! In addition to her beautiful photography and hysterical stories, she posts the most mouth-watering recipes with step-by-step, photography-filled directions. This recipe has been on my 'must make' list for quite some time, and had I known how easy it was going to be to throw together, I certainly would have made it before now. Tbe entire cake was put together from start to finish in about a half hour-- including baking time. It's a great quick fix and has a wonderfully rich chocolate flavor. Pioneer Woman says this is the 'best sheet cake ever' and as quickly as ours disappeared, I'd say she's telling the truth!

One hint that the Pioneer Woman offered and came in incredibly useful was regarding buttermilk. Buttermilk is not an ingredient that I typically keep in my refrigerator. She suggests that you fill the measuring cup a little under the 1/2 cup mark (for this particular recipe) and then fill with vinegar to hit the 1/2 cup mark. I used this substitution and it seemed to work wonderfully.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 and 3/4 sticks butter

8 heaping tablespoons cocoa, divided

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla, divided

1/2 cup pecans (I omitted)

6 tablespoons milk

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Combine the flour, granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl. In a saucepan, melt the 2 sticks butter. Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa and stir together. Add 1 cup 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. Add the eggs, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

While the cake is baking, make icing. Chop the pecans finely (I omitted these due to nut allergies in our house.) Melt 1 3/4 sticks of butter in a saucepan. Add the final 4 heaping tablespoons of cocoa, stiring to combine. Turn off the heat. To this, add the milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir together, then add pecans, continuing to stir. Pour the frosting over the warm cake.

Source: The Pioneer Woman