I’ve made this cake THREE times this week…so it has to be pretty darn good & easy. You know how I like to cheat when I bake on the weekdays, but I made this from scratch on Sunday for a brunch with friends, Tuesday night for my friend’s birthday, and again on Thursday for my dad’s birthday. The smell of this baking in the oven is heaven and everyone says it’s taste like a cross between chocolate cake and a brownie. How perfect does that sound? To top it all off you have a delicious sinful frosting that is smothered all over! I’m tempted to go bake another one right now! (Did I tell you I started working out again this week? Now you know why! I only went once…but who’s counting – it’s a start right?)
All credits go to The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond). She’s brilliant. She claims that this is The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. I was sold and had to try it out myself (multiple times)!
Step by Step Pictures of the Baking Process.
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 cups Sugar
- ¼ teaspoons Salt
- 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
- 2 sticks Butter
- 1 cup Boiling Water
- ½ cups Buttermilk
- 2 whole Beaten Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
FOR FROSTING:
- ½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
- 1-¾ stick Butter
- 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
- 6 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar
Preparation Instructions
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.
In a saucepan, melt butter, add cocoa and stir to combine.
Add boiling water to butter and cocoa mixture, boil for 30 seconds. Add this mixture to the flour mixture, and stir.
Pour the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla into a measuring cup, stir gently. Add this to the batter and combine. Pour batter into a sheet cake pan and bake at 350º for 20 minutes.
Make the icing which the cake is in the oven. Chop the pecans fine. Melt butter in a saucepan and add the cocoa. Combine it and turn off the heat, then add the milk, vanilla and powder sugar. Stir to combine. Stir in the pecans and pour the icing over the warm cake.
**I’ve baked this cake in a 9×13 glass dish (bake for 25 mins.) and have also baked it in two round cake pans for a 2 layer cake (bake for 20 mins. & make sure to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper). Ree bakes it in a sheet pan.
**I usually always sift my flour and powdered sugar, but Ree is a no fuss kinda girl and so I also did not sift – and it was liberating!
Enjoy!
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This looks so yummy…makes my mouth water. Frank wants me to make it for my small group next thursday…sounds good to me!
This not only looks yummy is sounds like a hit for any type of function. Since you made it sound so easy I just might have to try it out this weekend and bring for Easter ! As always, thanks for sharing and making all of us have to think of working out before we begin all your temptations
@ Susan: I’m glad you’re going to make it! I hope your small group enjoys it – the cake is delicious warm =) (and a tall glass of cold milk!)
@ Anne: Thank you! It’s literally a piece of cake to make =) I know your family will enjoy it for Easter. Hope you visit often for more recipes =) Take care!
It tastes fabulous!!! I just had some, Thanks Q 🙂
Looks really good. Gotta try it.
oohhh this looks yummy good… I love the inclusion of pecans in the frosting… i’m munching almond joy this morning… yeah this early right? But I’d rather have this chocolate cake of yours right now than these bars hahah…
btw, twas great meeting you yesterday…. see you around the blogospere!
@ Merrick: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
@ Stacy: Thank you! So excited that you’re going to try it! Yay!
@ Skip to Malou: Thank you! I love the pecans in the frosting to. You’re too funny – Almond Joys for breakfast? hee,hee I think you should have the cake for lunch! =) It was great meeting you too! See you around!
Glad to read you were liberated with the “no sift!” This chocolate cake sounds wonderful….it’s gotta be if it has become your “go to” cake!!
@ Marla – thanks for stopping by! I’m sure you will think of a way to make this cake more calorie friendly – if you do – let me know! =)
Awesome!!!!! Had the pleasure of presenting the cake (which was actually made by the queen of the runway herself) to my girlfriend on her birthday. Made me look like the best boyfriend ever. Thanks again Kitchen Runway.
Yummy! That looks so good and moist!
@ #1 FAN: Haa,haa I’m glad I was able to be part of the birthday celebration…and that it made you the best bf ever!
@ TripleScoop: Thank you! Let’s work on an ice cream flavor to serve with the cake!
Mmmm….that looks so good!!
This chocolate cake looks damn, damn good. I can see that it’s full of wholesome goodness 😛
i really love to bake a cake especially this chocolate cake it is so yummy to see, i hope i made it by my own… thanks…
How many grams in one stick of butter? Here we get it in 225 g and 250 g bars.
Hi Surinder! There’s 113.4 grams of butter in one stick of butter. Here are the other conversions just in case they’re helpful: one stick of butter = 8 tablespoons, one stick of butter = 1/2 C. Take care!
I made this cake last night for my fiancé and its soo delicious and easy to make!!! Perfect! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Anne: Yay!! I’m so glad that you and your fiance enjoyed the cake! Now I’m craving a big slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! 🙂
The cake is so delicious even at the sight of it makes me wanna eat it so badly
What kind of flour?? All purpose or cake flour?
Kate: All purpose flour. Enjoy!
Thanks for posting this wonderful OLD cake recipe … just wanted to let you know, it is NOT the “Pioneer Woman’s” recipe. It is a very popular OLD recipe that’s been around close to 50 years at least, and it’s usually called TEXAS SHEET CAKE.
My mom and aunts made this EXACT RECIPE back in the 60’s – 70’s and you can find it in many, many church and women’s league cookbooks. You will see it at any church supper, picnic or bbq here in Texas or across the South.
It’s just ANOTHER recipe that the PW has “borrowed” (lifted, copied, plagiarized) for her cookbooks and she very seldom gives any credit where credit is due … but she’s more than happy to take the $$$$$ !!!
Has anyone made this without the pecans? My hubby is allergic to all nuts and wouldn’t be able to eat this. It sounds soooo yummy, but don’t want to make if it’s not good w/out nuts in it.
Hi,
I tried the aforementioned recipe yesterday. While the cake was okay, the frosting was too runny. So much that it made the whole cake soggy. Is the cake supposed to be frozen after it cools down? Can you please let me know, how can I improve on this recipe.
Thanks,
Sheena
@TxGal: I bought it to work one time and someone took one bite said it was Texas Sheet Cake! 🙂
@Jennifer – My sister doesn’t like pecans and I’ve made it without. It’s still delicious!
@Sheena, Thank you for trying the cake yesterday. I’m sorry that it didn’t turn out as you liked. The frosting is pretty runny and when poured on warm cake it will soak into the cake. Some people like it like that because it makes the cake super rich and moist. While other’s prefer a more tradition cake/frosting.
What you can do is let the cake and frosting cool down first. That’s what I do when making a two layer round cake. That way I can “frost” the cake. If the frosting is too hard to work with I heat it up a bit.
Good luck – I hope that helps!
Can anybody give me an idea of how much icing sugar in cup measurements?
Hi, can I use regular round cake pans for this?
How much is a stick of butter please, in grams?
Just seen answer in an earlier post thank you!
1 pound of Icing sugar is 4 cups
2 sticks of butter is 1 cup
to make butter milk simply add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the milk
without pecans is fine, seems sweeter lol
I made this many times several ways but the family loves bundt style with chocolate sauce poured on
This cake is a moist brownie, mega sized.
if you use no chocolate sauce, it’s a little drier and a lot less flavourful. The cake must pair with the sauce.
Have been making this for social events since 2011. Came back to reprint a copy and say, thank you!