Chocolate Sheet Cake

My sister-in-law, Shannon, introduced me to the Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake, but made with dark chocolate. It's WONDERFUL!!! She made the same recipe, while here visiting, but used regular cocoa powder as the recipe calls for. We all agreed that it's nothing special with regular cocoa. But using dark cocoa really does make it divine!!!!!!

Here's what you'll need:

2 C. flour

2 C. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 C. butter

4 heaping T. dark cocoa

1 C. boiling water

1/2 C. buttermilk

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. In a saucepan, melt the butter then add the dark cocoa. Stir to combine. Add boiling water and boil for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. Pour over the flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla and beat well.

(I didn't have any buttermilk on hand, so I just got a little less than a 1/2 cup of milk and added enough vinegar to make a 1/2 cup.)

Beat the buttermilk mixture into the flour/chocolate mixture and pour into a sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the dark chocolate icing:

1 3/4 sticks (14 T.) butter

4 heaping T. dark cocoa

6 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 lb. minus 1/2 C. powdered sugar

1/2 C. chopped pecans, opt.

In a microwavable bowl, melt the butter in the microwave and add the cocoa. Stir to combine. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add pecans, if desired.

My fork sinks down slowly - it doesn't drop right down and it doesn't stay in place - it sinks down slowly. If yours drops straight down, add a little more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, microwave it or add a little more milk.

It's runny, but allow it to sit and set up slightly until the cake is finished baking and cooled slightly. Pour over warm (not hot) cake.

This is sheer chocolate bliss!!!!!