Thank you for sharing this recipe. My hips expnded as I was listening to my screen reader read the ingredients. I cannot wait to try this for my meeting next monday. All of them will just die for this. Oh yum! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jon Rawlings" <twosocks76@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Blind Cooks List" <blindcooks@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 1:10 PM Subject: [blindcooks] RECIPE: Texas Chocolate Sheet CakePut simply, this is a delicious chocolate cake! Most cakes are thick with some icing on the top, but this cake is much thinner with a rich, dark icing on top, making the ratio of icing to cake much more favorable. Be warned; this recipe uses a full pound of butter between the cake and the icing, but at least it serves 10 to 12 people as a dessert. Enjoy!
FOR THE CAKE: 1/2 lb. butter (2 sticks) 1 c. water 1/2 c. cocoa 2 c. all-purpose flour 1/2 tea. salt 2 c. sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 c. buttermilk 1 tea. vanilla FOR THE ICING: 1/2 lb. butter (2 sticks) 1/2 c. milk 1/2 c. cocoa 1 lb. powdered sugar (4 1/2 c.) pinch of salt 2 tea. vanilla 2 c. chopped pecans, optional DIRECTIONS:1. FOR THE CAKE: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and set a rack in the middle position. Generously grease a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
2. Place the butter, water, and cocoa in a 2-quart ( or larger) saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring often, then remove from the heat and cool to luke warm; about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and stir to combine. In another small bowl, combine the eggs and buttermilk. Set these aside.
4. When the cocoa mixture is just warm, stir in the egg mixture, then add the flour mixture. Stir just until the flour is blended in, but try not to stir the batter any more than necessary. Stir in the vanilla, then the baking soda. Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
5. TO MAKE THE ICING: While the cake is baking, rinse out the saucepan you used to make the cake, then place the butter, milk, and cocoa in the saucepan and set it over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring often, then cool to luke warm; about 10 minutes.
6. Add the powdered sugar and pinch of salt and stir just until the sugar is blended into the butter mixture and the icing is thick but spreadable. Stir in the vanilla, then apply to the cake while it is still warm. The icing and the cake should not be too hot or the icing will just run off. Cover the icing with the chopped pecans, if using. Serve immediately.
