Pioneer Woman’s Chocolate Sheet Cake

Prepare Time

• Preparation Time: 20 minutes
• Cooking Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 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 the Frosting:
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1-3/4 sticks butter
  • 4 tablespoons (heaping) cocoa
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 pound (minus 1/2 cup) powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 18×13 sheet cake pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
3. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa and stir together. Add boiling water, allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.
4. In a measuring cup, pour buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture.
5. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake for 20 minutes.
6. While cake is baking, make the frosting. Melt butter in a saucepan, add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cook Notes

• The cake can be made a day ahead; the flavors develop more fully overnight.

Variations

• Coffee Chocolate Cake: Add a teaspoon of instant coffee to the boiling water for a coffee-infused flavor.
• Spicy Chocolate Cake: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the batter for a spicy kick.

Keto Version

• Use almond flour and erythritol instead of regular flour and sugar.
• For the frosting, use a keto-friendly powdered sugar substitute.

Low-Carb Version

• Replace flour with coconut or almond flour.
• Use a low-carb sweetener instead of sugar.

Nutrition Information

Each serving approximately contains (serves 24):

• Calories: 330
• Fat: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 45g
• Protein: 3g
• Sugar: 35g
• Sodium: 180mg

(Note: Nutritional values are approximate and can vary based on ingredient brands and preparation modifications.)