Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

I'm not a big fan of Texas sheet cake, but I saw this recipe a few months ago and thought it looked good. I came across it again last week and decided to make it on Friday. It was really good, and honestly may replace brownies for me. I liked it better warm, though, unlike brownies, it still tasted fantastic the next day.
Umm... it makes an entire sheet, so plan on sharing. Or if (like me) you didn't think ahead, then just eat the whole thing yourself. Hello, badonkadonk butt.

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 FROSTING:
1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans (blech… leave ‘em out)
1-3/4 stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Note: I use an 18x13 sheet cake pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.Add 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 and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares and eat.

(I used a mix of Hershey's dark cocoa and normal cocoa and thought it tasted great that way. Google her recipe for pictures.)

You've got to try this...

Whipped Ganache

7 oz. chocolate, chopped
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat the cream on medium heat until barely boiling. Pour over the chocolate and let stand 1 minute. Add the vanilla and whisk until completely combined. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Whip the ganache with an electric mixer until light, fluffy and spreadable.

I used 60% chocolate, and it was very dark. I'd probably mix some semi sweet with it next time so it's a little sweeter. It's fantastic as a frosting, cupcake filling, or by the spoonful, as I'm doing now. I think it would make good filling for homemade oreos as well, if you want something super rich. Enjoy!

~L

Oreo Cake Bites

No picture, but I couldn't let this one get by without posting. A-MA-ZING. It's pretty much a knock-off of the one you posted awhile back called "Cake Balls." I even used your recipe in consultation before beginning.

1 package regular Oreos
1 8-oz package of cream cheese, softened
Chocolate bark (or chocolate chips/shortening concoction)

Put the Oreos in a food processor until fine. Or crush them, if you're old-school. Then mix the crumbs with the cream cheese (use a mixer for sure). Ball the dough and then freeze the balls for awhile. Cover with melted bark or chocolate mixture. The bark at Dan's was Western Family, but it actually tasted better and had a better crunch than the chocolate chip stuff. Now my goal is to find really good bark somewhere...