Recipes

[lavendersage]

I made this yesterday and it is delicious! I really like the icing with the cream in it- it is less sweet than the average Texas sheet cake icing recipe. I have made my mom's Texas Sheet Cake that she always made for reunions and family gatherings, but wanted to try the America's Test Kitchen version after watching an episode where they improved on the standard version. Next, I'm going to try my mom's cake recipe with A. T. Kitchen's icing recipe.

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used mini choc. chips)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup water
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I just used regular Hershey's cocoa)

Chocolate Icing

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (again, just Hershey's)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (don't leave this out..they said it gives the icing a shine and it does)
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk eggs and yolks, vanilla, and sour cream in another bowl until smooth.

2. Heat chocolate, butter, oil, water, and cocoa in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk chocolate mixture into flour mixture until incorporated. Whisk egg mixture into batter, then pour into prepared baking pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.

3. For the icing: About 5 minutes before cake is done, heat butter, cream, cocoa, and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Off heat, whisk in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread warm icing evenly over hot cake and sprinkle with pecans. Let cake cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until icing is set, about 1 hour longer.

(I didn't refrigerate to set icing- it set up just fine at room temp. I am storing it in the fridge and we eat it cold.)

(Cake can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Cut into 3-inch squares. Serve.

~from America’s Test Kitchen