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Simple Chocolate Sheet Cake

Source of Recipe


Cook's Illustrated



List of Ingredients



• ¾ cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
  
• 1¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  
• ¼ tsp table salt
  
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter (1½ sticks), plus extra for baking pan
  
• 4 large eggs
  
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup buttermilk
  
• ½ tsp baking soda
  
• Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)
  






Instructions



1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325° F. Coat bottom and sides of 9- x 13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon butter.
   
   
2. Sift together cocoa, flour, and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Heat chocolate and butter in microwave-safe bowl covered with plastic wrap 2 minutes at 50% power; stir until smooth. (If not fully melted, heat 1 minute longer at 50% power). Whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl. Whisk chocolate into egg mixture until combined. Combine buttermilk and baking soda; whisk into chocolate mixture, then whisk in dry ingredients until batter is smooth and glossy.
   
   
3. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until firm in center when lightly pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack until room temperature, at least 1 hour; serve, or ice with frosting, if desired.
   
   Makes one (9-x13-inch) cake.
   
   ............
   
   CREAMY MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING
   
   • ½ cup heavy cream
   • Pinch table salt
   • 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
   • 10 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
   • ½ cup confectioners' sugar
   • 8 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), cold, cut into 8 pieces
   
   Heat cream, salt, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe measuring cup on high until simmering, about 1 minute, or bring to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat.
   
   Place chocolate in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. With machine running, gradually add hot cream mixture through feed tube; process 1 minute after cream has been added. Stop machine; add confectioners' sugar to workbowl and process to combine, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add butter through feed tube 1 piece at a time; process until incorporated and smooth, about 20 seconds longer.
   
   Transfer frosting to medium bowl and cool at room temperature, stirring frequently, until thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.
   
   Makes about 2 cups.