this was supposed to be about soup.
but you know what. screw it.
it's my mom's 60th birthday and she's a freak. a sweet freak. she'd definitely prefer everything to be about cake today.
and chocolate and hazelnuts.
and cookies. cookies for breakfast. she's really into that.
see, this is all genetic.
texas sheet cake is one of those classic things that i've heard about for a long while, but never experienced a slice myself.
this is what i knew about texas sheet cake: it's a southern classic. it's chocolate and pecans. there's a gooey layer that forms between frosting and cake.
and it's supposed to be crazy good.
and now that i've eaten my way through a good half of a texas sheet cake, i concur with everyone else. i was expecting it to taste brilliant. and hot dang diggity (knee slap!), it does.
it's rich, yes. but not such that you don't want to stop bringing forkfulls to your face. ever
it feeds a crowd. it feeds just you and your mom.
oh and it's a breeze to make.
i appreciate the texans for making it easy on me.
and i appreciate myself for throwing hazelnuts into the frosting.
the gorgeous, glossy frosting!.. that you pour over the hot cake right out of the oven. yes. good. excellent.
do you think paula dean makes this? i think she must.
wassup paula! how are your sons? cornbread.. so good right?
alright, i must be off to start making another cake and mom birthday funtivities.
happy friday the 13th! happy 60th birthday momsies! happy cake making!
Texas Sheet Cake with Hazelnuts
adapted from the pioneer woman
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp (heaping) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup hot coffee
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
for frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tbsp milk
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 18x13 sheet cake pan or a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan. set aside.
in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with cocoa powder and coffee. cook until butter is melted and everything is combined. remove from heat and let cool slightly while you combine dry ingredients.
in a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. add the cocoa mixture to the dry and fold until almost incorporated. then, whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream until all combined. pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes.
while the cake bakes, make the frosting. place a medium saucepan over medium heat. melt the butter, cocoa powder, and milk together. when butter has melted, remove pan from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar. once it's all combined, add the vanilla and chopped nuts.
once the cake is fully baked, remove it from the oven and immediately pour the frosting over the hot cake and spread evenly. let set for at least an hour, preferably a couple hours before serving. it will last, wrapped in plastic at room temperature for 3-4 days. if it lasts that long.