Best Ever Chocolate Cake | Easy

[Janet H]

Here's my new favorite chocolate cake - it's simple to make and the best I've ever had - it might be the 3 sticks of butter that helps... Make this cake in one Sauce pan.


Cake ingredients:
1 Cup butter
7 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Cup Water
2 Cups Sugar

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1/2 Cup Milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Frosting/Glaze Ingredients

1/2 Cup butter
6 Tbsp cocoa Powder
6 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp hot Water
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb confectioners sugar, sifted

Cake Assembly:
Melt butter in large sauce pan, add cocoa and water. Bring to boil.
Remove from heat and stir in sugar
Add salt, soda and flour and stir until combined.
Whisk in eggs, milk and vanilla.

Bake in a 9 x 13 well greased pan @ 400 degrees. (about 15-20 mins) Or bake in a 13 x 18 Jelly roll pan (sheet cake pan) at 375 for about 20 mins.

Frosting Assembly

Melt butter in medium sauce pan.
Add cocoa and milk and bring to boil.
Remove from heat and add water, vanilla and sifted sugar. Mix well.

The frosting will not be stiff - more glaze like. Frost cake while it's still warm and while frosting is still warm. Let cool before cutting.

Dust with a little cocoa powder.


Cake porn:

 

[Dawgluver]

That is gorgeous! Cake porn indeed!

 

[LPBeier]

Awesome texture to both cake and glaze. I will have to try it, Janet, thanks.

 

[Kayelle]

You are so right Janet....that's the best chocolate cake EVER!

The reminder just might get me to bake again! I used this recipe in the '60's and it was called Texas Sheet Cake then and was baked in a sheet pan. I added chopped pecans to the frosting and it was always the birthday cake requested from my kids and husband. OHHHHHHH it's the best cake EVER.

 

[Janet H]

Pecans would be amazing on this cake - thanks for the suggestion. Guess I'll need to make this again... rats. lolol

 

[Andy M.]

...Cake porn:

View attachment 21370

Janet, how did you get the sides of the cake to come out like that. The sides are straight so I assume you either have a straight sided cake pan or trimmed the cake. But then, how did you get the glaze to stop at the edge like that? Did you trim the sides after frosting?

 

[Janet H]

To get the lovely flat presentation some fancy foot work is needed. Usually it cooks with a slightly domed top like any other cake and frankly, if I were serving to my family or taking to a picnic, I would bake it and frost it in the pan. BUT.... here's how I get the flat presentation:

Bake the cake as noted and then turn it out and right it. Trim off the small center bulge. Flip it over so that the flat bottom faces up. Do this while the cake is warm.

Next (cake still warm) band the edge with a buttered foil strip about 4 inches wide - the same way you would do with a souffle dish, making sure the foil sticks up past the cake a 1/2 inch or so. This is going to keep the icing from running off. Ice cake and cool. Pull off the foil banding. Alternatively after trimming, put cake back in pan to ice.

What you are seeing in the pic is misleading, however - that is a single piece of cake and not an edge piece.

 

[Andy M.]

To get the lovely flat presentation some fancy foot work is needed. Usually it cooks with a slightly domed top like any other cake and frankly, if I were serving to my family or taking to a picnic, I would bake it and frost it in the pan. BUT.... here's how I get the flat presentation:

Bake the cake as noted and then turn it out and right it. Trim off the small center bulge. Flip it over so that the flat bottom faces up. Do this while the cake is warm.

Next (cake still warm) band the edge with a buttered foil strip about 4 inches wide - the same way you would do with a souffle dish, making sure the foil sticks up past the cake a 1/2 inch or so. This is going to keep the icing from running off. Ice cake and cool. Pull off the foil banding. Alternatively after trimming, put cake back in pan to ice.

What you are seeing in the pic is misleading, however - that is a single piece of cake and not an edge piece.

Thanks for explaining. That's a beautiful cake.

 

[Janet H]

Thanks for explaining. That's a beautiful cake.

You can get the cake almost flat if you bake it in a larger sheet pan but since the cake is awesome I bake it in a smaller pan to get a thicker cake and that means a little trimming.

 

[Andy M.]

You can get the cake almost flat if you bake it in a larger sheet pan but since the cake is awesome I bake it in a smaller pan to get a thicker cake and that means a little trimming.

I have been leveling cake tops for some time now. I even have a cake saw for cutting layers in half or leveling tops. It was the sides I was concerned with and you answered that too.

I need to get some straight-sided cake pans.

 

[bakechef]

I ain't scared of butter!

That looks fantastic!

 

[bakechef]

I have been leveling cake tops for some time now. I even have a cake saw for cutting layers in half or leveling tops. It was the sides I was concerned with and you answered that too.

I need to get some straight-sided cake pans.

Straight sided is the way to go especially for round pans where you won't be trimming.

A good size for a 1/4 sheet pan is 8x12 instead of 9x13, you'll get a nice, thicker cake.

I really like Parrish Magicline pans, I get them from Amazon and they are great and not too expensive.

 

[Cheryl J]

That sounds wonderful and looks divine!! Thank you for sharing, Janet.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Chocolate Porn!

 

[Andy M.]

Straight sided is the way to go especially for round pans where you won't be trimming.

A good size for a 1/4 sheet pan is 8x12 instead of 9x13, you'll get a nice, thicker cake.

I really like Parrish Magicline pans, I get them from Amazon and they are great and not too expensive.

Thanks for the tips. I'll have o do some shopping.

How many layers is that cake? It looks like a 4 layer cake with no obvious frosting between the layers. Is there more of the 'glaze'?

 

[Kayelle]

I hauled out my little old recipe box, and I see the Texas sheet cake called for buttermilk, so it's not exactly the same I guess.

 

[ShellyCooks]

This cake looks yummy!! Has anyone ever tried this cake in a bundt pan? I would like to try, but thought I'd ask just in case anyone has tried and has suggestions. Thanks for sharing the recipe and thanks for any ideas about making this into a bundt cake.

 

[forty_caliber]

Gotta try this one out. Looks wonderful. Added to pepperplate!

.40

 

[Celinefonteyne]

Hello

I have several times tried to make chocolate moelleux but I can't.
Is there anyone who can help me?

Céline

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Hello

I have several times tried to make chocolate moelleux but I can't.
Is there anyone who can help me?

Céline

Welcome Céline!

Ah! "Chocolate Lava Cakes" here in the States.

What is the failure you are having? Are you able to link us to the recipe so we can take a look at the procedure?

I have made these several times and have had good luck with them.