Monday, September 6, 2010

Quick Cocoa Sheet Cake

This is one of my favorite stand-by recipes when I need a quick easy delicious dessert. It calls for regular unsweetened cocoa, but I use Hershey's special dark cocoa powder in the cake and in the peanut butter frosting recipe. It's all the rave anytime I serve it.

Fills a sheet cake or jelly roll-sized cake pan. Also makes great cupcakes.

Quick Cocoa Cake
3 cups flour
4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey's special dark powder)
2 cups sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups water
1 cup cooking oil (I use Wildtree's butter flavored grapeseed oil and reduce to 2/3 cup)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix all ingredients together with mixer and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Can top with any of your favorite frostings, including German Chocolate. My favorite is the chocolate peanut butter recipe below.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting (Make 1/2 a recipe or put the extra in the fridge for later use.)
1 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use the Hershey's special dark for this too)
cream these ingredients together then add
5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 to 1 cup cream or milk.

Use only enough cream to make it desired spreading consistency.  Spread over cake. Can top with chopped Butterfinger bars or Reese Cups.

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