For many years, on my husband’s birthday, I baked a chocolate cake. It was different every time because he never liked any of them. He liked chocolate cake, just not my chocolate cake. Until about five years ago when I stumbled across this sheet cake at Epicurious and aaaaaahhhhh! Success! He loved it and I decided to stick with what works. This dessert is now my husband’s official birthday chocolate cake…forever.
Chocolate Cake with Toasted Pecans
Adapted from a recipe by Dorothy Davis of Columbus, Ohio
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
- pinch of kosher salt
- one 1-pound box powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 9 X 13 inch pan. Stir 1/2 cup unsalted butter, coffee, 1/2 cup cocoa and vegetable oil in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until smooth. Remove saucepan from heat. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and kosher salt in a large bowl until blended. Whisk in cocoa mixture. Whisk buttermilk, eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl until blended. Add to flour mixture and blended well. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake to rack.
Meanwhile, stir whole milk and remaining 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/4 cup cocoa in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until smooth. Bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and a big pinch of kosher salt and whisk until smooth.
Take a skewer and make several holes in the warm cake then spread immediately with frosting. Sprinkle with toasted pecans.
You can serve this cake warm (maybe with Vanilla Ice Cream…I’m just saying) or cool completely to room temperature.
how high would you say the cake ended up being after baking? it looks pretty shallow in the picture – sort of like a brownie height – and i’m wondering if i should do two cakes and layer them with the frosting and nuts in between…i’m serving quite a hungry crowd.
looks great though – thanks!
Hi Miriah,
I do love this cake. Easy to make and always a hit. I would say it’s about 2 1/2 inches high (including the frosting) when made in a 9 X 13 pan. I wouldn’t recommend layering for two reasons: A) The cake is very tender and tends to break apart during the moving necessary to layer and B) the frosting isn’t the spreading kind, it’s the pouring kind that sinks into the cake a bit which makes everything wonderfully moist.
If you’ve got a big crowd (or just a hungry one
do two cakes. Alternatively, you could also consider making the cake in a 13 X 18 half sheet pan and cutting the baking time. I mean this is essentially a Texas Sheet Cake and that is more traditionally made in this larger pan. It makes a much thinner cake, but it might go farther. Good luck. If you make it, let me know how it turns out.
Best, Heather
“He never liked any of them”???????? Does he realize how fabulously lucky he is to be married to you?
Great recipe! and really good photo. Salivating while I write this.