Mom’s Chocolate Sheet Cake becomes Cupcakes

     Mom’s Chocolate Sheet Cake has been turned into cupcakes! These little mini cakes use the same stove-top recipe for both cake and frosting that has become a classic pot luck and picnic favorite.

     Some recipes refer to it as Texas Sheet Cake. Being from Kansas, I’d prefer to think of it as Kansas Sheet Cake . . . or simply as Chocolate Sheet Cake. My mom’s version includes a teaspoon of cinnamon.

     The recipe that follows contains both the original sheet cake recipe and the adjustments needed to turn it into cupcakes.

Chocolate Sheet Cake or Cupcakes   Yield: 13x9x2” pan or 24 cupcakes

Cake

Put in a saucepan & bring to boil over medium heat:

   1 stick (½ cup or ¼ lb. butter

   ½ cup vegetable oil

   1 cup water

   4 tablespoons (¼ cup) unsweetened cocoa – I prefer dark chocolate cocoa

Then add:  (to the saucepan)

   2 cups all-purpose flour

   2 cups granulated sugar

Then, add and mix: (I remove the above mixture from the stove and allow it to slightly cool. To be on the safe side (that is – to avoid scrambling the eggs) drop a dollop of the cake mixture into the beaten eggs before pouring egg mixture into the cake batter.

   2 slightly beaten eggs

   ½ cup buttermilk (or sour milk)

   1 teaspoon baking soda

   1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For sheet cake: Pour into a well greased or sprayed 13x9x2” pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in a 350° preheated oven; rotate pan about half way through baking. Cool partially and pour icing over top of cake; spread icing with a spatula to cover surface.

For cupcakes: Line muffin tins with cupcake liners and then ladle cake batter into tins, filling just about half full – remember that you need to have enough space for the somewhat runny frosting to settle over the cake. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in a 350° preheated oven. Use a toothpick to test center – it should come out clean when cupcake is completely baked.

Fill cupcake liners just about half full of batter. 

Notice that there is enough space left in the cupcake liner for a layer of frosting to be added. 

Icing

Heat to boiling over medium heat:

   1 stick butter

   4 tablespoons (¼ cup) unsweetened cocoa – I prefer dark chocolate cocoa

   6 tablespoons (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons) milk - I used almond milk

Then add . . .

   1 lb. powdered sugar (3 cups), sifted

   1 teaspoon vanilla

   1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts – I prefer pecans

I "sift" the powdered sugar by running it through a mesh colander. This helps produce a smooth frosting.

The powdered sugar is stirred into the cocoa and butter mixture.

I ladled a small dipper of frosting over each cupcake.

Recipe without photos . . .

Chocolate Sheet Cake or Cupcakes   Yield: 13x9x2” pan or 24 cupcakes

Cake

Put in a saucepan & bring to boil over medium heat:

   1 stick (½ cup or ¼ lb. butter

   ½ cup vegetable oil

   1 cup water

   4 tablespoons (¼ cup) unsweetened cocoa – I prefer dark chocolate cocoa

Then add:  (to the saucepan)

   2 cups all-purpose flour

   2 cups granulated sugar

Then, add and mix: (I remove the above mixture from the stove and allow it to slightly cool. To be on the safe side (that is – to avoid scrambling the eggs) drop a dollop of the cake mixture into the beaten eggs before pouring egg mixture into the cake batter.

   2 slightly beaten eggs

   ½ cup buttermilk (or sour milk)

   1 teaspoon baking soda

   1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For sheet cake: Pour into a well greased or sprayed 13x9x2” pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in a 350° preheated oven; rotate pan about half way through baking. Cool partially and pour icing over top of cake; spread icing with a spatula to cover surface.

For cupcakes: Line muffin tins with cupcake liners and then ladle cake batter into tins, filling just about half full – remember that you need to have enough space for the somewhat runny frosting to settle over the cake. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in a 350° preheated oven. Use a toothpick to test center – it should come out clean when cupcake is completely baked.

Icing

Heat to boiling over medium heat:

   1 stick butter

   4 tablespoons (¼ cup) unsweetened cocoa – I prefer dark chocolate cocoa

   6 tablespoons (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons)  milk - I used almond milk

Then add . . .

   1 lb. powdered sugar (3 cups), sifted

   1 teaspoon vanilla

   1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts – I prefer pecans

Pork Burger with Onions and Fries

Burgers and fries were on our menu recently. But instead of beef, Barry used ground pork (from Zey’s Market of course), seasoned and fried it along with sliced onions. He even make homemade fries (twice fried so they were nice and crisp)!

Pork Burgers with Onions

Onions

   1 onion, sliced thin

   About 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil

   Kosher salt

Burgers

   1 lb. lean ground pork

   1 teaspoon dried sage

   1 teaspoon dried oregano

   ½ teaspoon dried basil

   1 teaspoon Kosher salt

   1 teaspoon pepper

   1 tablespoon olive oil

Whole wheat bread or buns

Onions 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan over medium high heat.

2. Add the onions and quickly cook, moving them around the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula. It should take no more than 10 minutes at the most for the onions to get nicely browned. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Pork Burgers

3. Combine above ingredients and form into patties. (Save any unused pork for another use or form into patties and freeze.)

4. Add patties to hot skillet. Barry just added them to the skillet with partially cooked onions, turning the heat up so the pan was hot when the patties were added (they should sizzle as they hit the skillet.)

5. Press burger as it cooks to slightly flatten.

6. When nicely browned and caramelized on side, flip patties and repeat procedure on other side.

Bread or Buns

7. Remove onions and burgers from skillet, add bread or buns and lightly fry on both sides.

Twice-Fried French Fries

2 russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)

About 1 quart frying oil

1 to 2 teaspoons Kosher salt

About 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Peel potatoes and cut into thin strips.

2. Fill a large bowl with water and soak potatoes, submerged, for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours. This will help remove the excess starch from the potatoes and keep them from oxidizing.

3. Add frying oil to a heavy pot; heat to 325°.

4. Remove potatoes from the water, and pat dry to remove ALL excess water.

5. Add a couple of handfuls of potatoes to hot oil. There should be at least 1-inch of oil above the potatoes. Par cook until potatoes are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove potatoes, gently shaking off excess oil and let drain on rack. Repeat until all of the potatoes are par cooked..

6. Raise heat of oil to 350°.

7. Cook potatoes again, a couple of handfuls at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oil, shake off excess oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper.

8. Repeat if not all potatoes are cooked.

Kirby House Coconut Walnut Bread -- Remembering the Kirby House!

Kirby House diners LOVED this bread. Barry, who is not a coconut fan, LOVES this bread. It was the Kirby Houses’ signature bread and came as a side with their quiche and Celebration Salad.

While the bread is delicious, grilling it is what takes it over the top!

While we mourn the loss of the elegant Victorian-era home turned restaurant (destroyed by fire in Feb. 2013), we have lots of fond memories and the recipes, via The Kirby House Cookbook still live on.

Following the publication of the cookbook in 2001, Barry and I went on the road to promote it . . . using recipes from the book. I am now working on a “Remembering the Kirby House” cooking class that will hopefully be ready in the fall of 2013 or the winter of 2014. Meanwhile, here’s one of our favorite recipe from the book. 

Kirby House Coconut Walnut Bread   Yield:  one 9 x 5 -inch loaf                       

2 cups all-purpose flour                                

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup flaked coconut

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons coconut syrup (such as Stirling® gourmet Flavors--Hawaiian Coconut syrup)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325° and spray bottom of loaf pan with non-stick pan coating.

2. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, & baking soda) in large mixing bowl.

3. Add oil, buttermilk, coconut, eggs , coconut extract & walnuts to flour mixture. Mix with electric mixer just until dry ingredients are moistened.

4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for l hour and 15 minutes or until done (toothpick, inserted in the center of loaf, comes out clean). Do NOT open oven door during the baking process (to avoid causing the bread to sink in the center). 

Yes, I've been caught! I peeked once . . . and see the indentation in the above photo.
Peeking is a NO-NO! 

5. Let cool in pan that has been placed on a wire rack. When completely cool, run a table knife around pan edges and remove bread. Wrap and store in refrigerator or freeze for up to 2 months. Do NOT cut until chilled and firm.

6. After slicing, the Kirby House butters this bread and grills it lightly on both sides.

Barry adds melted butter to the bread as it is being grilled. When nicely browned, he gives it a flip.

We served a slice with fresh fruit. 

When I wrote The Kirby House Cookbook, which also includes a history of the house and tidbits on the Victorian era, I also included related educational info. Here’s what in on the page with the Coconut Walnut Bread . . .

Tips:  Coconut

Coconut comes in a variety of different sizes, plus, shredded and flaked coconut comes frozen, canned or in bags. Below is a list of equivalents that will make shopping for coconut a little easier.

o   8 -ounce bag, shredded = 2 1/2 cups  

o   3 1/2 -ounce can, flaked  = 1 1/3 cups

o   4 -ounce can, shredded  = 1 1/3 cups 

o   1 medium-sized fresh coconut = 5 cups freshly grated 

Once packaged coconut has been opened, it should be closed tightly and stored in the refrigerator.

Wondering what to do with leftover buttermilk? 

Buttermilk is usually available only in quart cartons but recipes invariably call for a smaller quantity. Try freezing what’s left and thawing it for the next use. For convenience, measure the needed amount (2/3 cup for Coconut Walnut Bread), pour into a plastic freezer container, label, and freeze. If you need the container, simply pop the frozen buttermilk into a  plastic freezer bag thus freeing up the plastic container. Thaw frozen buttermilk prior to use.

There are still a few Kirby House cookbooks for sale. If interested, contact Vangie Henry at Applemint Catering. 

Recipe without photos . . .

Kirby House Coconut Walnut Bread   Yield:  one 9 x 5 -inch loaf                       

2 cups all-purpose flour                                

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup flaked coconut

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons coconut syrup (such as Stirling® gourmet Flavors--Hawaiian Coconut syrup)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325° and spray bottom of loaf pan with non-stick pan coating.

2. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, & baking soda) in large mixing bowl.

3. Add oil, buttermilk, coconut, eggs , coconut extract & walnuts to flour mixture. Mix with electric mixer just until dry ingredients are moistened.

4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for l hour and 15 minutes or until done (toothpick, inserted in the center of loaf, comes out clean). Do NOT open oven door during the baking process (to avoid causing the bread to sink in the center). 

5. Let cool in pan that has been placed on a wire rack. When completely cool, run a table knife around pan edges and remove bread. Wrap and store in refrigerator or freeze for up to 2 months. Do NOT cut until chilled and firm.

6. After slicing, the Kirby House butters this bread and grills it lightly on both sides.