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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. (If using a commercial half pan—allow 15 minutes baking time.) 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

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