Tex-mex Chocolate Sheet Cake - The Best!

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine, melted and cooled
• 4 1/2 ounces mexican chocolate, ibarra, 1 1/2 discs (or 4 1/2 squares , 4 1/2 oz., semisweet chocolate and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, cut up
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Recipe

• 1 heat oven to 350°f grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.
• 2 line bottom with waxed paper; grease and flour paper.
• 3 whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
• 4 whisk cocoa and boiling water in medium bowl until smooth.
• 5 stir cocoa into dry ingredients with a rubber spatula.
• 6 (mixture will be dry.) whisk eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and butter in medium bowl.
• 7 whisk buttermilk mixture into cocoa mixture, until smooth.
• 8 pour batter into prepared pan.
• 9 bake 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
• 10 make frosting:.
• 11 meanwhile, place ibarra chocolate (or semisweet chocolate and cinnamon) and butter in medium microwaveproof bowl.
• 12 cover bowl with plastic wrap, turning back one section to vent.
• 13 microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes, until chocolate is melted; stir until smooth.
• 14 add cream.
• 15 cover and microwave 1 1/2 minutes more, just until cream is hot.
• 16 stir until frosting is completely smooth and shiny.
• 17 cool cake in pan on wire rack 5 minutes.
• 18 pour frosting evenly over hot cake.
• 19 sprinkle pecans over top.
• 20 cool cake completely.
• 21 serve immediately. good with vanilla ice cream, if desired. refrigerate any leftovers.
• 22 makes 12 servings.