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sheet cake that tastes like brownies

(6 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Brenda-Lee Barajas
watertown, NY

I have made this cake for 39 years. Ever since I have been married... lol. This is so good. I have not had one person that did not like this. If you do not have buttermilk, just use a half cup of milk with one tablespoon of vinegar. Mix and let it sit while you gather ingredients. It will thicken... I use it all the time IF I do NOT have buttermilk.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This old-fashioned cake sends you straight to chocolate heaven. It's seriously one of the best chocolate cakes we've made. The cake is tender and melts in your mouth. The fudge-like frosting is full of pecans. Adding the frosting while the cake warms means the frosting soaks into the top layer of the cake.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(6 ratings)
prep time 15 Min
cook time 40 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For sheet cake that tastes like brownies

  • CAKE
  • 2 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 2 c
    granulated sugar
  • 1 stick
    butter
  • 1/2 c
    Crisco (can substitute with 1 stick of butter)
  • 1 c
    water
  • 4 Tbsp
    cocoa, unsweetened
  • 2
    beaten eggs
  • 1 tsp
    baking soda
  • 1/2 c
    buttermilk
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla extract
  • FROSTING
  • 1 stick
    butter
  • 4 or 3 Tbsp
    cocoa, unsweetened
  • 6 Tbsp
    milk
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla extract
  • 4 c
    confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 c
    chopped pecans or walnuts

How To Make sheet cake that tastes like brownies

Test Kitchen Tips
We did bake this in a sheet cake pan. If you don't have one, use a 9x13 pan. You'll just need to adjust the baking time. Our cake baked in 20 minutes.
  • Spraying a sheet cake pan with non-stick spray.
    1
    Preheat an oven to 400°F. Grease a 11x15 sheet cake pan (be sure it has raised edges).
  • Flour and granulated sugar whisked together in a bowl.
    2
    In a large bowl, stir together the flour and granulated sugar.
  • Bringing butter, Crisco, water, and cocoa powder to a boil.
    3
    In a saucepan, combine the butter, Crisco, water, and cocoa powder. Stir while bringing to a boil.
  • Pouring into flour mixture.
    4
    Pour over the flour mixture.
  • Mixing ingredients together.
    5
    Mix together.
  • Stirring eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, and vanilla in a bowl.
    6
    In another bowl, stir together the eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, and vanilla.
  • Adding eggs to flour/cocoa mixture.
    7
    Add to the flour/cocoa mixture and mix together.
  • Pouring batter into a pan.
    8
    Transfer the batter to the prepared sheet cake pan.
  • Baking the cake in the oven.
    9
    Bake for 20-30 minutes.
  • Combining butter, cocoa powder, and milk to make the frosting.
    10
    Five minutes before the cake is done, make the frosting: In a saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, and milk.
  • Adding nuts to the frosting.
    11
    Heat and then add the confectioners’ sugar, nuts, and vanilla.
  • Pouring frosting over the cake.
    12
    Pour the frosting over the cake.
  • Letting the frosted cake cool.
    13
    Allow to cool.
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