A Festive, Fun (but easy!) Dessert - Chocolate Obsession Cake

I've been making this delicious chocolate cake for almost as long as I can remember. I'd love to tell you that Chocolate Obsession Cake is it's original name, but I would be telling a lie............. a BIG lie..............

You see, I made the name up a number of years ago when I was teaching a cooking class revolving around preparing an elegant Valentine Dinner. I mean really, does Texas Sheet Cake (the real name) sound like a fancy-dancy sophisticated Valentine dessert? It doesn't in my book........ but it is a fabulous cake; rich and decadent, dense yet light ............  and delicious enough  to qualify as a gourmet indulgence ...................... so I just gave it a festive new moniker and a bit of a face-lift!

As it's true name suggests, this cake can be made in a flash with a large (Texas-style) cookie sheet pan. When our kids were growing up, often we would start watching a movie as I was throwing this cake together. Forty-five minutes later, about the time we were ready for a short intermission, the cake would be baked, frosted and doled out on plates, warm and ready to be enjoyed with an ice cold glass of milk. I often still prepare this cake in a sheet pan, but when a more impressive dessert is called for, I make it in round or square muffin pans (pictured above) or round cake pans (pictured below) and frost it with a pour-over style frosting.

Whether you decide to call this yummy dessert Texas Sheet Cake or gussy it up a bit for a special occasion, like New Years Eve, and call it Chocolate Obsession Cake, I have a feeling that once you try it, it will become a favorite at your house also! Have a blessed, safe and delicious New Year!

Chocolate Obsession Cake (aka Texas Sheet Cake)

Ingredients for cake:
2 sticks butter
1 cup water
½ cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon vanilla
 
Directions for cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350˚.

2. Place butter, water, and cocoa in microwave safe dish. Microwave 3 minutes, stirring once about half way through.

3. Add sugar and flour and whisk until smooth.

4. Add eggs and buttermilk, salt and soda and mix well. Stir in vanilla.

5. Prepare pan (or pans) by spraying generously with baking spray.
For sheet pan-type cake use a  11" x15" pan.
For round cakes use two 9" cake pans.
For individual cakes use two (12 cup) muffin pans.
Pour batter into pan or pans. (For muffin pans, I used about 1/4 cup batter per cake.) Bake 25-30 minutes for 11" x15" pan or 15-25 minutes for cake pans or muffin pans. When the cake is done, it will bounce back when lightly touched. Another way to tell if it is done is to insert toothpick into middle of cake and pull it out. If cake is done, toothpick will come out clean or with a few crumbs, not coated with batter.

6. Remove from oven and frost as directed below.

Chocolate Obsession Frosting

Ingredients for frosting:
1 stick butter
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (4 1-ounce squares)
½ cup milk
4 cups powdered sugar, approximately
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions for frosting:
1. Place butter and baking chocolate in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Stir until blended with wire whisk.

2. Add milk and vanilla. Mix well. Slowly add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Frosting should be thick but still pourable when warm. If too thin add a bit more powdered sugar. If too thick add a little extra milk.

3. For sheet cake - Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes, then pour warm frosting over cake in pan and spread with an off-set knife to distribute evenly. If you can stand to wait :), allow to cool before cutting into squares and serving.

4. For round cakes - Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack and allow to cool for another 30 minutes. Set cooling rack with cakes on top of a large piece of foil. Pour about one quarter of the frosting out onto each cake and spread with an off set knife to spread frosting across top and over edges of cake. Add a bit more frosting if needed to completely cover top and sides of cake. Excess frosting will drip through wire rack onto foil (Try to do this when your husband, children or best friend isn't around!) Allow frosted cake to sit for 10 minutes, then decoratively drizzle more frosting back and forth across top of cake. Repeat as desired until frosting is used up or desired thickness of frosting is achieved. If necessary, scrape excess frosting off of foil into bowl. If frosting gets too thick to drizzle at any point, return to microwave for 20-30 seconds, then whisk well until smooth.

5. For individual cakes, allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes then invert onto cooling racks placed on top of large sheets of foil; proceed to frost as directed above - using about 1½-2 tablespoons of frosting per cupcake and drizzling second layer as directed.

Note: I used square muffin pans for my cakes in the pictures above.

PRINTABLE RECIPE