chocolate sheet cake.

Late last Friday night I was in the mood to bake something.

When I bake it's usually a spur of the moment-in the mood for-hope I have the ingredients-type of thing. 

But recently I found that there has been nothing that I have been dying to make. So to get back to my baking self, I decided to turn to my Pinterest baking page and figured maybe I should actually start making the things that I pin? 

Yes, I'm pretty sure that is what you are suppose to do. 

So after reviewing my options, based on time and ingredients on hand, I decided to make a chocolate sheet cake. It is quite large which is why it is popularly referred to as "Texas Sheet Cake" and apparently every good southern woman has this recipe on hand.

I don't know any to confirm, but I can tell you that is it is delicious and moist and the icing really seals the deal. This is one of those recipes to make if you have some guests to impress. It is really easy and doesn't even take up much time. 

Chocolate Sheet Cake 

Adapted by The Pioneer Woman

For the cake:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/4 tsp salt

4 heaping tsp cocoa powder

2 sticks butter

1 cup boiling water

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

For the frosting:

1 and 3/4 sticks of butter

4 heaping tbs cocoa powder

6 tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla

3-1/4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a jelly roll pan, I used a 11 x 17".

Mix together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large glass bowl.

In a saucepan melt butter, add cocoa powder.

Stir together.

Add boiling water and let mixture boil for 30 seconds.

Stir and turn off the heat.

Pour this into the bowl of flour mixture and stir together lightly.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs.

Add buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla.

Stir together. 

Stir into the butter/flour mixture.

Make sure it is fully combined, it will take a few stirs.

Pour into your sheet pan and bake for 20-23 minutes.

A toothpick should come out clean.

While you are baking the cake, make the frosting.

Melt butter in a saucepan.

Add cocoa and stir to combine.

Switch off heat.

Stir in the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

Use a whisk to get it completely smooth.

Pour this over your warm cake.

And devour :)

p.s- don't let a sheet cake fool ya, it will go quick

happy monday.

Oh what a weekend. 

Yesterday I participated in an Easter egg scavenger hunt with a large group of friends. We had to complete a list of hilarious tasks and visit bars to solve riddles throughout the city, all while wearing bunny ears. It was quite a Sunday funday.

Oh and on Saturday I finished making this...

I was inspired by lace as it has been an obsession of mine for a few years now. It is a genoise cake filled with Italian meringue buttercream and decorated with fondant. Sounds pretty fancy right?

It is my final cake from the fondant and royal icing course that I have been taking this past month. Every Saturday I would lug a large bag and tool kit to the city for a five hour class. And though my social life level dropped a bit due to this, I really loved it. It was fun, challenging, and rewarding. I meet some wonderful people, learned new cake tricks, and tasted really great food. 

Warning, really dorky and unflattering picture below...

hehe. xo

a birthday cake and its lessons.

Today is my mother's birthday.

I was SO excited to bake her cake. It had to be super special and beautiful, with lots of love of course.

So I baked it and it was perfect, just like everything I have ever baked.

Sure.

Truth is, the cake recipe did not come out how I wanted at all.

It was crumbly.

And stuck to the pan.

Afternoon wasted. Four layers down the drain. 

But I was not giving up. I was ready to start again. So I did some googling and found another recipe with great reviews. 

Perfect. Let's do this. 

And then I realized something...I was out of sugar.

SUGAR. What kind of baker runs out of sugar?

One who bakes alot, clearly.

I felt defeated. My mother came into the kitchen and tried a piece of the crumbly cake.

"It tastes good." Yes, it did taste good.

She insisted not to waste it away.
I was ready to go to the store, the cake had to be perfect, I mean I was going to blog about it! 

What will all my followers think? hah.

And then it hit me and I knew that she was right. So I got into a real Michaelangelo mode, made some delicious frosting, and pieced that cake together. Nothing was going to stop me from making a beautiful cake, not even myself.

I can be my own worst enemy sometimes, just seeking perfection.
But perfection isn't real. And I am a real baker, which is why I always wanted to start a blog.

Things happen and we have to learn to roll with the punches.

Like when I was making the frosting and the mixer splurted cocoa powder all over the counter and all over me.
Instead of thinking something else had gone wrong, I burst out laughing. 

Crazy-cocoa-covered girl alone in the kitchen. hah.

No use in crying over crumbled cake.

Thank you Mom for all the life lessons you have taught me.

Happy Birthday.