Chocolate Sheet Cake with Mocha Frosting

A fudgy chocolate cake with a rich mocha frosting

If you haven't guessed by the picture above, our healthy eating cleanse is over. We broke it over dinner at our friends' house on Thursday night, and to celebrate, I brought over this decadent chocolate cake from the newest Barefoot Contessa cookbook. I had been craving sweets, the richer and more chocolatey, the better, and this cake certainly delivered. It's a sheet cake, so it's fairly low maintenance to make and assemble. The cake is moist and makes a perfect canvas for the thick layer of rich mocha frosting. As a bonus, you can bake and frost the entire cake a day in advance because the frosting acts as a barrier to the tender cake beneath and keeps it from drying out. One cake is enough to feed a dozen people and is perfect for birthday parties or other special occasions.


Related Recipes:
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Banana Frosting
- Vegan Chocolate Cake


Chocolate Sheet Cake with Mocha Frosting:
Cake Ingredients
- 12 tbsp. unsalted room temperature butter
- 2 c. sugar
- 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2/3 c. very hot tap water
- 2/3 c. half and half
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. instant espresso powder

Frosting Ingredients
- 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/4 c. heavy cream
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp. Kahlua
- 2 tsp. instant espresso powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Recipe
For Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Grease a 9"x13"x2" pan, line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the parchment.
• Meanwhile, cream together the butter and sugar in an electric mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until very fluffy.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined, and add in the vanilla.
• In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
• In another bowl, stir together the hot water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder.
• Put the mixer on low and alternate adding in the flour and chocolate mixtures in thirds until combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan, then transfer to a serving plate and frost.

For Frosting & Assembly

• Heat the cream in a saucepan until simmering.
• Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder in a bowl of an electric mixer.
• Pour the hot cream over the chocolate mixture and stir until melted and smooth. Add in the vanilla and Kahlua.
• Refrigerate for about thirty minutes, or until cool but not cold.
• Beat the mixture on high for another 20 seconds only, or until the mixture forms soft peaks.
• Immediately spread the frosting onto the cake.

Serves twelve