Texas Sheet Cake or The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake (Pioneer Woman)

Texas Sheet Cake or Pioneer Woman's The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

If you are a blogger, do you have orphan posts? Electronic files of photos in your Flickr account with no home? Half finished posts because you may not remember what recipe you even used? Not saying that has happened to me or anything :) ... but here is something I made back in July. Seems like forever ago. I do remember that my co-worker, Kathy loved this cake. So there. That's all you need to know. And Pioneer Woman herself calls it "The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever."

This recipe is ridiculously simple. Boil a bit of stuff and pour it into a half-sheet pan. Bake for only 20 minutes and then top with a heated frosting. Seriously easy. I skipped the pecans.

The result? A cakey, moist chocolate cake, not as dense as a brownie, with a simple cocoa frosting. Delicious.

Recipe:

Pioneer Woman's The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

On her site with hella photos here and on her Tasty Kitchen site here.

Barefoot Contessa's Fresh Nectarine Cake

Barefoot Contessa's Fresh Peach Nectarine Cake

Oh, Ina. I just heart you.
Ina makes a Fresh Peach Cake to celebrate summer. And I'm celebrating the soon-to-be end of summer with a Fresh Nectarine Cake. It takes Los Angeles a while to get into fall...especially since it was 95 degrees this weekend!


This recipe has two (count 'em! two!) layers of fresh peaches or nectarines. Lay the thick batter on the bottom of the pan, top with fruit and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. More batter goes on top and another layer of peaches/nectarines. Ina tops her cake with pecans but I used sliced almonds. I only did half the cake as one of my co-workers doesn't eat nuts (before you go nuts, she not allergic, nuts just bother her tummy).

If you still have peaches or nectarines available, make this cake as a good-bye to summer! The cake is moist, the fruit is sweet and delicious and it's perfect for breakfast or tea...or anytime!

Recipe:
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa's Fresh Peach Cake

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I used 2 large eggs from the fridge, put in warm water for 5 minutes before use)
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

Topping:
1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I used about 1/4 cup silvered almonds on half the cake)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan. I placed a sheet of parchment paper and sprayed with with Pam with Flour.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon. This is the topping. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of the KitchenAid with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy on medium speed (about 4 minutes). With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined.
6. Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the nectarines, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining nectarines on top and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.
7. Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. My cake took 60 minutes to cook.