Chocolate Pecan Sheet Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Stir together and set aside.
• In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and eggs. Mix with a fork and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the cocoa. Whisk together to combine. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil. When the butter is melted, pour the boiling water in the pan. Allow to bubble for a moment, then turn off the heat. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Stir together for a moment to cool the chocolate, then pour in the egg mixture. Stir together until smooth, then pour into an ungreased jelly roll pan (or rimmed baking sheet) and bake for 20 minutes.
• While the cake is baking, make the icing: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Add the milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir together. Dump in the pecans and stir until well combined.
• Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pour the warm icing over the top. You'll want to avoid doing much spreading, so try to distribute it evenly as you pour.

Steps:

• 8-inch round spring form pan, 2 1/2 inches deep
• Position oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 375. Spray the bottom and sides of the pan very lightly with vegetable oil spray.
• In a clean dry food processor or blender, pulverize pecans and flour until the mixture resembles the texture of fine meal. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine chopped chocolate, cocoa, and 3/4 cup sugar. Add boiling water and whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in egg yolks and Bourbon. Set aside.
• Combine egg whites with cream of tartar in a medium mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in remaining sugar and beat on high speed until stiff but not dry. Whisk the flour and almonds into the chocolate mixture. Fold about one quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites. Scrape batter into prepared pan; level the top if necessary.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick or wooden skewer plunged into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool in the pan, on a wire rack. Cake will sink like a souffle and the top crust may be broken and uneven. Cooled cake may be covered and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator one day ahead or frozen up to two months.
• To unmold and serve: Detach the cake from the pan by sliding a small knife around the sides of the cake, pressing close to the sides of the pan. Release the spring and remove the pan sidesif the cake edges crack or break, do not eat or discard the pieces! Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform and transfer it to a serving dish. Gently replace any broken crust pieces. Sieve powdered sugar very lightly over the top to highlight the uneven surface and give the cake a rustic and appetizing appeal!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil or butter a 9- by 2-inch round springform pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper or foil.
• In a double boiler or a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolates and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and stir in bourbon or rum.
• In a food processor pulse pecans with 3/4 cup sugar until finely ground. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in flour.
• In another bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with salt at medium speed until white, opaque, and beginning to hold their shape. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, beating at high speed until whites hold soft (not stiff), slightly glossy peaks. Stir in pecan mixture with a spatula until well blended and fold in chocolate mixture until no streaks remain (batter will deflate).
• Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake cake in middle of oven 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted into center comes out clean. Run a thin knife around edge of cake to loosen and invert cake onto a rack to cool completely.
• Remove parchment or foil and transfer cake to a platter. Cake may be wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled 1 week or frozen 1 month. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.
• Just before serving, dust cake with confectioners' sugar.