Chocolate Sheath Cake

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This is a very good basic chocolate cake recipe which has a boiled chocolate pecan / walnut icing which is poured over the top of the cake as soon as it is removed from the oven. I grew up eating this at our school cafeterias. This is the Ft. Worth Texas ISD's chocolate sheath cake recipe. It always comes out moist and delicious. Simply yummy, yummy, yummy. Oh, and did I say yummy already?? :)

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  • 15 mins

Ingredients

  • CAKE:
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
  • NOTE: I prefer using the butter over the margarine because the cake has a better flavor and it's a better more heart friendly option than using margarine in a recipe and using the butter does not affect it's moistness or texture.
  • 5 tbsp. cocoa
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs well beaten
  • ICING:
  • 1 stick (1/2 c.) butter or margarine
  • Note: I prefer butter over the margarine because the icing has more flavor and the texture is more smooth when using the butter. Also, believe it or not, it's a more heart friendly option and than using margarine in a recipe.
  • 6 tbsp. Half 'n Half, or milk, or evaporated milk
  • 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp. cocoa
  • 1 box ( 1 lb.) of powdered sugar
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
  • Note: Toasting the pecans or walnuts in a very hot skillet prior to adding them to the icing adds additional flavor, but this step is optional and may be omitted.

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9" x 13" sheet cake pan.

1. In a sauce pan bring to a boil the water, butter or margarine, and the cocoa. Set aside.

2. In a lg. mixing bowl sift together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon.

3. Pour the cocoa mixture from the sauce pan into the dry ingredients mixing well by hand until the mixture has a smooth, well blended consistency.

4. In another bowl using a whisk or fork beat the buttermilk and soda together. Be sure your bowl is large enough to accommodate the foaming action that will occur when you add the soda to the buttermilk. It will foam and should almost double in size when you add the soda to the buttermilk. That's a good thing, it means the soda is active. Now add the vanilla and beaten eggs to the buttermilk/soda mixture beating well until they are thoroughly combined.

5. Add the buttermilk/soda/egg mixture to the cake batter and by hand with a whisk beat well until well blended. Do not over beat the cake batter, a minute or two is usually sufficient.

** NOTE: An electric mixer may be used for this step if you do not want to beat by hand, however if you use an electric mixer be sure you use a medium setting and only beat for not more than 2 minutes being careful not to over beat the cake batter.

6. Pour the batter into a 9" x 13" greased and floured sheet cake pan. Spread out evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Test with a wooden tooth pick. If it comes out clean it's done. If it doesn't come out clean then bake an additional 5 to 8 minutes more.

7. As soon as the cake is removed from the oven, while it is still hot, gently beat the icing from your sauce pot and then immediately pour the icing on top of the cake. Gently spread over the top of the entire cake and let cool prior to serving. The icing will harden slightly after cooling.

Tah Dah !! .. Grab your plate and fork .. Now it's time to eat and enjoy :)

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