- 1
Ingredients
- 2 cups (10 ounces) flour
- 2 cups (14 ounces) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sour cream -- at room temperature
- 2 large eggs -- at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks -- at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate -- chopped
- 3/4 cup oil
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
- ICING
- 1 stick unsalted butter or margarine -- cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
- 3 cups (12 ounces) confectioners sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans -- toasted and chopped
Preparation
Step 1
Grease an 18 x 13 inch baking sheet. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla.
Melt the chocolate, oil, water, cocoa and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly whisk in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Whisk in the egg mixture until combined.
Give the batter a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking sheet, smooth the top, and gently tap the sheet on the counter to settle the batter. Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes.
For the icing: During the cake's last few minutes of baking, cook the butter, cream, cocoa and corn syrup together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Off the heat, whisk in the confectioners sugar and vanilla until combined.
Spread the warm icing evenly over the hot cake and sprinkle with pecans. Let the cake cool in the pan to room temperature, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until the icing is set, about 1 hour longer.