Chocolate Sheath Cake

For a special celebration tonight I felt like baking something extremely chocolaty and I remembered this cake recipe I'd wanted to try since I bought this book, "The Spice Kitchen" a while back.

I noticed similar recipes floating around the internet..some called Texas Sheet Cake and one very similar from here but because this recipe is out of a spice cookbook it has some extra "kick" from the cinnamon and ancho chili pepper in the frosting.

It's a very quick and easy recipe to make and you don't even have to haul out the mixer. Just one large bowl and a saucepan is pretty much all you need...well, okay, a few spoons and a whisk help, too!

The cake is moist and very chocolaty. I used Valhrona cocoa powder which is a great quality cocoa to use and always makes baked goods taste so good. But I really think Hershey's would be fine, too.

And because we're a small family, I halved the recipe and used a nine inch cake pan.

And why is it called a sheath cake? Apparently no one knows for sure!

Whisk your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

In a glass measuring cup, beat together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.

In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, oil and cocoa powder and bring to a boil.
Pour the boiling cocoa mixture into the flour mixture and stir to combine.
Add the egg mixture and stir that well.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or til a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Five minutes before the cake is finished baking make the frosting by combining the butter, milk, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon and chili pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, whisking constantly.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar and chopped pecans.

Spread the hot icing over the hot cake.

Then see how long you can hold out before you cut into it!

Chocolate Sheath Cake ( from "The Spice Kitchen", by Sara Engram and Katie Luber)

Cake:
2 cups AP flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup water
8 tbsp.(1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:

8 tbsp.(1 stick) unsalted butter
6 tbsp. milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ancho chili pepper or mild chili pepper (I used a scant amount)
1 (1 lb. box) confectioners' sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
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Preheat oven to 400. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 x 2 inch cake pan.
1. Sift or whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
2. Combine water, butter, oil and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly.
3. Pour the hot cocoa mixture into the flour mixture and mix til combined.
4. In a small glass measuring cup beat together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and pour into the chocolate batter and mix well.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, dropping the pan a few times on the counter to get rid of air bubbles.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or til a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Five minutes before the cake is done, begin making the frosting.
Frosting:
1. Combine butter, milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon and chili pepper in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar and chopped pecans.
4. Spread the frosting evenly over the hot cake.