Everyone loves a classic dessert, and when it comes to crowd-pleasing treats, the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, truly delivers. While you might be searching for the perfect Snickerdoodle Recipe Pioneer Woman style, let’s not overlook another of her fantastic creations: the Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake. This recipe, known for its rich chocolate flavor and incredibly moist texture, is a guaranteed hit. And for those of us baking at higher altitudes, adapting recipes can sometimes be tricky. Luckily, this guide provides a high-altitude adjusted version of the Pioneer Woman’s Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake that ensures perfect results every time.
This recipe, inspired by the original Pioneer Woman Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake, has been thoughtfully modified for baking at approximately 5,000 feet above sea level. The result? A deeply chocolatey, tender cake topped with a luscious, smooth chocolate frosting. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, this recipe is straightforward and rewarding. Plus, we’ll even explore a fun twist – cutting the cake into adorable heart shapes, perfect for sharing or adding a touch of whimsy to your dessert table.
Close-up of heart-shaped Texas chocolate sheet cakes, showcasing their rich chocolate color and frosting.
Get the Recipe: Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake Hearts (High-Altitude Adapted)
Author: Michelle Lopez (Adapted from The Pioneer Woman)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 24 servings (depending on heart size)
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 4 tablespoons heaping, unleveled unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (reduced for high-altitude)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Frosting
- 1 ¾ sticks (¾ cup + 6 tablespoons) salted butter
- 4 tablespoons heaping, unleveled unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound minus ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
Baking the Pioneer Woman’s Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake (High-Altitude Adaptation)
- Preheat and Position Rack: Position your oven rack one level below the top and preheat to 350°F (175°C). This higher rack position helps prevent the top of the cake from browning too quickly at high altitude.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
- Melt Butter: In a medium saucepan, melt 2 sticks of salted butter over medium heat.
- Boil Water: While the butter melts, boil 1 cup of water. Set aside.
- Chocolate Butter Mixture: Once the butter is melted, add the cocoa powder to the saucepan. Stir until smooth and combined with the melted butter.
- Bloom Cocoa: Keep the heat on low and pour in the boiling water. Let the mixture bubble gently for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. This process ‘blooms’ the cocoa, enhancing its flavor. Remove from heat and set aside briefly to cool slightly.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the warm chocolate-butter mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir gently until just combined. Don’t overmix at this stage.
- Buttermilk Mixture: In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, lightly whisked eggs, vanilla extract, and baking soda. The baking soda is reduced from the original sea-level recipe to prevent the cake from rising too rapidly and then collapsing at high altitude.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Pour the buttermilk mixture into the batter. Stir until everything is smoothly combined, creating a consistent batter.
- Prepare Pan and Bake: Lightly grease a 17.25 x 11.5 inch jelly roll pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Bake: Bake on the prepared oven rack for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Be careful not to overbake, as high-altitude cakes can dry out faster.
- Cool Slightly: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly on a wire rack while you prepare the frosting.
Making the Pioneer Woman’s Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake Frosting
- Melt Butter: In a large saucepan, melt the 1 ¾ sticks of salted butter over medium heat.
- Chocolate Frosting Base: Once melted, add the cocoa powder to the saucepan. Stir to combine and cook for 30 seconds, allowing it to bubble gently. Remove from heat.
- Add Liquids: Stir in the whole milk and vanilla extract.
- Add Powdered Sugar: Add the sifted powdered sugar all at once to the saucepan. Stir continuously until the frosting is smooth, glossy, and creamy.
Creating Heart-Shaped Cakes
- Frost the Cake: While the cake is still slightly warm, pour the warm frosting evenly over the top. The warmth helps the frosting spread smoothly. Use a spatula to ensure even coverage if needed.
- Cool Completely: Allow the frosted cake to cool completely at room temperature. Then, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or until thoroughly chilled. Chilling makes it easier to cut clean shapes.
- Cut into Hearts: Once chilled, remove the cake from the refrigerator. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out as many hearts as possible. Start from the edges and work your way inwards, alternating the direction of the hearts to minimize waste.
Overhead shot of Texas chocolate sheet cake cut into heart shapes, arranged on a white platter.
Recipe Notes and Baking Tips
- Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder for the best, most intense chocolate flavor. Sweetened cocoa powder will make the cake less rich.
- Nutty Variation: For a classic Texas touch, add ½ cup of finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the frosting after adding the powdered sugar.
- Measuring Accuracy: Ensure accurate measurements. Spoon measurements are unleveled unless specified. Level dry ingredients by sweeping excess off with the back of a knife. Use appropriate measuring cups for liquids and dry ingredients.
- Mixing the Batter: Avoid overmixing the batter after adding the chocolate-butter mixture to the flour. Overmixing can lead to a dense cake. Mix just until combined.
- Oven Temperature: Resist opening the oven door frequently during baking, as temperature fluctuations can affect the cake’s rise and texture.
- Warm Cake and Frosting: Pour the frosting over the cake while both are still warm. This helps the frosting spread easily and creates a smooth, even layer without needing to use a spatula extensively.
- Cutting Tips: If you find it difficult to cut the cake with cookie cutters, use a thin, dull knife to trace around the cutter before removing the heart shape. Gently push from underneath to release the heart.
- Leftover Cake Scraps: Don’t discard the cake scraps! Freeze them for future uses like cake pops, trifle layers, or as mix-ins for ice cream.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Categories: Cakes Sheet Cakes
Posted by Michelle Lopez on March 22, 2012 (last updated Apr 16, 2020)
