Invite your kids to help with chocolate cake
A process called Dutching gives the cocoa a fuller flavour and deeper colour
This chocolate sheet cake requires that you use Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
What exactly is that?
It’s a process called Dutching, which was invented in the 19th century by a Dutch chemist and chocolatier named Coenraad Van Houten, raises cocoa powder’s pH level, which gives the cocoa a fuller flavour and deeper colour. Dutch-processed cocoa (sometimes called “alkalized” or “Europeanstyle” cocoa) is the best choice for most baked goods.
Using a natural (or “unalkalized”) cocoa powder results in a drier cake.
Follow this recipe with your kids.
Chocolate Sheet Cake
Makes 15 servings
Vegetable oil spray
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 1⁄2 tsp salt
1 1⁄3 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup whole milk
3⁄4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2⁄3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract Milk Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)
Gather cooking equipment:
• 13-by-9-inch metal baking pan
• Medium bowl
• Whisk
• Large saucepan
• Rubber spatula
• Toothpick
• Oven mitts
• Cooling rack
• Icing spatula
• Chef ’s knife
Start to finish: 75 minutes; inactive time: one hour, plus cooling time
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 F. Spray bottom and sides of 13by-9inch metal baking pan with vegetable oil spray.
In medium bowl, whisk together
sugar, flour, baking soda and salt.
In large saucepan combine chocolate chips, milk and cocoa. Place saucepan over low heat and cook, whisking often, until chocolate chips are melted and mixture is smooth, about five minutes.
Turn off heat. Slide saucepan to cool burner and let mixture cool slightly, about five minutes.
Add oil, eggs and vanilla to saucepan with chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth, making sure to scrape corners of saucepan.
Use rubber spatula to scrape batter into greased baking pan and smooth top (ask an adult for help because saucepan will be heavy).
Place baking pan in oven. Bake until toothpick inserted in centre comes out with few crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes.
Use oven mitts to remove baking pan from oven (ask an adult for help). Place baking pan on cooling rack and let cake cool completely in pan, about two hours.
Use icing spatula to spread frosting evenly over cooled cake. Cut cake into pieces and serve.
Milk Chocolate Frosting
This recipe calls for just three ingredients but they are transformed by the microwave and refrigerator.
Don’t use salted butter in this recipe.
This recipe makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes or one sheet cake.
Makes about 2 cups 11⁄3 cups milk chocolate chips 1⁄3 cup heavy cream 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened
Gather cooking equipment:
• Large microwave-safe bowl
• Rubber spatula
• Whisk
• Electric mixer
Prep: five minutes; cook: 10 minutes, plus one hour chilling time
In large microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and cream. Heat microwave at 50 per cent power for one minute. Stop microwave and stir with rubber spatula. Heat in microwave at 50 per cent power until melted, one to two minutes. Remove bowl from microwave.
Add softened butter to chocolate mixture and use whisk to stir and break up large butter pieces. Let sit until butter is fully melted, about five minutes. Whisk until completely smooth.
Refrigerate frosting until cooled and thickened, about one hour.
Use electric mixer to beat frosting on medium-high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, 30 seconds.
Per serving: 456 calories (55 per cent from fat); 28 grams fat (11 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 86 milligrams cholesterol; 159 mg sodium; 45 g carbohydrate; 3 g fibre; 32 g sugar; 6 g protein.