Description
Ina Garten’s birthday chocolate sheet cake delights chocolate enthusiasts with its rich, moist layers. Cocoa-infused batter and creamy frosting create a memorable dessert perfect for celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
- 24 oz (680 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 18 tbsps (255 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz (227 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 4 tbsps (57 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsps light corn syrup
- 1 lemon, zested
- Chocolate candies (like M&M’s) for decorating
Instructions
- Preparation: Warm the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 12×18-inch sheet pan with butter and dust with flour, ensuring complete coverage.
- Creaming: Blend butter and sugar until ethereally light. Introduce eggs two at a time, thoroughly incorporating each before the next addition.
- Liquid Integration: Fold in sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Carefully scrape the bowl’s edges to guarantee uniform mixture.
- Dry Ingredient Combination: Sift flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda together, eliminating potential clumps and ensuring smooth texture.
- Batter Formation: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture on low speed, mixing only until harmoniously combined to maintain cake’s delicate structure.
- Baking Process: Spread batter evenly in prepared pan using a silicone spatula. Bake centrally in the oven for 25-30 minutes, confirming doneness with a clean toothpick test.
- Cooling Stage: Rest the cake at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, allowing complete thermal equilibration.
- Ganache Creation: Melt chocolate chips and heavy cream in a double boiler, stirring until achieving a glossy, smooth consistency. Remove from heat and incorporate corn syrup and vanilla extract.
- Frosting Preparation: Whisk cooled chocolate mixture with softened butter until reaching a luxurious, spreadable texture.
- Final Assembly: Generously spread chocolate frosting across the cake’s surface using an offset spatula. Invite playful decorating with colorful chocolate candies for a whimsical finishing touch.
Notes
- Butter Preparation: Generously grease the pan to prevent cake sticking and ensure easy removal.
- Egg Incorporation: Add eggs gradually and mix thoroughly to create a smooth, uniform batter with optimal texture.
- Mixing Technique: Avoid overmixing the batter to maintain the cake’s delicate, tender crumb structure.
- Cooling Critical: Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting and ensure perfect ganache application.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 85 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 80 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg