Salted Texas Chocolate Cake with Pistachios

 (from Bon Appetit)

Do you love sweet and salty as much as I do?  Do you love chocolate?  How about cake?  Then you will absolutely love this dessert!   Texas sheet cakes and Mississippi mud cakes were two of my favorite chocolate cakes during my "formative" years.  Now that I have the adult taste that enjoys just a little saltiness to the sweetness, this may be my favorite chocolate cake.  I made it today to take to my family in Greenville for Easter.  I've been tempted more than a couple of times to sample a piece but I fear that one would lead to two would lead to three... so I've been "good".  The cake is in one piece and ready to travel!  It looks absolutely yummilicious!

Ingredients

For Cake

·        1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish

·        2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for baking dish

·        ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)

·        2 cups sugar

·        1 tsp baking soda

·        1 tsp kosher salt

·        2 large eggs

·        ½ cup buttermilk

·        1 tsp vanilla extract

For Frosting

·        ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

·        3 tbsp milk (I used 2%)

·        2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)

·        1½ cups powdered sugar

·        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

·        ½ cup to 1 cup chopped unsalted, roasted pistachios (I used salted pistachios)

·        1 tsp sea salt (and because I used salted nuts, I just sprinkled a bit of salt)

·        Salted Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

 

DIRECTIONS

1.    Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2.    In a small sauce pan, add the cocoa powder for the cake (1/4 cup), 1 cup of butter, and a cup of water. Bring to a boil, whisk and remove from heat. Set aside.

3.    Add sugar, baking soda, salt, 2 cups flour to a large mixing bowl.  Whisk together or beat on low with mixer until blended.  Make a well in the center and add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.  Whisk or beat on low to incorporate the dry ingredients.  Add the cocoa/butter mixture gradually and blend until smooth.

4.    Pour the batter into prepared baking dish.

5.    Bake cake for about 35 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle, it should come out clean.

6.    A few minutes before cake is done baking, make the frosting. In a small sauce pan, add butter, milk and cocoa powder and turn the heat to low. Whisk occasionally until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Do not let boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla.

7.    Pour warm frosting over the warm cake and smooth it out. Top with pistachios and sea salt.

8.    Serve warm or room temperature.