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The moistest, most delicious cake you'll ever find. And this Chocolate Obsession Cake is also the easiest, which might be the best part!
I actually made the name up a number of years ago when I was teaching a cooking class revolving around preparing an elegant Valentine Dinner. I mean really, does Texas Sheet Cake (the real name) sound like a fancy-dancy sophisticated Valentine dessert? It doesn't in my book but it is a fabulous cake; rich and decadent, dense yet light and delicious enough to qualify as a gourmet indulgence - so I just gave it a festive new moniker and a bit of a face-lift! Tada! Chocolate Obsession Cake!
Whether you decide to call this yummy dessert Texas Sheet Cake or gussy it up a bit for a special occasion, like New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day or a loved one's birthday and call it Chocolate Obsession Cake, I have a feeling that once you try it, it will become a favorite at your house also!
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Chocolate Obsession Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 8 ounces butter, I use salted butter
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup cocoa
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk, or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
For the icing:
- 4 ounces butter, I use salted butter
- 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
- ½ cup milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar, approximately
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚.
- Place butter, water, and cocoa in microwave safe dish. Microwave 3 minutes, stirring once about halfway through.
- Add sugar and flour and whisk until smooth.
- Add eggs and buttermilk, salt and soda and mix well. Stir in vanilla.
- Prepare pan (or pans) by spraying generously with baking spray.
- Pour batter into pan or pans. (For muffin pans, I used about ¼ cup batter per cake.) Bake 25-30 minutes for 11" x15" pan or 15-25 minutes for cake pans or muffin pans. When the cake is done, it will bounce back when lightly touched. Another way to tell if it is done is to insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake and pull it out. If the cake is done, the toothpick will come out clean or with a few crumbs, not coated with batter.
- Remove from oven and frost as directed below.
- For the frosting, place butter and baking chocolate in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 ½ minutes or until chocolate is melted. Stir until blended with a wire whisk.
- Add milk and vanilla. Mix well. Slowly add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Frosting should be thick but still pourable when warm. If too thin add a bit more powdered sugar. If too thick add a little extra milk.
Notes
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Please could you put this into metric measurements. I don't understand the cups system.
Many thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan, I have added the metric conversion. Enjoy!
HOLY MOLY!
This is a superb cake. The best I've enjoyed.
I used the same sized muffin squares and froze the un iced extras for later and they were just as delicious as fresh, being heated a little in the microwave.
The icing was very good as is or changing it up a bit of whipping cream.
Then, with a raspberry coulis it was again perfect.
Just a terrific and superb recipe with a really versatile and always delicious treat.
Thank you so much for sharing this gem. ~ Lill
chapter 29, verse 13; “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”.
Thank you for the review, Lill! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I'd like to try to make this cake. What high altitude adjustments are necessary? I'm at 6000'.
Hi Cindy, I'm not an expert at high-altitude baking. We live at 2600 feet in the mountains of North Carolina but I don't need to make any adjustments.
Hi … love your recipes! 3 questions pls….
What is the weight of a “stick” of butter. We don’t call them sticks her3 in Australia… it’s all by weight.
2nd. I’ve bought some gorgeous silicone moulds in various shapes… mainly flowers. Will these work with this recipe? I want to either dust with icing sugar or use your dip and flip icing method 😉
What I really wanted was a great chocolate brownie recipe to use these cake molds … so for #3 … do you have a “ridiculously fantastic” chocolate brownie recipe that would be a show stopper for Valentine’s Day treats?
Sue x
Hi Sue, happy to answer your quesion!
Butter is sold here in the US in 1 pound cartons with 4 "sticks' in each carton. Each stick is 4 ounces or 113g.
I think you silicone mold should work fine for this recipe.
Regarding the brownies, I working on a recipe right now and am quite happy with it. I'm not sure exactly when we will photograph it though.
Hello, I have two questions…. Is your square muffin pan silicone or metal? And also, what is the size of each little cake when made in these square pans?
Thanks, Pamela
Hi Pamela, my muffin pan is metal and each cake is 2.6x2.6. This is the muffin pan I use: https://amzn.to/3Mtz6iP
Thanks very much!
Butter: salted or unsalted. Thanks!!
Hi Sharon, we always use salted.
If I bake the cake in muffin tins can I use muffin wrappers?
Thanks
Hi Elizabeth, you definitely can however the cakes will have the little indented ridges from the papers. If you spray the pan well with baking spray, the cakes will come out without difficulty.
Best chocolate cake I ever had. So moist. Made it for my husband and he loved. He said it’s a keeper!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Michelle!
This cake is wonderful!
Any suggestions on how to freeze?
Thanks
Hi Francie, you can cut it into slices and freeze on a plate. Once frozen you can wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in Tupperware or freezer bags. You could also freeze it in the pan you baked it in.
This is such a brilliant recipe! Simple but so effective. I made this cake for my husband's birthday as he is a big chocolate addict...he was beyond happy 🙂 I'm not so hot on chocolate cake and couldn't stop eating this cake either!
Thanks for the details on different cake sizes/pans. Very useful.
Another Cafe recipe that I'm bookmarking for making again and again 🙂 Thank you so much!
Thanks so much, Amrita! It's one of our family's all time favorite recipes!
Hi! This recipe sounds amazing and I would like to try it, but I have a question. At the moment, I do not have a microwave, can I do the same process in the stove and how? Thank you in advance!
Absolutely, that will work fine, Rocio!
As we have to stay in more at this time, and restaurants/bars etc are closed, it meant no outing for us so I decided to bake my birthday cake. Although mine were not as pretty as yours (mine had a little dome on top) they were absolutely delicious. Again thank you
Happy Birthday, Claire! I'm glad you enjoyed this cake 💕
Dutch processed or regular cocoa? Thank you!
Regular. Enjoy!
How do you get the round cake off of the wire rack and onto a serving plate once it’s ftosted? I used a spatula to lift it off and pushed it onto the plate but it collapsed the underside of the cake on one side. Fortunately my family didn’t care what it looks like because it was absolutely amazing! How do you do remove it safely?
Hi Diane, I have large cake spatula like this one: http://amzn.to/2yApgVY
It works great. I've also done it with two regular size metal spatulas, one under each side. Have the serving plate right next to the wire rack. So happy you enjoyed it anyway 🙂
wHAT IS THE EQUIVALENT IN POUNDS AND OUNCES OR GRAMMES TO A "CUP" IN YOUR RECIPE. YOUR CAKE LOOKS AND SOUNDS DELICIOUS. I WOULD LIKE TO TRY IT. BUT THE "CUP" MEASUREMENTS HAVE STOPPED ME .
Hi Anne,
It's easy to convert. Here is a chart that's really helpful: http://dish.allrecipes.com/cup-to-gram-conversions/
This is AMAZING! Yummmmm butter in cake sounds so sinfully good!
Yes, I have used this recipe for cupcakes and they come out great!
can you make mini cupcakes from this recipe?
can you make mini cupcakes from this recipe?
Oh thanks, I just added that - it is 350˚!
what temp do i set the oven at? haha! i made it, and i'm like, oh no! im using 350. beautiful post! ty!
looks awesome, but i am retarded. is there a set temp to set the oven at? i'm gonna just do this at 350...? thanks for posting!
Your cake looks so delicious!
Wishing you a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year!
This looks so amazing! Great post!
Yum! I haven't had chocolate cake in a long time... I may have to break that streak with this recipe! Happy New Year!
Brandon
from http://www.theyummybits.com
Chocolate obsession sounds much better. Yum yum yum. Have a wonderful NYE Chris!
These look great!! I had to post it on Pinterest. My kids already love this recipe but you took it to a whole new level!! Can't wait to dress it up a bit! Great idea, Great recipe. Thank you for sharing!
I would eat this cake in ANY form...it's beautiful! But yes, those little parcel-style plates are very impressive for a little plated dessert. Yum! Happy New Year 😀
These photos are so inviting! Yum Yum to this extremely decadent treat. Chocolate anything is delicious so I bet this cake is uber good!
Wow, this is so beautiful! Happy New Year!
Just a beautiful chocolate cake, love your photos!
I'm looking for a square muffin tin, where I'll find a home for it, I have no idea! Im so happy I found your blog and am looking forward to your posts in the New Year;-)
Come on over - there's always a piece stashed away for YOU! And you know just where to look, don't you? 🙂
Another family secret revealed!:) Your readers sure are lucky! I want a piece now!:)
I actually found those square pans at Marshall's or TJ, I can't remember which one, but VERY reasonable!
Ok, I think that drizzled chocolate on chocolate thing may just have become my favorite way of decorating a cake. It's awesome. Where in the world did you find square muffin tins? I want!
Thanks for the 'welcome home.' It's good to be back in NC, though I'm sorry I dragged the cold weather down with me.
2012 is almost here. We are getting together in this new year!
That is a fantastic cake. Gorgeous pics, I can see why it would be an obsession cake!
Happy New Year!
I often change names of recipes to suit me as well! This one sounds much more decadent! 🙂 I love how you made them into individual cakes-totally worthy of a Valentine's dessert!
What a sweet note to end the year on. Thank you Chris.
My favorite chocolate cake and I LOVE the way you have improved the looks. Happy New Year!! Yes, I always had to giggle that in 45 minutes you have a completed cake that is outstandingly delicious!!!
I always add 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon to the batter. Makes a nice difference.
Isn't amazing what a little icing and creative use of pans can do for a cake! The best cakes are the ones that can stand in on the everyday and still good enough for special occasions.
Oh wow! what a festive, delicious looking chocolate cake! I can understand why it's called obsession cake:) Happy New Year!