SunButter Chocolate Sheet Cake
I wanted to thank SunButter® for sponsoring this SunButter Chocolate Sheet Cake post! As always, all opinions and ideas are 100% my own.
What could be better than a good ol’ chocolate sheet cake? A SunButter Chocolate Sheet Cake, of course! This delicious recipe features a rich, moist chocolate cake that is topped with a lusciously creamy sunbutter chocolate buttercream! This buttercream is made with real melted chocolate and is infused with creamy natural sunbutter!
WHAT IS SUNBUTTER?
SunButter, for those who have never heard of it or had the pleasure of trying it, is a seed-butter spread that is made from sunflower seeds! SunButter is an excellent alternative to nut-butters for any one with allergies, sensitivities, or looking to incorporate a delicious, but healthier alternative to most nut-butters! It has 7g of protein per serving, is jam-packed with vitamins & minerals, and has absolutely no trans-fat and actually has less saturated fat than your typical almond butter!
Check out my SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs, SunButter Salted Caramel Cheesecake and SunButter Banana Layer Cake if you’re interested in more SunButter recipes!
How to make the Chocolate Sheet Cake
1. Combine wet ingredients: Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, sour cream, and oil, to a large mixing bowl, then beat together with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Bloom the cocoa: Add the sifted cocoa powder to the warm coffee. Mix until smooth, and then add to the wet mixture from above.
4. Add the dry & wet together: Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and whisk together until smooth. Try not to overmix though!
5. Add to pan & bake: Pour the chocolate sheet cake batter into a prepared pan, then place into the oven to bake! When done, allow the chocolate cake to cool completely before topping with sunbutter chocolate buttercream!
WHY DO YOU HAVE TO ‘BLOOM’ COCOA?
You’ll notice in the recipe instructions that you have to add the cocoa powder to hot coffee before adding it to the batter. This is known as ‘blooming’ that cocoa. The reasoning behind this process is that the hot liquid dissolves flavor particles within the cocoa powder, making the final product taste more chocolatey! While we’re at it, you may also be wondering why this SunButter Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe, as well as many other chocolate cake or cupcake recipes, are made with coffee. Again, the reasoning for this is because the coffee actually intensifies that chocolate flavor! Neat, huh?!
WHAT IS DUTCH PROCESSED COCOA?
This SunButter Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe calls for Dutch processed cocoa as the cocoa powder. ‘What the heck is Dutch processed cocoa powder’, you ask? Dutch processed cocoa is created by alkalizing regular cocoa powder to bring it up to a pH of 7. This process sort of strips the acidic properties out of the cocoa powder, leaving it with a much more mild, less astringent taste. By removing the astringency, the flavor of chocolate is able to shine through more, creating the illusion that it tastes more chocolatey! Definitely what we want for a chocolate cake recipe!
Be warned, however, that regular cocoa powder and dutch-processed cocoa powder cannot always be used interchangeably. Recipes that include baking soda need an acid to activate the baking soda to induce rising. In many recipes this ingredient is cocoa powder (pH=5.3). Therefore, using Dutch processed cocoa powder, which has a neutral pH, wouldn’t activate the baking soda, and another acidic ingredient would be required. For example, in this chocolate cake recipe, that other acidic ingredient is sour cream (pH=4.5).
How to make the SunButter Chocolate Buttercream
1. Whip the butter: Place the butter into a stand mixer, then whip until butter is pale in colour and fluffy.
2. Add confectioners sugar: Add the confectioners sugar in batches while the stand mixer beats on low.
3. Add chocolate: Drizzle in the melted chocolate – beat until fully combined.
4. Add sunbutter: Add the SunButter, then beat until combined and fluffy.
Get the Recipe: SunButter Chocolate Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Sheet Cake
- 2 ½ cups (300g) All Purpose Flour,, † measured correctly
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 cups (400g) White Sugar
- 1 cup (240g) Full Fat Sour Cream
- 1/2 cup (109g) Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 3/4 cup (75g) Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, (regular cocoa can be used too)
- 3/4 cup (180g) Hot Freshly Brewed Coffee
SunButter Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup (227g) Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) Confectioners Sugar
- 6 oz (170g) Semi Sweet Chocolate,, melted
- 1/3 cup (80g) Natural SunButter,, well mixed
Instructions
Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×12” pan with baking spray and parchment. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together to combine. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, add eggs, sugar, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth and well combined.
- In a small mixing bowl or 2-cup liquid measuring cup, add the hot coffee and cocoa powder. Whisk together until well-combined and smooth. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then add the cocoa mixture into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients (eggs, sour cream, etc.), then mix until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and mix until smooth. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
SunButter Chocolate Buttercream
- Add the butter to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl. Beat on high until the butter is doubled in volume and looks light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Turn the stand mixer or hand mixer to low and slowly add the confectioners sugar. Beat on medium until completely incorporated and smooth.
- Turn the stand mixer to medium, then pour in the melted chocolate and mix until combined.
- Add in the SunButter, then beat until combined. Add the SunButter Chocolate Buttercream on top of cooled sheet cake, then top with sprinkles to decorate.
