Mississippi Mud Sheet Cake

I decided today that it was time to introduce my children to Mississippi mud cake.  The poor little darlings don't get enough sugar and butter in their diet, you know.  I can remember my mom making this a few times when I was a kid and I always loved it so much.  I went with this recipe I found at Hostess With The Mostess, because...well I just love a sheet cake.

At first I was a little disappointed with the flatness of the cake, but after all the deliciousness is added on top, turns out it's just perfect the way it is.  

Mississippi Mud Sheet Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into big chunks

½ cup cocoa

4 eggs, beaten well

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Mississippi Mud Frosting:

One 16-ounce box (about 3 2/3 cups) confectioners’ sugar

½ cup cocoa

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

½ cup milk or evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups mini-marshmallows, or 3 cups marshmallows, quartered

Directions:

To make the cake, heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13-by-9-inch pan. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the cocoa and cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, until the butter is melted and the mixture is well blended, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the beaten eggs, vanilla, sugar, flour, salt, and pecans, and beat with a wooden spoon or spatula or with a mixer at low speed until the batter is well combined and smooth, and the flour has disappeared.

Quickly pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at the 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched gently in the center and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. *I only left mine in 17 minutes and that was plenty, the sides were just about to get crispy*

Prepare the frosting while the cake bakes; so that you will be ready to poor it over the hot cake. In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and the cocoa, and stir to mix them well. Add the melted butter, milk and vanilla, and use a large spoon or mixer at low speed to beat everything together well. Set aside until the cake is done.

Remove the cake from the oven, scatter the marshmallows over the top, and return the cake to the hot oven form about 3 minutes, to soften the marshmallows.

Place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack or a folded kitchen towel. Pour the frosting all over the marshmallow-dotted cake, and cool to room temperature. Cut into small squares and serve.


*I didn't put the pecans in my cake, I sprinkled a few on top with the marshmallows*

Hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween!  Next installment will be another edition of Seven Sporadic Questions featuring my first blogger from across the pond. Stay tuned :)