Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

So my oldest turned 9 last week.

It was rough.

Some of his birthdays are fun, some of them are exciting, some of them kind of come and go. And some of them kind of wring my heart a little. See, it seems like yesterday that we did this…

and this…

and now we’re doing this…

and, in the same amount of time that he’s been alive, he’s going to be getting ready to move away from home. And it kind of kills me a little.

So I’m not going to think about that, and instead, I’m going to eat my feelings in the form of the Jones Family Birthday Cake (who am I kidding, all those feelings got eaten about 4 days ago. Now I’m cakeless and sad all over again).

It’s clearly gotten a lot of love. Everyone in our whole family loves this cake, and it’s super easy, so, by default, it’s kind of become the family birthday cake.

You’re going to need butter, unsweetened cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, eggs, and buttermilk or sour cream.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13″ pan (and flour it if you like to; I usually don’t) and set it aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, and cocoa powder.

Over medium heat, stir the mixture frequently until it comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), add the flour,

sugar,

baking soda, and salt

and whisk together to combine.

Add the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk (or sour cream)

and beat until blended. Add the cocoa mixture and beat until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

To prepare the frosting, combine the peanut butter chips, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan

and heat, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the chips are melted and the the mixture is combined. Remove from heat, then whisk in the vanilla extract and the powdered sugar until smooth (you can use an electric mixer if you’d like). Pour the frosting over the cake and smooth with a spatula, then, if desired, sprinkle with mini Reese’s Pieces.

Allow to cool before serving.

Or sticking candles in it and getting all teary in the dark while your baby blows out his birthday candles. Yes, I’m a mess.

Makes 12 servings.

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Hershey’s Best-Loved Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups flour, spooned lightly into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Mini Reese’s Pieces for decoration (available in the baking aisle)
• PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 10-ounce package peanut butter chips
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (so measure it first, then sift it)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13″ pan (and flour it if you like to; I usually don’t) and set it aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, and cocoa powder. Over medium heat, stir the mixture frequently until it comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt and whisk together to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk (or sour cream) and beat until blended. Add the cocoa mixture and beat until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

To prepare the frosting, combine the peanut butter chips, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the chips are melted and the the mixture is combined. Remove from heat, then whisk in the vanilla extract and the powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy (you can use an electric mixer if you’d like). Pour the frosting over the cake and smooth with a spatula, then, if desired, sprinkle with mini Reese’s Pieces. Allow to cool before serving. Makes 12 servings.

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