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The Driskill Hotel's 1886 Chocolate Cake

4.67 from 9 votes
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 287
Original Austin recipe. Decadent and sweet. Serve with a glass of cold milk.

Equipment

  • 1 cake pan (9"x13") (or jelly roll pan)

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • ⅔ cups water
  • ½ heaping cups unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs (beaten lightly)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 heaping teaspoon baking soda

For the Icing

  • ½ cups unsalted butter
  • 3 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 3-4 tablespoons half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup pecans (chopped)

Instructions 

For the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add water and cocoa, stir well.
  • Sift together flour, sugar, and salt, and stir them into the cocoa mixture.
  • In a large bowl, mix the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and baking soda. Add the chocolate mixture and mix well.
  • Grease and flour a 9"x13" cake pan (or jelly roll pan). Gently pour cake mixture in and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. If using a jelly roll pan, bake for 20 minutes. It is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

For the Icing

  • Optional: Toast pecans for 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping halfway through.
  • In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and cocoa.
  • Add the half-and-half, and heat it through. Mix in the remaining ingredients, blend well, and remove the pan from the heat.

Finishing the Cake

  • While the cake and icing are still warm, gently spoon the icing over the cake. Top with more pecans.
  • Serve the cake warm or at room temperature, with a side of strawberries and a glass of milk.

Notes

This recipe keeps for up to four days at room temperature. 
To keep longer, store in air-tight container in your freezer. Thaw before serving.
Author: denthu
Calories: 287kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cakes, chocolate, most requested

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg