Day 285: Cream Cheese Sheet Cake

My kids are out of school for a long weekend, so we are headed out to have some fun.  The weather will be perfect to spend it out doors!  I love it!!  Yesterday, my 14 year old son, Wyatt, informed me he wanted to learn to cook.  I certainly won't be the one putting a damper on that desire, so we tried a new cake recipe.  I forget that beginners don't know that you have to cream butter and sugar, or even what it is to cream something, or that someone who has never cracked an egg will make a colossal mess!  But it was fun and he wants to keep learning, and that's the important thing.  So here is today's recipe, it comes from a Taste of Home cookbook.  I do have to admit that it got dark so I made the frosting in my kitchen.

Cream Cheese Sheet Cake
14" or 16" dutch oven

1 cup plus 2 Tbs. butter or margarine
2 (3 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour

Frosting

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, cheese and sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each one.  Beat in vanilla.  Add flour and mix well.  Pour into a well greased dutch oven (or 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan).  Bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.   Cool completely.
For the frosting, combine the sugar and milk in a pan.  Bring to a boil over a full spread of coals.  Cover and cook 3 minutes without stirring.  Stir in butter and chocolate chips until melted.  Cool slightly.  Stir and spread over cake. 

The Finished Product

The Review

This cake is really good.  It is dense and soft and moist. I didn't like the frosting though.  It was just too sweet for me.  Next time I'll use a different frosting recipe.  As far as making this in a dutch oven, I think the recipe was designed to be made in a larger pan.  I made mine in a 14" and it was really thick and took nearly 50 minutes to bake completely, so keep that in mind if you use a 14" oven.  It still works, but you have to make time adjustments when you bake it.  But other than that it was really easy and yummy!  Grade B+.