Chocolate Almond Sheet Cake 

A deceptively simple sheet cake that delivers rich, fudgy chocolate flavor and delightful crunch from toasted almonds. Chocolate Almond Sheet Cake by The Pioneer Woman blends cocoa-scented cake with a glossy chocolate-pecan icing, all topped with sliced almonds for texture and nutty aroma. It's easy to scale, stores beautifully at room temperature, and is perfect for feeding a crowd—slathered in warm frosting that seeps into every crevice, this cake is practically impossible to resist 

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
  
  

• 1 cup sliced almonds
  
  

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
  

• 2 cups granulated sugar
  
  

• ¼ tsp kosher salt
  
  

• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
  

• 1 cup boiling water
  
  

• ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
  
  

• 2 large eggs, beaten, room temperature
  
  

• 1 tsp baking soda
  
  

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
  

• ½ tsp almond extract
  
  

For the icing:

• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter
  
  

• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
  

• 6 Tbsp milk
  
  

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
  

• ¼ tsp almond extract
  
  

• 3½ cups powdered sugar
  
  

• Remaining sliced almonds for topping
  
  

Directions

1. Bake almonds: Preheat oven to 350 °F. Spread sliced almonds on a baking sheet; toast 6–8 minutes until fragrant. Cool
   
   

2. Prepare cake: Grease a 13×18″ rimmed sheet pan. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and salt
   
   

3. Make cocoa syrup: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low. Stir in cocoa; then add boiling water. Bring to a brief boil (~30 sec), then pour over dry ingredients. Stir lightly to cool
   
   

4. Add wet ingredients: In a measuring cup, combine buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir into the cocoa-flour mixture until just combined
   
   

5. Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan; bake 18–22 minutes at 350 °F, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack
   
   

6. Make icing: In a saucepan, melt butter…add cocoa. Remove from heat; whisk in milk, vanilla, almond extract, and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in half the toasted almonds
   
   

7. Frost cake: While cake is still warm, pour the icing over evenly. Sprinkle the remaining almonds on top. Let it cool completely (~1 hour) before cutting into squares
   
   

Nutrients (approximate per 1/24th of cake)

• Calories: ~380 kcal
  
  

• Carbohydrates: ~48 g
  
  

• Fat: ~19 g
  
  

• Protein: ~4 g
  
  

• Sugars: ~34 g