Texas Sheet Cake

I actually made this recipe a while ago (a few months), but as I had just moved to Texas, I was in no way organized to post it to the blog.  So, as I promised when I made Yak and Cornbread, I have it posted now.   This cake I made for the 1st day of school and it really was a hit.  Even though we only wanted a brownie sized piece at a time because it is so dense and rich, it was still gobbled up in record timing.  One of my co-workers remarked to me Tuesday when I brought in lemon shortbread cookies, that she has a problem not devouring everything I bake.  I too have this problem... good thing I like exercise.

For the Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 or 5 heaping tbsp cocoa (I used dark chocolate... notice the almost black color of the cake)
2 sticks butter (I used salted butter because lets face it, who keeps unsalted butter in their fridge?)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla


For the Icing:
1 3/4 sticks butter
4 or 5 heaping tbsp cocoa
6 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup confectioners (take 1/2 cup out of the box or bag and set aside before using the remaining)

Combine dry ingredients (minus cocoa) in a bowl.  Melt butter over stove top and add cocoa powder.  Add boiling water and allow to continue to boil for 30 seconds.  Pour chocolate butter mixture over flour mixture and stir only a few strokes.

Combine the rest of the wet ingredients in a bowl.
Pour the wet ingredients into the chocolate flour mixture.  Stir to combine.  Pour in greased 9x13 inch cake pan.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

While cake is in the oven, make icing.  Melt butter on stove top and stir in cocoa.  Turn off the heat.  Add the rest of the ingredients; stir to combine.  When the cake is done baking and still warm out of the oven, pour the icing on top locking in all the delicious moisture and allowing the icing to spread easily.  Dust with confectioners sugar and ENJOY!