Chocolate, Anyone?

A neighbor knocked on my door this morning. Now, this is a rare occurrence here in suburbia ... I don't know why exactly, but it is. So I was a little shocked to begin with and a bit embarrassed because at 9:30 am, when I heard that knock, I was curled up in bed on the verge of falling asleep. It doesn't happen very often - really, dear hubby, it doesn't - but some mornings I just have to go back to bed when NHV goes down for her morning nap, and today happened to be one of those days. Of course ... my neighbor who witnessed me stumbling to the door in my bunny pajamas probably thinks I am a class-A, #1 slacker of the year, but whatev ... I am totally secure in my need for a morning nap :)

So ... why did this neighbor knock on my door and interrupt what promised to be a delightful morning snooze? To ask for "Chad's recipe for Texas sheet cake. The one he made for the 4th of July party." I immediately knew which sheet cake he was referring to - my mom's freakin' awesome, out-of-this-world, chocolate Texas sheet cake - the one I made and brought to our neighborhood 4th of July celebration this year. But I let the Chad comment slide ... until he said it again, "My wife and I have been talking about Chad's cake since the 4th." Let me be clear, Chad had absolutely nothing to do with the baking of said cake and the recipe is my mom's, one she is famous for at family gatherings. Wait, I take that back. Chad did carry the sheet cake to the party. I have yet to hear Chad's side of the story on this, but I assume there is one ... in the meantime, enjoy my mom's recipe, we like to call it Grammy's Incredible Sheet Cake:

The Cake

2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 cup of butter

1 c. water

1/2 c. buttermilk*

4 tbsp. cocoa

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

*Grammy suggests using 1 cup milk + 1 tsp. vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. You need another 1/2 cup for the frosting.

Mix flour and sugar in mixing bowl. In a saucepan, bring to a rapid boil butter, buttermilk, water and cocoa. Pour over flour mixture and blend well. Stir in eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and salt and blend well. Pour batter onto ungreased cookie sheet (with sides). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until done - I actually check mine at about 17 minutes.

The Frosting

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. buttermilk

4 tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. chopped pecans

3 cups of powdered sugar

Bring butter, milk and cocoa to rapid boil. Pour ingredients into mixing bowl; add vanilla and powdered sugar; mix well. Add pecans and mix well. Spread on Texas Sheet Cake as soon as removed from oven. Make frosting about 5 minutes before cake comes out of oven.

Disclaimer: I do not recommend making this cake during a PMS episode ... you will eat the entire thing ... and that's 3 sticks of butter and like 5 cups of sugar!