Oooey goooey chocolate sheet cake

The holidays are over and after a couple of weeks of laying low, I am back in the kitchen! Last night my Community Group had mexican food for dinner and I made dessert. I am so used to taking requests for birthdays that it was kind of fun to just make whatever struck my fancy. I decided to make my Nana's chocolate sheet cake. I loved it as a kid but I have never made it myself so I wanted to give it a whirl. It is actually designed to go in an 11x16 sheet pan and be kind of "brownie-sized". Since I don't have a pan that size I made it in a 9x13 and it was more "cake-sized". Tastes delicious either way, just requires a bit more baking time for the thicker cake.

Usually everyone divvies up the leftovers so I don't have to bring any home but last night I think everyone was so full that I ended up bringing about 1/4 of the pan home. I am not going to lie, I had a piece of chocolate cake for breakfast. I feel delightfully guilty. (this is why you have to take the leftovers, people!)

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Cake:

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup shortening

4 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa

1 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:

1 stick of butter

4 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa

6 Tbs. milk

1 lb. powder sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans (if you are feeling nutty)

Directions:

Measure sugar and flour in large bowl. In saucepan place butter, shortening, cocoa and water; bring to a boil. Pour over flour and sugar and stir well. Add buttermilk, eggs, soda, cinnamon and vanilla; mix well and pour into greased 11“x16” pan.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F.
While cake is baking make frosting. Bring all ingredients except for powdered sugar and nuts to very hot but just shy of a boil. Add sugar and nuts and stir until smooth.
Take cake from oven and stab many holes in the cake with a knife. Pour hot icing over cake.