Also known as Texas Sheet Cake. But you could call it anything. The name doesn’t really matter.
It’s so simple, yet so rich.
So easy, yet so dark and mysterious.
And I am all out of poetic things to say about it.
You just have to try this cake! The cake is good enough, so moist and yummy. But the fudge icing!?!
You see how the icing appears to have melted right into the cake? That’s because that’s what it does. And oh. my. goodness.
Are you kidding me!?!
My mom made it through the years as I was growing up, and I remember the way she would take walnut halves and carefully place them on top of the icing, perfectly symmetrical, so that each piece of cake had one. I remember tasting the subtle hint of cinnamon and asking her about that, and how we talked about how much we loved this cake. I miss her. Cooking and baking the things that she cooked and baked somehow comforts me. I’m so thankful I learned so many of her recipes, and took the time to write down the ones I didn’t have memorized.
Chocolate Buttermilk Cake
Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup oil
- 4 Tablespoons cocoa
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs
Instructions:
- In mixing bowl, combine sugar and flour.
- Boil butter, water, oil, and cocoa, stirring frequently.
- Pour mixture over sugar and flour and mix.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix til most lumps disappear.
- Bake in sheet pan at 375 for 20-25 minutes (careful not to overbake).
Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 4 Tablespoons cocoa
- 6 Tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 box (or 16 oz.) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- walnut or pecan halves or pieces (optional and can be mixed into frosting or placed on top of frosting decoratively)
Instructions:
- Boil butter, cocoa and buttermilk, just til smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and stir until smooth.
- Add vanilla and stir again.
- Pour over hot cake. (You can choose to let frosting cool for just a few minutes. I like to do this, because otherwise, it can run out over the sides of the sheet pan.) **Also, feel free to stab cake several times, all over, so that the chocolaty, fudgy icing can run down into the crevices. You won’t regret it.**
Serve with vanilla ice cream, or strawberries if you want to be super fancy. But honestly, this cake is sweet enough all by itself!
um….yeah….I think I gained five pounds just LOOKING at this!
Oh, my!! that is exactly the cake my Mom used to make for us when we were kids. Except the frosting didn’t take buttermilk just milk. But it was wonderful because it would leak into the cake and it was like you were eating one thing not cake and frosting. Yummy!!
Exactly!! I LOVE this cake!!
I lost my Mom 6 years ago on April 4 of this year and I have her recipe box filled with recipes in her own handwriting. The most precious one is her “Birthday Cake” recipe which I came across last summer and I made it as a surprise for my Dad’s 80th birthday. That meant alot to him which in turn was a “comfort” moment for me!
I feel the same away about the “comfort” moments of their recipes, Caroline. Hugs to you.
Hi there! I’m a huge fan!
well I just made this cake and it was super yummy and very easy to make! Thanks for the awesome recipe!