Papa's Texas Cake

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan or similar rimmed sheet pan.

2. Whisk the flour and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a saucepan, melt the 6 teaspoons cocoa powder with 2 sticks of butter and the water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then take it off the heat. Pour it over the flour and sugar and stir until smooth.

   

4. Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla.

5. Let the batter sit about 1 minute so it is hot but not scalding. Whisk in the eggs, then the buttermilk and baking soda, until the batter is even. Do not dump the eggs into a still-boiling pan or they can scramble.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it to the corners. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

7. Start the icing while the cake bakes. In a saucepan, melt the 6 teaspoons cocoa powder with 1 stick of butter and the cream or milk. Bring it to a boil, then take it off the heat.

8. Pour the hot icing mixture into a mixer bowl. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. Thin with small splashes of boiling water until the icing is pourable but still thick.

9. Pour the icing over the cake while the cake is still warm so it sets into a thin fudgy layer. Cool until the icing is set, then cut into squares.