Texas Sheet Cake

This is the cake I grew up eating for my birthday every year; it's my dad's birthday cake, too, so we had it twice a year. Mmmmm..... It's my grandmother's recipe--my grandmother (dad's mother), my dad, and I were all born in Texas, so we come by the name of this cake honestly. It's a common enough cake, but yummy and easy enough to recommend here! In addition, in honor of our emphasis this month on meals that freeze well, this cake freezes wonderfully, iced and everything!

1 stick butter
1/2 c. crisco or oil
4 heaping T. cocoa
1 c. water
2 c. flour (sift with sugar)
2 c. sugar (sift with flour)
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 t. soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla

Combine butter, oil, cocoa, and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over sifted flour and sugar. Mix and add remaining ingredients. Pour into greased and floured 13 x 9-inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center of cake.

Ice while warm (I usually begin the icing when I take the cake out of the oven--don't ice the cake when it's piping hot or it might fall).

Icing:
1 stick butter
4 heaping T. cocoa
6 T. milk
1 box powdered sugar

Combine and bring to a boil butter, milk, and cocoa. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar. Beat by hand until smooth. Spread/pour icing on warm cake. Let cool. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Serves 20 easily.