Chocolate Sheetcake recipe

My car being in the shop translates to much longer commute times on the bus. That means less time to get things done around the house and it also means less money coming in because I can't physically get to one of the jobs anymore. All of that equals much more stress. Stress around here means chocolate. Pretty much NOT the healthiest way of handling stress, but I already get lots of exercise at work (read that as physical labor). And I WANT chocolate.

This recipe is from the archives of my LDS mother (I have a REALLY complicated genealogy). She was a wonderful cook who filled the house with cookies, cakes, pies and handmade candies. A true dynamo, she was my inspiration for the kind of homemaker I wanted to grow up to become.

This cake's really more like a brownie and the frosting is fudge-like. It's decadent and very yummy and EXACTLY what I need on this stress-filled day!

Chocolate Sheet Cake

½ c (1 stick) butter
1 c water
3 T cocoa
½ c shortening
2 c flour
2 c sugar
½ c buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat 350° oven. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan.
Place the butter, water, cocoa, and shortening in a small pot and boil. Set aside.
Mix the flour and sugar together; pour the cocoa mixture over them. Mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into cake pan and bake for 25 minutes.

Frosting
½ c (1 stick) butter
3 T cocoa
6 T milk
1 box powdered sugar (that's equal to 1 lb OR 1/2 of a 2 lb bag)
1 tsp vanilla
½ c chopped pecans

Boil butter, cocoa and milk together. Pour over the powdered sugar. Mix in the vanilla and pecans. Spread over the hot cake.

Mmmmmmm, Butterfly and I licked the bowls of batter and frosting... DELICIOUS!!!