CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Stir together an set aside. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and baking soda. Mix with a fork and set aside.
• 2. In a medium pan, melt the butter and add the cocoa. Whisk together to mix. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil. When butter is melted, pour boiling water in pan. Allow to bubble for a moment, then turn off the heat.
• 3. Pour chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Stir together for a moment to cool the chocolate, then pour in the egg mixture. Stir together til smooth, then pour into an ungreased jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
• 4. While cake is baking, make the icing. Melt the butter in a pan over medium low heat. Add the cocoa powder and stir til smooth. Add the milk and vanilla. Add powdered sugar. Stir together. Dump in the chopped pecans and stir til well mixed. Immediately after removing the cake form the oven, pour the warm icing over the top. You'll want to avoid doing much spreading so try to distribute it evenly as you pour.
• 5. For a child's birthday, omit pecans in the icing. Serve the cake with a large bowl of M&M's and allow kids to decorate it themselves. This recipe can also be made into cupcakes. Just fill muffin tins a little less full with the batter than you normally would so the baked cupcakes remain below the upper rim. That way, the thin icing can be poured right into each tin.