Chocolate Sheet Cake

Posted by Lori:
I can't even guess how many times I've made this cake. Just last week I made it for a funeral meal. You can tell that it's a well used recipe - this picture is proof! Kind of dirty, isn't it?? This cookbook was my Grandma Sibyl's - my mom's mom.

It's a Harmon County(Oklahoma) Cookbook and many of the recipes are from friends and acquaintances of hers, although she wasn't one of the ladies that actually submitted recipes for this particular book. The neat (and kind of funny!)thing she did is that she wrote her name whenever there was a recipe that was something that she made, too - even though the person who submitted the recipe had their name there. Before she died she gave me lots of her cook books. I'm very grateful to have them with so many of the recipes marked by adding her name or little pieces of information. The books also have recipes jotted down on cards and taped to the insides. Very special cook books with special memories of Grandma.

This Chocolate Sheet Cake is a very common recipe. It's found under the heading of many different names. Maybe you have even made this cake yourself. Just in case there's someone out there who hasn't made it, I decided to post it.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

1 stick margarine
3 - 4 tablespoons cocoa (I use 3, but they're heaped a little so it's probably 4)
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup buttermilk (I never keep buttermilk because this is about the only thing I would use it for, so instead I use almost 1/2 cup regular milk, add vinegar to it, and allow it to set a few minutes)
1 teaspoon soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional - I only do this if I'm serving it with Mexican food. It's a nice compliment with the cinnamon/chocolate combination.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put margarine, cocoa, shortening, and water into a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium heat. In small bowl combine buttermilk (or milk and vinegar), soda, eggs, vanilla until well blended. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon (if desired). Pour saucepan mixture over flour, sugar and salt. Stir to mix well. Add egg, buttermilk, soda, and vanilla mixture. Stir until smooth. Pour into greased and floured sheet cake or jelly roll pan (15 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch). (The recipe says it can bake in a 9 x 13 pan, as well.) Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes...until toothpick inserted into center comes out mostly clean. I like a few crumbs on it instead of all the way clean.) Of course the 9 x 13 pan would require a longer baking time. Ice cake while still warm with Chocolate Sheet Cake Icing.

What are you grateful for today?  This post is linked to Gratituesday, hosted by Laura at Heavenly Homemakers.