Recession Recipe: Chocolate Sheet Cake

This rerun episode of Economy Bites is different and special in a few ways: 1) it's a dessert episode and 2) it's themed. We originally aired it on Halloween of 2009, so you'll notice it's a bit darker and spookier then what you're used to. But don't let that deter you; behind the terror is another tasty dish. Watch and see for yourself...

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Recipe follows...

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

-2 sticks of butter, melted

-2 cups flour

-2 cups white sugar

-2 eggs, beaten

-1 cup water

-1/2 cup buttermilk (can make by adding 1/2 Tbsp vinegar to milk until you have 1/2 cup)

-4 Tbsp cocoa powder

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1 tsp vanilla

-1 tsp baking soda

Icing:

-1 stick butter

-1 1lb box of Confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)

-6 Tbsp 2% milk

-4 Tbsp cocoa powder

-1 tsp vanilla

PROCEDURE

-Preheat oven to 400

-Melt two sticks butter in a small saucepan on the stove. Put in a bowl. Add water. Stir

-Mix cocoa powder, sugar, flour, baking soda, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir. Add to butter mixture.

-Beat two eggs, add to mixture.

-Add 1/2 cup buttermilk to mixture.

-Mix mixture with a whisk or using an electric mixer. Mix until all lumps are broken up. Mixture will by liquidy, its ok.

-Pour mixture into a 13x9 pan, preferably coated. If not coated, butter pan up before adding mixture (so it won't stick). Bake 20-25 minutes.

-Cake is done when you stick a fork in the middle and it comes out clean. Let cool when done at least 10-15 minutes.

-Make icing: Melt 1 stick of butter. Mix melted butter with cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla. Pour over 1 box of powdered sugar. Mix well until it has no lumps.

-Pour icing over cake. Cake can live in the refrigerator covered with foil for a week!