Texas Sheet Cake

Source: Dawn Dobson, via an old ward cookbook of my mom's

Ingredients:
for the cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups sifted flour
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks butter
1 cup water
4 Tbsp. cocoa
½ cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp. soda

for the frosting:
1 cup chopped nuts (usually walnuts)
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
½ cup milk
4 Tbsp. cocoa

Directions:

For the cake: Put sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl.  In small heavy pan, bring butter, water and cocoa to a boil.  Take from heat and add immediately to dry ingredients.  Add sour cream, eggs and soda and mix well until blended.  Pour into a greased jelly roll pan and bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes.

For the frosting: Boil milk, cocoa and butter until bubbly.  Then mix in nuts, sugar and vanilla.  Blend until creamy and smooth.  (We usually just sprinkle the nuts on top - often only on half the cake - since some people prefer to have their slice without.) Spread warm frosting over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

I've been making, eating, and loving this cake since I learned how to cook, but I hadn't made or eaten it for years, so when Megan requested it for her birthday cake while she was visiting, I jumped all over the chance to have it again (and to have other people in the house to share it with - I know I could have finished it off myself, so it was nice to spread the goodness (i.e. calories) around).  It was just as fantastic as I remembered!