Perfect Texas Sheet Cake

My mom always talks about her memories of eating Texas sheet cake when she was little. So I made her this for her birthday and she loved it. I used half of the amount of powdered sugar in the icing to make it less sweet. While the cake bakes make the icing.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 24 pieces

Ingredients

• Cake

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1  pinch salt
• 1⁄2 cup butter, melted
• 1⁄2 cup  vegetable oil
• 2  cups sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1⁄2 cup buttermilk
• 1  cup water
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

• Icing

• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 1⁄4 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 2  cups powdered sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  cup pecans, chopped

Directions

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 13 by 9 inch baking pan. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed beat together butter, oil, sugar, eggs, milk, water, and vanilla. On low speed gradually add flour mixture and beat until blended.
3. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Make the icing while the cake is baking.
4. For the icing: In a medium saucepan stir together milk and cocoa. Add butter, heat until butter is melted, stirring constantly over medium heat.
5. Gradually stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. When the cake is just out of the oven spread icing over and sprinkle with pecans. Let cake cool completley on a cooling rack.