Mile High Texas Sheet Cake

Yes, this cake is typically made in a jelly roll pan, but I've adapted this beloved cake for our square pan with the same dense, sweet chocolatey flavor and fudgy icing studded with pecans. 

2 cups water
1 pound (4 sticks) butter
1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups cake flour or White Lily All Purpose Flour
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare Old Country Kitchenware square tube pan by brushing with chocolate pan coat and lining the bottom with parchment paper (if using two piece pan, also fit with a parchment paper square between the two pieces first). In a medium saucepan, bring water, butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla to a boil. In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Pour in cocoa mixture and stir until combined. Add buttermilk and eggs and stir together until ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour batter into prepared tube pan and bake for 1 hour 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out nearly clean. Let cool until the pan is comfortable enough to handle, then use a thin spatula to release the sides of the cake.  Transfer the cake to a wire rack in two steps: first, turn the cake up on its side, then invert fully. (If using two-piece pan, invert the entire cake without separating the pieces). Let cool completely.

Boiled Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
1 stick butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped pecan pieces

In a medium saucepan, bring milk, cocoa powder, butter, and vanilla almost to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar with an electric mixer. Stir in pecan pieces. Let cool until thickened. Pour over cooled cake.