Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (9 oz)
- 2 cups minus a tablespoon of granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (8 oz)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened natural (not Dutch) cocoa powder
- 1 cup water
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Frosting:
- 1 pound (3.8 cups) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
- 1/4 scant teaspoon salt — omit if using salted butter
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 7 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 15×10 inch jelly roll pan.
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Mix the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon (if using) in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
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Melt butter in a small to medium size saucepan. Stir in the cocoa powder and water and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling cocoa mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and mix with a spoon until blended.
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In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and baking soda. Add the egg mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir until blended – do no overbeat. Just do your best to blend the ingredients.
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Pour batter into the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. As soon as you pull the cake from the oven, start the icing. To get a head start, you might want to sift the sugar while the cake bakes.
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Icing: Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a mixing bowl and set aside. You can skip the sifting step if you must, but sifting helps it to blend easier and the icing will be smoother.
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Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. When butter is almost melted, add the 4 tablespoons cocoa and 7 tablespoons milk and bring just to a boil. As soon as the mixture reaches a good boil, remove from heat. Pour the hot boiling cocoa mixture into the bowl of sifted confectioners’ sugar. Add the vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Work quickly so that icing won’t start to set in the bowl. Pour over the cake and let sit until firm.