This is a great dessert for teenagers or a crowd! Years ago my friend Janice Richards gave me this chocolate cake recipe, stating that her teenage children and their friends loved it. It immediately became a family favorite as well as a team favorite (swim team, cross-country, track). I used to shy away from recipes using buttermilk, but in my naiveté, I did not realize buttermilk adds so much to the taste of baked goods. This is especially true with chocolate cakes.
This party favorite is quick to make and is easy to take on a picnic or some other event. It’s a great dessert for kids of all ages. It serves a lot of people. Pieces can be relatively small because this cake is very rich. This cake is only about ¾-1- inch high, but it’s packed with rich finger-licking goodness. Everyone loves it! With regard to the name, I have no clue as to its origin. I have never known if the name referred to the size of the cake (very large), or if the recipe originated in Texas. Enjoy!
Cake Ingredients & Initial Directions
1. Combine the following ingredients in a bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2. Bring the following ingredients to a boil:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter (1 cube, 1 stick, 1/4 pound, or 4 ounces)
1/2 cup oil
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (bakers’ cocoa)
3. Pour the boiled mixture over the flour mixture. Blend them together
well.
4.. Combine the following and then add it to the above mixture:
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 1/2 teaspoons soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
After you have mixed the ingredients together (steps 1-4 (above), place the mixture into a greased and floured 15″ x 10″ pan with shallow sides. Use a jelly roll pan or similar pan that is similar to a cookie sheet, but it has slightly higher sides than a cookie sheet. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly from the cake center. Place on a cooling rack.
Make the frosting while the cake is baking (directions below). Then frost the cake as soon as it is placed on the cooling rack You want the frosting to melt onto the cake.
Frosting Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
5-6 tablespoons milk (or thereabouts)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb.)
Frosting Directions
Place butter, cocoa, and milk in a small saucepan. Heat mixture until the butter melts and the mixture simmers. Place powdered sugar in a bowl. Slowly pour chocolate mixture over the sugar, stirring well so it remains smooth. Add vanilla. Beat well, so that all is mixed throughout. Pour frosting over the entire cake and spread evenly. The cake is ready to eat!
