Food Friday

We were so excited when some our long time friends from Illinois called and said they were coming to town.  They had been to Fort Benning to see a precious grandson graduate and thought they might drop by Gainesville for a visit.  So last night they rolled into town (after surviving a little wrong turn in downtown Atlanta) and we were thrilled to get to spend the evening with them.  We took them to dinner at our favorite local restaurant, Poor Richards; for a ride around town (why do we have a chicken monument? thank goodness, D was there to give them the entire history of the chicken industry in Gainesville.  I'm pretty sure I learned something from that); and then to our house for dessert and coffee.  I had made the Coconut Cream Pound Cake earlier in the week because of the Pound Cake Challenge over on the CwC blog and had some left over but I felt like I needed something else.  Something yummy.  Something chocolate.  With cooked chocolate frosting.  So, that's what a did!  And it was pretty delicious. 

We had a great visit and we felt so blessed to be in the company of these friends of my parents for almost 60 years.  My sweet momma was thrilled to see them again!  She even had her hair done yesterday afternoon for the occasion (of course)!  She was stunning. 

So why not have some friends or family over you haven't seen in awhile and fix them some chocolate cake.  I feel sure both of those would be very good things.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 sticks of butter; divided
• 8 tablespoons cocoa, divided
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1 box powdered sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Cake:

1. Grease a sheet cake pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour and 2 cups sugar
3. Bring to a boil on stove top in medium saucepan:  2 sticks butter; 1 cup water and 4 tablespoons cocoa
4. Pour cocoa mixture over dry mixture and mix in eggs, buttermilk, soda, cinnamon and vanilla.
5. Mix thoroughly and put in greased sheet cake pan. 
6. Bake 20-25 minutes

Icing:

1. Heat 1 stick butter, 4 tablespoons cocoa, and 6 tablespoons milk on medium heat in a saucepan.  
2. Add anywhere from 1/2 to 1 box of powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency and 1 cup pecans.
3. Spread on cake while it's hot.

See, I told you it was a very good thing.