Texas Sheet Cake

Instructions

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1. - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12x18 sheet cake pan.
2. - Add 1 cup of the butter, water, and 6 tablespoons of the cocoa powder to a saucepan. Cook, whisking over medium heat until it reaches a boil and the butter has melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. - While the butter mixture is cooling, add flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl, add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract and beat until well mixed, but not frothy.
4. - Add the butter and cocoa mixture to flour mixture, and beat until mixed. Add the buttermilk mixture and beat until everything is thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan, then give the pan some jiggles and taps on the counter to remove any excess air bubbles.
5. - Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire cooling grid.
6. - About halfway through the baking time, begin making the frosting. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of butter, milk, the remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a whisk until butter melts. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. The frosting should be pourable, like a thick glaze. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If too thick, add a little more milk.
7. - After the cake is removed from the oven, pour the frosting over the warm cake and spread with a spatula as needed.
8. - While frosting is still wet, divide the cake into an even grid without cutting (you can do this with toothpicks placed standing upright at the intersections). Add toppings in a checker-style pattern with chopped pecans and different sprinkles and shapes from the Wild West packs.
9. - Allow frosting to set and cake to cool before slicing and serving.