Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a saucepan melt 1 cup of butter. Stir in 1 cup water and 4 tablespoons cocoa powder. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl dissolve the baking soda in 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the cooled cocoa mixture.

In a large bowl sift together the flour sugar cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the cocoa buttermilk mixture. Stir until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Ice the cake with Buttermilk Pecan Icing while it's still warm.

For the icing: In a large saucepan melt 1/2 cup butter with 4 tablespoons cocoa. Stir in 1/3 cup buttermilk and heat until almost boiling. Stir in confectioners' sugar vanilla salt and pecans. Remove from heat. Mix well and pour over warm cake.