The secret is out. This is the cake that Hallmark is famous for at their headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.
Cake:
3 ⅔ c. all-purpose flour
4 c. granulated sugar
1 ¼ t. salt
2 c. margarine (4 sticks)
2 c. water
½ . Dutch chocolate cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 t. baking soda
2 c. low-fat buttermilk
2 ¼ t. vanilla extract
Icing:
¾ c. margarine
½ c. 2% milk
⅓ c. cocoa powder
6 c. powdered sugar
1-1/3 c. pecan pieces
1 ¾ t. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cake:
Sift flour, sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Put margarine, water and cocoa in a small pot; bring to a boil. Pour over flour mixture; blend with mixer paddle until blended.
In another bowl, mix eggs, soda, buttermilk and vanilla; add to flour/chocolate mixture; blend with paddle until well mixed.
Put ½ heaping gallon of batter into each of two 18x13 inch sheet pans. Bake for 30 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. The cake needs to be iced as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Icing:
Heat margarine, milk and cocoa in small pot. Do not boil, but bring it to that point.
Pour powdered sugar into a mixing bowl with paddle attached. Add chocolate mixture to bowl; mix until all lumps are gone; add vanilla and nuts.
Immediately ice the hot cakes right out of the oven.
Makes two 18x13 sheet cakes.