Aunt Mary’s Chocolate Cake

    * 1 cup butter
    * 1 cup water
    * 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
    * 1/2 cup buttermilk
    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 2 eggs, beaten
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 2 cups all-purpose flour
    * 2 cups white sugar
    * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
   
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 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 to cool.

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.

Buttermilk Pecan Icing

    * 1/2 cup butter
    * 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
    * 1/3 cup buttermilk
    * 4 cups confectioners' sugar
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 1 cup chopped pecans
    * 1 pinch salt

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.