Lady Bird Johnson's Mexican Chocolate Cake

For the longest time, I called this cake Texas Tea Cake.  Like Texas Tea.  You know, oil.  Like the cake is dark and fudgy like oil.  Okay, so maybe I'm not as clever as I thought, but this is still pretty much the quintessential cake of Texas.  If you cannot make this cake, and you live here, SHAME ON YOU.  We are taking back your Texan citizenship card.

The cake is actually super easy, and there's about a bizillion different versions on the interwebs.  I could never quite locate the origin, but it figures with the cinnamon that this may have originally been some sort of Mexican chocolate cake.  Works for me.  And while this is certainly a sugar bomb, it's worth every bite.

Lady Bird Johnson's Mexican Chocolate Cake

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup water

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ cup canola oil

2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate or ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup buttermilk

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Grease and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan.

Combine the sugar, flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

Combine the water, butter, oil, and chocolate or cocoa in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Watch that the mixture does not scorch.  Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well.

Combine the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla, and stir the mixture into the chocolate batter.  Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.  Bake for about 25 minutes.  Start making the frosting about 5 minutes before the cake is done.  Spread the frosting over the hot cake while it is still in the pan.  Allow the cake to cool before cutting so that the frosting has time to solidify.

Makes 20 servings

Chocolate Frosting

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 tablespoons whole milk

1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar (about 3½ cups)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup pecans, chopped

Combine the butter, cocoa, and milk in a saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.  Stir in the powdered sugar gradually.  Add the vanilla and pecans and mix well.