Never Fail Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup hot water
1 t vanilla

Mix dry cake ingredients. Add buttermilk, oil and eggs. Blend together. Add hot water and vanilla. Stir thoroughly. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Poke holes in the cake while still hot.

Cooked Fudge Icing
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter
dash salt
1/4 cup milk
1 t vanilla

Mix all ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then add vanilla, stir, and pour 1/3 of icing over the cake. Beat the rest of the icing until it is thickened, and spread over the cake.

A half recipe is baked in an 8x8 pan. Not so much temptation around the house!