CHOCOLATE SHEATH CAKE

Cake
2 sticks margarine
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, broken in half
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Icing
1 stick margarine
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, broken in half
5 TBSP milk, to start with
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar (little more than 1 pound)
Cake
1. Combine margarine, chocolate and water in large heavy saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
2. Remove from heat and let cool while completing next three steps.
3. Preheat oven to 425º.
4. Grease and flour 13 x 9 pan.
5. Stir or sift together sugar, flour, soda and cinnamon.
6. Stir flour mixture well into chocolate mixture.
7. Add buttermilk, vanilla and beaten eggs.
8. Turn into pan and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until done.
9. Using Kleenex, wipe excess flour from rim of pan – careful – HOT!
Icing
1. Have icing ingredients ready to start as soon as cake comes from oven, as icing will be spread on cake while it is still hot. Icing should be thick and fudgy, not thin.
2. Combine margarine, chocolate, milk and vanilla in large saucepan, and bring to a boil over low to medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking, until chocolate melts.
3. Beat in sugar with large wooden spoon, adding a few drops of milk if icing is too thick to spread.
4. Finish beating with electric mixer until smooth and creamy, yet thick.
5. Spread on hot cake. Cake will flatten some.
6. Cool on rack.