Frosting:
1 stick butter
3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons whole milk
dash salt
1 box (1 lb.) powdered sugar
1/2 cup nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400°.
Have ready a greased and floured sheet cake pan.
Mix the flour and sugar in a large bowl.
Bring butter, cocoa, water and oil to a boil
and pour over flour/sugar mixture.
Beat and add buttermilk, eggs, soda, vanilla and salt.
Pour in pan and bake 20 minutes (30 minutes for high altitude).

For frosting:
Bring butter, cocoa, milk and salt to a boil
and add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.
Add nuts and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
Spread over hot cake.

"As a young child (in Arkansas) every Sunday night,
every holiday and every birthday meant dinner at my grandparents' house.
And for each such occasion,
my grandmother would make her chocolate sheet cake.
She guarded this recipe closely
and I was quite honored when she gave it to me.
She's been gone since 1988
and not a day goes by that I don't think about her.
Now, I make this cake for just about every occasion
and my friends even request it for their families as well.
It's not really a secret,
I've seen almost the exact same recipe in some cookbooks,
but they don't have the secret ingredient....
my grandmother's love.