Perfect chocolate cake to take to a picnic

This is my favorite chocolate cake recipe.  I love that it's meant to go in a 9 x 13 pan, which makes it ideal to go to picnics and cookouts.  I was getting my thoughts together about what to take to an upcoming 4th of July picnic and remembered this recipe!

Texas Sour Cream Cake

Cake portion ingredients:
1 cup of butter
1/4 cup dry cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream (I always use the full fat version)
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13 metal cake pan.

In a large saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa and water.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Sift the flour, sugar and salt together.  Add this to the hot mixture.  Mix well.  Beat together the eggs, sour cream and baking soda.  Gradually add this to the chocolate mixture.  (A note from me, I use a handheld electric mixer versus a stationary one to be able to mix in the saucepan.)

Pour into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes.  Test for doneness with a toothpick or broom straw.  Allow to cool 5 minutes out of the oven.  Pour on the icing.

Icing ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup dry cocoa
1/3 cup milk or half and half
1 pound of confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Melt the butter, cocoa and milk or half and half.  Bring to a boil.  Beat in the confectioner's sugar and vanilla.  Pour the icing across the cake.  It will be runny!  (Don't worry as it will firm up as the cake cools.)