Chocolate-Caramel Sheet Cake

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cup butter 
• 0.5 cup buttermilk 
• 0.3 cup cocoa 
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 cups flour all-purpose
• 1.5 cups pecans toasted coarsely chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 2 cups sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup water 

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• wire rack
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Cook first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth; remove from heat.
2. Beat buttermilk and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; add cocoa mixture, beating until blended.
3. Combine sugar, flour, and salt; gradually add to buttermilk mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter will be thin.)
4. Pour batter into a greased and floured 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
5. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely in pan on a wire rack.
6. Pour warm Quick Caramel Frosting over cake, spreading evenly to edges of pan.
7. Sprinkle evenly with pecans.