Make the cake. Preheat oven to 350ºF and oil the sheet pan well. Put water, 3/4 cup butter, the oil and the 2/3 cup of cocoa into a large saucepan—I used a 3-1/2-quart pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to blend everything together. When the mixture starts simmering, turn off the heat. Stir in the vanilla and the brown sugar.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift in the flour, white sugar, baking soda and salt (or you can just spoon it directly into the bowl). Add this dry mix to the liquid in the saucepan, stirring to make sure there are no lumps. Add in the eggs and the buttermilk and stir well.
Pour this batter into the baking sheet, spreading it evenly. Slide into the hot oven. Set a timer for about 17 minutes—it may take a little longer depending on your oven. The cake is done when it is just barely pulling away from the sides of the pan and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Let it cool for about 10 or 15 minutes.
Make the icing. Melt the butter gently in a large saucepan (I used the same one I’d used for the batter and yes, I did wash it in between). When it is just melted, turn off the heat, stir in the 1/3 cup cocoa and salt, and whisk until it is well blended. Whisk in the sour cream and incorporate well. Then add the powdered sugar, a half cup at a time, whisking until everything is well blended, shiny and smooth.
Spread it on the cake—I found that a metal angled spatula was the right tool for the job. Sprinkle on the nuts and then the pink salt. Ready!