IBHomesteading.com

My all time favorite chocolate cake recipe was my

Grandma Nettie's DEEP Dark Chocolate Cake.

* 1 ¾ cup un-sifted all purpose flour
* 2 cups sugar
* ¾ cup cocoa powder
* 1 ½ teaspoon soda
* 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* ½ cup vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 1 cup boiling water

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Combine all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.
Stir in all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the boiling water. Beat thoroughly for 2 minutes.
Stir boiling water in by hand. Batter will be thin.
Pour into greased and floured 9 X 13 inch cake pan.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes.

Allow cake to cool and frost with

Quick and Easy Cocoa Frosting

* ½ cup butter
* 4 Tablespoons cocoa
* 6 Tablespoons milk
* 1 box powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

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Heat butter, milk and cocoa stirring constantly over low heat until mixture comes to a boil.
Remove from heat and add powdered sugar.
Beat until very smooth.
Stir in vanilla and stir until well combined.
Spread on cake while slightly warm.

NOTE: This frosting is just almost a fudge. It sets up with a hard crust and is divine!

I’ve used that recipe before and really like the way it turned out.

My Betty Crocker cookbook is a paperback one from the ‘60s, worn and used often by my mother, sister and eventually me.

I don't know about anyone else, but I've found that cakes made w/unsweetened chocolate squares just don't seem to have enough of a chocolate flavor. I found this recipe in my Betty Crocker cookbook, but did make a few adaptions since I didn't have butter milk, and they just said to put everything in a bowl and mix it together.

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup powered cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter milk*
1/2 cup shortening**
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together sugar and shortening. Add buttermilk and eggs. Add the remaining ingredients, and scrape bowl well. (My mixer is a KitchenAid, so I need to turn it off to scrape the bowl.) Turn mixer to medium speed, and beat for about 3 minutes. Pour into a cake pan that's been greased and floured. Bake at 350* until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes for a 9x13 pan, 30-34 minutes for layers and about 40-45 for a bundt cake. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely, then ice.

* If you have no butter milk, you can make a substitute by putting 1 1/2 tbsp. white vinegar in a cup measure, then adding enough milk to make it to 1 1/2 cups. Allow to sit for a few minutes B4 using.

** I use lard, not shortening.