Not for the Faint of Heart

I grew up with this cake. I love this cake like it was my own child. Every birthday, I had my choice of what kind of cake I wanted, and I always chose this. My mom would put food coloring in the frosting to make it special (ahhh, nostalgia) and we would eat.

According to my mother, and Bill Cosby, this is an appopriate breakfast food. It's got eggs, milk and flour, therefore, it must be suitable for breakfast. I am not going to lie; I will be enjoying a slice tomorrow morning, tee hee.

This is a very dense, dark chocolate cake. If you don't have sour milk on hand, which most people probably don't, you can make sour milk by adding a teaspoon of vinegar. The sour milk gives the cake an extra special flavor. I didn't have any shortening on hand, so I substituted with butter. Watch the cooking time, because the use of butter seemed to speed up the baking. The frosting may be the best part. Real butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. There isn't anything like homeade frosting. None of the store made, fake, Crisco frosting. Ew.

Here is a picture before the cake is frosted. See what I mean about dense? This cake is not for the chocolate faint of heart, or chocolate newbie.

You all have to feel very special, because this is a family recipe. I honestly don't know how old it is, or where it originated from, but here you go. Printed with permission from my mom.

Family Chocolate Cake

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup shortening (or butter, softened)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour milk

1/2 cup boiling water

1. Put ingredients in order given. Beat together. Put in ungreased square 8-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Frost with the buttercream frosting below.

Buttercream Frosting

1 pound confectioners (powdered) sugar

5 tablespoons butter, softened

dash salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

milk (amount depends on consistency)

1. Blend in mixer and add milk slowly to desired consistency. Frost cooled cake.