Louisiana Chocolate Cake

“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the ‘Titanic’ who waved off the dessert cart.”
       — Erma Bombeck

Louisiana Chocolate Cake

What You Need:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

How to Make It:

Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda together. Cream sugar and shortening. Add unbeaten eggs to creamed mixture. Then add dry ingredients, alternately with the buttermilk. Add boiling water and then vanilla. Mix well; pour into a prepared 9 x 13-inch cake pan. Bake 30 minutes in 350-degree oven.

Helpful Baking Tip: What do you do when you find a delicious recipe, like this one, but don’t have any buttermilk in the house? Whip up this easy substitution. To make one cup buttermilk use 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough regular milk to make one cup. Let stand for 5-10 minutes and its ready to use in your recipe.

Cooked Chocolate Icing

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 7 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 tablespoon white syrup
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

How to Make It:

Boil all ingredients except vanilla for 1 minute. Beat until it has the right consistency to spread on cake. Add vanilla and stir well. Spread on cake.