Chocolate Cake - Melva's

1-3/4 cup   Sugar                    1-1/2 tsp   Baking Soda
3/4 cup     Shortening               1/2 tsp     Salt
2           Eggs                     1 cup       Buttermilk
1 tsp       Vanilla                  1/2 cup     Cocoa
2-1/2 cups  Flour                    1/2 cup     Boiling water

Cream shortening and sugar well. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add vanilla. Add sifted flour, baking soda and salt alternately with buttermilk. Add cocoa that has been mixed with hot water. Mix well. Pour into 2 - 9 inch or 1 9x13 greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 350* for about 25 min. Test with tooth pick, should come out clean. 9x13 pan will take longer. Cool and frost.

Minute Fudge Frosting

2 cups      sugar                    1/4 tsp     salt
1/4 cup     light corn syrup         1/2 cup     milk
1/2 cup     shortening               1 tsp       vanilla
2 sq.       unsweetened chocolate 
            (sub. 3T cocoa + 1T oil)


Mix all ingredients in sauce pan except vanilla.  Stir over low heat until chocolate and shortening melt.  Bring to rolling boil, stirring constantly for one minute.  Remove from heat, beat until lukewarm. Add vanilla, continue to beat until of right consistency to spread on cake. May take 1/2 hour of beating.