SIMPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Kay treated us to another family recipe recently when we played cards. Janice and Dorothy called it a "dump cake", but all my "dump cake" recipes call for pie fillings and then a cake mix just sprinkled or (dumped) over it. Kay's mother's  recipe makes a dense cake but so very delicious. Everyone really enjoyed it.

I love Kay's story for the icing... 

"The recipe has been around for years (and years and years).  I got mine from a cookbook given to me by my Aunt Kay in 1957 - Betty Crocker's Cookbook for Boys and Girls." Then she quoted me the recipe from page 25.  (I broke it down into ingredients and then directions.) She also added that she doesn't measure anything - just dumps it in.... (Funny, Kay.)

Please note that the recipe calls for sifted flour. This means that you sift the flour before measuring it. You end up getting more flour when you measure it first. Then you sift it again with the other dry ingredients.  

When in doubt with recipes, (nuts is the main one that comes to mind) look for the placement of the words.  For example, 1/2 cup chopped nuts means "chop the nuts and then measure them". 1/2 cup nuts, chopped means "measure the nuts and then chop them.  If the "word" comes before the ingredient, the action comes first.  If the "word" comes after the ingredient, then the action comes after.

SIMPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE with ICING

CAKE:

1-1/2     cups sifted flour
1            cup of sugar
3            tablespoons cocoa
1            teaspoon baking soda
1/2         teaspoon salt
1            teaspoon vanilla
2            teaspoon vinegar
5            tablespoons oil
1            egg
3/4         cup hot water

ICING:

1/3        cup soft butter
1           cup sifted confectioners' sugar 
1-1/2     teaspoons vanilla
3           tablespoons top milk
2           cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions for cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

Sift flour, salt, soda, sugar, and cocoa into pan.

Then make 3 depression...in one put the vanilla and vinegar, in another the oil, and in the third the egg.

Add water-avoid pouring it on the egg.

Stir the mixture until it is well blended.

Makes two 8 inch round layers or one 8 x 11 pan.

Bake for 30 minutes but check at 20 minutes for the rectangular pan and 18 minutes for the 2 layers.

Directions for icing:

Blend together: the butter, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk.

Then stir in the rest of the confectioners' sugar.

Beat hard to make the icing fluffy.

Add a little more milk or sugar if you need it to make the icing just right to spread.