Mom's Best Chocolate Cake

This is the recipe my Mom always used. At one point, I had it written down on a card somewhere but now it's nowhere to be found. Luckily Cathy keeps hers handy....

"....my recipe says "Best Chocolate Cake" and I call it Mom's Chocolate Cake. Reen gave it to me as part of a bridal shower gift, which was a lot of family recipes, all typed up nicely (on a typewriter!) on index cards in a wooden recipe box, which I still have and use all the recipes frequently. Reen added little tips & jokes on a lot of the recipes & they still make me smile even though I've read them a million times."


Oh, and btw, Cathy baked the cake in the picture,
chocolate curls and all!
Thanx Cath!

1/4 c. butter
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 c. cocoa
1/4 c. shortening
1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/3 c. milk

Heat oven to 350F. Generously grease and flour 2 9" layer pans. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, shortening, and vanilla until fluffy. Blend in eggs. In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients. Add alternately with milk. Pour into prepared pans. bake 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Spread layers with Chocolate Butter Cream Icing


Cathy's Tips:
The chocolate curls are melted chocolate chips, poured onto an inverted cookie sheet and spread out really thin, then just get a small metal spatula turned upside down, and scrape the chocolate off in strips, holding the spatula at an angle so as the chocolate comes off the sheet it curls onto itself.

Mom's tip:
Be sure to grease the pans extremely well, otherwise the cake will stick.