Valentine Chocolate Cake

Happy Valentine's Day!  This chocolate cake was a tradition in our home, made into a heart shape on Valentine's Day for Dad or a layer cake on birthdays.  The heart shape is made by dividing the batter between a round cake pan and an 8x8 square pan and then cutting the round in half and attaching them to the top sides of the square.

As for the cake recipe, I found two versions of this in Mom's recipe collection, neither of which had any sort of directions.  I'm finding that she did this quite often.  She knew how to make a cake (or a casserole, or bread, etc.), so why bother to write down the instructions?  I picked the recipe with salt and a little more shortening and it tasted just like I remember.

3/4 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup brown sugar
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour*
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt

Heat chocolate and water together until chocolate melts.  (You can do this in a microwave, or do it the old-fashioned way over a double-boiler.  Many people today have no idea what a double-boiler is.  It is a small pan that fits inside of a larger pan filled with water.  As the water underneath boils, it gently heats the ingredients in the smaller pan.  It's a great way to melt chocolate without scorching.)  Stir melted chocolate and water together until blended and set aside.

Cream together shortening and brown sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.  Add the chocolate/water mixture and vanilla.   Combine all of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.   Alternately add  a little flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter until well combined.  Grease and flour two cake pans. Divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before attempting to remove the cake from the pans.  Cool on wire rack before frosting.

*I used cake flour and loved the results

Chocolate Frosting
4 Tbls. butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbls. cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 c. milk (plus or minus)

Heat the butter, water, salt and cocoa powder together and stir until butter is melted.  Beat in vanilla and powdered sugar.  Add milk a few tablespoons at a time until the frosting is desired consistency.