Mom's Chocolate-Iced Layer Cake

Following the death of my father, in 1989, my Mom asked that the family begin celebrating Thanksgiving Day together regularly, in remembrance of him. She held that Thanksgiving was Dad's favorite holiday, and that it would be appropriate for the family to meet together at that time. We agreed to her request, and for nearly 28 years now - with only one exception - we have held our family reunion on Thanksgiving Day, in memory of our Dad.

As part of our traditional Thanksgiving dinner, my Mom usually bakes a special layer cake with chocolate icing. Her cake is very well-loved (sometimes to the point of near-internecine conflict!), but she has started saying lately that making it really is a lot of work for someone her age.

Mom has shared her recipé, but few have attempted it; so I'm sharing it for her, again, in hopes that that some of the family will help reduce the "Mom's Cake Deficit"!

Cake Ingredients:

Self-rising Flour	2	cup
White Sugar	1⅓	cup
Cooking Oil¹	½	cup
Medium Eggs²	3	ea
Whole Milk	1	cup
Vanilla Extract³	1	tsp

Icing Ingredients:

Cocoa Powder	1	cup
White Sugar	3	cup
Common Salt	½	tsp
Butter or margerine	¼	cup
Whole Milk	1½	cup
Vanilla Extract³	1	tsp

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¹ or ⅔ cup of butter or margerine
² or 2 large eggs
³ or 1 tsp common vanilla flavoring

Cake Directions:

1. Sift flour into a mixing bowl. 
2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs slightly. 
3. Stir all of the cake ingredients into flour, until thoroughly mixed. 
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the batter at high speed for three minutes, scraping sides of bowl now and then. 
5. Coat the inside of two cake pans with cooking spray or solid shortening. Dust pan insides with flour, shaking off any excess. 
6. Divide the batter evenly between two pans, smoothing out to the edges. Bake in a pre-heated 350° F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until brown. 
7. When done, remove the pans from the oven and let the cake cool in the pans for a few minutes, then turn them out on a rack or folded towel to finish cooling. 
8. Divide each single layer into two layers, horizontally.  To do this, score the sides of each layer with knife, and finish cutting with thread.

Icing Directions:

1. Combine cocoa, sugar, and salt in a 4-quart saucepan and mix thoroughly, then add in the milk while stirring. 
2. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Turn down the heat, and maintain a boil without stirring, so mixture will not boil over. 
3. Continue boiling until a small amount of mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water, then remove it from heat, and add the butter (or margarine) and vanilla. 
4. Allow the icing to cool slightly, then beat until it thickens.
5. While still warm, spread the icing on the bottom cake half-layer, cut side up. Stack on the next half-layer and spread with icing. Continue until all layers have been stacked and iced.
6. Spread icing smoothly on the sides of the cake to finish.

Good luck with not getting all chocolate-covered yourself! - Mom