Basic Chocolate Cake

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Basic Chocolate Cake
Categories: Cakes
Yield: 10 servings

4 oz Unsweetened chocolate
-squares
1/2 c Shortening
2 c Sugar
2 Eggs
2 c Sifted cake flour
1/2 ts Baking powder
1 ts Baking soda
3/4 ts Salt
3/4 c Buttermilk
3/4 c Water
1 ts Vanilla extract

Recipe by: Southern Living
Preparation Time: 0:20
Place chocolate in top of a double boiler; bring water to a
boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until chocolate melts.
Cream shortening; gradually add sugar, beating well at
medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a
time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate,
mixing well. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt;
add to chocolate mixture alternately with buttermilk,
beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each
addition. Add water, mixing well. Stir in vanilla. Pour
batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick
inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10
minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire
racks. Frost as desired. Yield: one 2-layer cake.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES: Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin
pans, filling each cup half full. Bake at 350 degrees for
15 to 18 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool on wire
racks. Frost as desired. Yield: 3 dozen.

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