Potluck Chocolate Cake

This is from a yellowed newspaper clipping. I’ve changed it up slightly. I renamed it Potluck Chocolate Cake because it’s perfect for taking away from home. You bake and serve it from the same pan and that makes it so very easy.

Feel free to decorate it after the chocolate glaze sets. You can use strawberries or another fruit. You could also use candies. Or just leave it plain. You really can never go wrong with chocolate.

Potluck Chocolate Cake

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
¼ cup boiling water
1/3 cup shortening
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
Cocoa Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1-inch jelly roll pan. In small bowl, combine cocoa and water; stir until smooth. Set aside.

In small mixer bowl, beat shortening, sugar, vanilla and egg until fluffy. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to shortening mixture. Stir in cocoa mixture.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Spread Cocoa Glaze over top.

Makes about 20 servings.

Cocoa Glaze

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons water
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla

In small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add cocoa and water, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens; do not boil. Remove from heat; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating with wire whisk until smooth.