beauty and the bite

Have you ever had a bite of perfect cake?

I have.

I was 13.

I was in Salt Lake City.

It was chocolate and dense and moist.

It was the most amazing thing I had ever eaten

(that may have been because that's all I had eaten through 4 flight delays).

(but that's besides the point)

This is the BEST chocolate cake recipe I have.

It is a beauty.

Chocolate cake

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup cocoa

2-1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup hot water

 pinch of salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, beat well. Then, add buttermilk. vanilla, and the cocoa. Beat well. Dissolve baking soda and salt in water. Add flour alternately with the hot water to the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees in 10" angel food cake pan. Takes about 50 - 60 minutes.

Or

You can bake in 3 round pans. It takes about 25 minutes.

BUT

I strongly recommend the angel food pan.

It almost brings a tear to my eye.

Dusty's favorite cake is black forest.

Me? Not so Much.

So instead we get chocolate cake, cream, and cherry sauce.

Homemade cherry sauce is pretty dang delicious.

Especially with fresh cherries.

BUT we didn't have any.

I just used sour pitted cherries.

Cherry Filling

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 (16 ounce) pitted red Cherries, undrained

1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Drain cherries, saving liquid.(You want about 1 cup if you have more than it'll be more of a sauce than a filling... if you have less just add some water) Set aside. Combine corn syrup, sugar, and cornstarch in a small sauce pan. Stir well. Add reserved cherry liquid. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Stir in drained cherries and almond extract.