Mama Hersom's Chocolate Cake

Each year, we celebrate our close friend's birthdays that live in town by going out to eat together and then enjoying some bday dessert.  Our friend Mark Hersom's bday was this past week and it was my turn to make the cake.  I asked him what kind he wanted, thinking I would whip up a box cake mix but of course, he requested that I make his mom's from scratch chocolate cake with homemade frosting.  He was lucky that I was feeling up to doing some serious baking or else box cake it would have been!

He sent me his mom's recipe which really is a cinch to whip up.  'From scratch' sounds impressive and hard but this really was easy peasy.  It looked and smelled delish.  Then came the frosting and we had some leftover frosting so I tasted it and it was divine!  I knew Mama Hersom must be quite the baker even though I've never met her.

On the night of his bday party, we served up the cake and let me tell you, best darn chocolate cake I've ever had!  And it's so easy that its now going to be my 'go-to' rather than a boxed cake mix.  You gotta try it!  It's dense but yet really moist, very chocolatey and the frosting is very creamy and slightly sweet.  It's heavenly!

Below is the recipe.  Just a side note, I start a cake decorating class this Saturday and I'm excited!  I can bake but my decorating skills lack big time.  It's 3 classes and hoping to baffle you with some upcoming upcoming skills!  Yippie Skippie! Thanks to my friend Jackee for the inspiration as she just completed a similar cake decorating class.

Mama Hersom’s Chocolate Cake

¾ cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups boiling water
1 ½ teas. baking soda
2 cups flour
½ cup Hershey’s baking cocoa
½ teas. salt
1 teas. vanilla

Cream butter or margarine, sugar and eggs.  Add boiling water.  Sift together dry
ingredients and add to mixture.  Add vanilla.  Pour into greased and floured 9x13 cake
pan.  Bake 30 min at preheated 350 degree oven.  Check with toothpick in center to see if
done.  Do not overbake (check at 25 min but it varies). Cool completely before frosting.

Creamy Pudding Frosting

1 cup cold milk
1 sm pkg vanilla instant pudding
½ cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz. thawed cool whip

Pour milk into small mixing bowl and add pudding mix and powdered sugar.  Beat
together until well blended.  Fold in cool whip, mix completely.  Spread onto cooled cake
at once and keep in refrigeration.