DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE

⅔ cup shortening

⅔ cup sugar

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

⅔ cup GRANDMA’S MOLASSES

3 squares bitter chocolate

2 eggs

¾ cup sour milk

1½ cups sifted enriched flour

Heat oven to 375° F. (moderate). Cream together first five ingredients. Stir in molasses. Melt chocolate over hot water; add to shortening-sugar, etc., mixture. Beat in eggs. Add sour milk alternately with flour (about ⅓ of each at a time). Bake 25 minutes or until done in 2 well-greased, lightly floured, round, 8-inch, layer cake pans. Cool; frost as desired.

YIELD: 12 servings.

OLD FASHIONED FRUIT CAKE
(heavy with fruit)

2½ lbs. (6¼ cups) raisins, cut in half

½ lb. (1¼ cups) candied cherries, sliced

½ lb. (1¼ cups) candied pineapple, sliced

½ lb. (2 cups) pecans, coarsely chopped

½ lb. (2 cups) blanched almonds, sliced

¾ lb. (2 cups) citron, thinly sliced

¼ cup sifted enriched flour

use to tenderize fruit:

1 cup GRANDMA’S MOLASSES

½ cup water

Cake Batter:

2 cups sifted enriched flour

¼ teaspoon soda

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

1¼ teaspoons nutmeg

1 teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon cloves

½ sq. bitter chocolate, melted

1 cup butter or margarine

6 eggs, unbeaten

1¼ cups sugar

½ cup milk

To Freshen and Tenderize Fruit: Heat molasses and water to boiling point. Gradually stir in fruit and nuts to coat each piece with syrup. Slowly cook until all liquid is absorbed by fruit (about 5 minutes). Stir constantly. Place fruit on large platters to completely cool. Stir occasionally. Just before adding fruit to cake batter, mix fruit with the ¼ cup flour.

To Mix Cake: Sift together flour, soda, and spices. Cream together butter or margarine, sugar, and chocolate. Beat in 3 eggs. Stir in ½ cup flour mixture; beat in remaining 3 eggs. Add remaining dry ingredients alternately with milk. Stir in freshened fruit. Line bottoms and sides of 2 greased, tube cake pans, (measuring 8 inches across bottom). Grease paper well. Pour batter into pans. Bake 3 hours in very slow oven (275° F.), keeping a large, flat pan of hot water on rack underneath cakes to prevent them from baking too dry. Turn cakes out on wire cooler; remove brown paper. Store in tightly closed tin box when cold.

YIELD: 8 pounds.