Happy Mother's Day!!!

My first inclination was not to blog at all today. Then decided that I did not want to miss the opportunity to wish all the beautiful Mother's who read my blog a wonderful Mother's Day.

Being a Mother is the hardest yet most rewarding job on the planet.
While my relationship with my own Mother was very complicated I loved her dearly. She loved me too, in her own way. No two people could be more different than Mother and me, yet at times I find myself doing things just as she would. To use an old cliche "my Mother never understood me", but then I guess I never understood her either. In the end, we got past that and I learned to accept her as she was. What she was, was incredibly generous, very hard working, and talented beyond words. Mother's hand work was perfect. She knit, did needlepoint, crocheted, sewed, crafted and baked to perfection. I was always proud to wear the clothes she made for me.
Mother wasn't good at telling anyone that she loved them. Her way of showing love was to make sure we had everything our heart desired that was within her power to provide.

Our daughter is away in Pennsylvania now. Thankfully, through the use of cell phones and internet we stay in very close touch. We talk several times everyday, but still this Mother's arms long to hold her baby. Especially today. Circumstances will most likely bring them back to Raleigh in the next few months and that will make her Daddy and I very happy.

So, in honor of Mother's Day I am sharing my most treasured recipe. My Mother's chocolate fudge cake. It was my birthday cake every year for as long as I can remember, until 2002. I have had the recipe for years and never made the cake, I'm not sure I ever will. I'm afraid mine could never measure up to Mother's. I hope you make it and I know your family will enjoy it as much as our has over the years. It is without a doubt the very best cake I have ever had.

BETTY'S CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

Sift together into mixer bowl:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Crisco

Add:
2/3 cup buttermilk and beat 2 minutes at medium speed.

Then add:
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 squares unsweetened chocolate - melted
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat an additional 2 minutes

Pour into 2 - 8 or 9 inch cake pans which have been prepared with shortening and flour.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

FROSTING

3 squares unsweetened chocolate - melted
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
6 Tbsp. Crisco
3 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. white corn syrup (Karo)
1/4 tsp. salt

Add ingredients to a heavy saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and boil 2 minutes, stirring.

Add:
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla and allow to cool to lukewarm.
Beat with a wooden spoon until the frosting is no longer glossy.

Spread between layers and over top and sides.

Note: Mother would never use anything but Red Band flour and Dixie Crystals sugar.
She also make sure all ingredients were room temperature before she started baking.