Roxanna ~ Happy Birthday to your father. Here is a recipe for a wonderful chocolate cake.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE with Frosting

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco shortening (solid)
4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:
1 stick butter
4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa
6 to 8 Tablespoons milk
3/4 box powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Ingredients must be
mixed in proper order for best results.

Cake: Sift flour, sugar, and salt together. Set aside. In
a saucepan, mix butter, Crisco, water, and cocoa.
Heat until it almost boils. Pour over dry ingredients.
Beat well by hand. Add soda and buttermilk and beat
gently only to mix. Add eggs and vanilla last. Mix
gently. Pour into 9 x 13 inch greased and floured pan.
Bake for 20 minutes only. 10 minutes into baking
time,start to make frosting.

Frosting: Mix ingredients together in microwavable
bowl. Heat in microwave until warm only. Pour over
cake immediately after removing cake from oven.