Chocolate Cake with Soured Milk

1/4 lb. butter
2 squares (1 oz. each) bitter (unsweetened) chocolate such as Hershey's
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk soured with 1 tsp. vinegar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt

Add the 1 tsp. vinegar to the milk. Set aside.

Shave chocolate. Place in a bowl with butter. Pour boiling water over the chocolate and butter to melt. Stir until melted. (These days, I usually microwave the butter and chocolate about 1 minute at high power to melt them. I do still add hot water after I microwave them). Add the sugar and mix well. Add the soured milk and mix well. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Then add the flour, soda and salt. Mix well.

Pour into an 11 X 7 X 2 inch pan that has been greased. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Note: An 11 X 7 X 2 inch pan is smaller than the usual 9 X 13 X 2 inch cake pan. If you want to use the larger pan, double this recipe.

This cake is very "tender" and moist. It is best served right in the pan. It will likely fall apart and crumble if you try to make it as a layer cake.

My Mom's Frosting for this cake:

About 3/4 of a 1 lb. box of confectioner's (powdered) sugar
3 heaping Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa (or more if you want it more chocolatey)
4 or 5 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 to 3 Tbsp. water
Pinch of salt

Cream the butter, powdered sugar, salt and cocoa together. Add the water - start with 2 Tbsp., and mix, then add more water, a tsp. at a time, until frosting is of desired spreading consistency. Spread on cooled cake. For white frosting, omit the cocoa.

I love this recipe because it is very simple and easy, and always good.