Melt chocolate over boiling water; add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup buttermilk and stir over boiling water until sugar is dissolved. Cool. Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, soda, and salt and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly add 3/4 cup sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add about 1/4 of flour mixture, mix thoroughly; add chocolate mixture and blend. Add remaining flour, alternately with buttermilk, a small amount at a time; beat very thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla. Bake in greased 15x9x2- inch pan, in a moderate oven ( 35O degrees F.) 30 minutes, or until cake is done. When cold, trim edges, cut in half crosswise, and put together as a two-layer cake, matching edges carefully. Spread tops and sides with Martha Washington's Fudge Frosting (See recipe). Or add chopped nut meats to part of frosting and use as filling. This recipe has been adapted to modern measurements from Marthas Washington's own recipe. It is an excellent choice for February parties or for any occasion where a deluxe cake is desired.

Kate Smith Collection, (as adapted from Martha Washington's recipe) Published 1940 by General Foods Corp. (Courtesy of Barb Day)