Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2½ cups cake flour
¼ cup cocoa
1 cup sour milk
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons vanilla

 Directions:

Sift flour once, then measure. Add cocoa, baking soda and salt and sift three times. Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs. Stir in flour mixture, alternately with sour milk, then add boiling water and beat hard for three minutes. Add vanilla, and beat well. Preheat oven to 400 degrees while preparing cake batter. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake cake for about 25 minutes. Test with toothpick for doneness.