From St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church Cookbook

Don’t let the name fool you! While these aren’t much like brownies, this is the MOISTEST chocolate cake you will EVER eat! I’ve included the recipe for frosting, but we rarely make the frosting. We prefer to top our cake with hot fudge and ice cream!!!

Cake ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick margarine
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Frosting (optional):

• 1 stick margarine (or butter)
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla

Cake: Mix sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt. Heat margarine, oil, and water. Pour over first 4 ingredients. Stir. Add eggs, baking soda, buttermilk, and vanilla. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, or longer. “I use a 9 x 13 inch cake pan and it takes 15 minutes more, probably.” Keep an eye on it.

Frosting: Melt margarine, buttermilk, powdered sugar, and cocoa. Beat. Add vanilla. The recipe calls for margarine, I use butter.

***One note about buttermilk. It pops up a few times in this cookbook but we rarely use it. One of the greatest discoveries we’ve made, per Paula, is powdered buttermilk. After opening, you can keep the package in the refrigerator and make up small batches whenever you need it. This way you don’t use 1/4 cup from a quart and waste the rest!