Vintage recipe for chocolate birthday cake.

Hopefully my mom's cake will look nicer than mine did!
If I can't find the recipe for the chocolate cherry cake that my mom wanted, I'll probably be using this one, also from her mother's 1943 cookbook. It even has its own recipe for chocolate buttercream frosting!

Chocolate Cake with Butter Frosting
2 1/2 cups flour (after sifting)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (add soda)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated
4 squares chocolate

Sift flour and baking powder. Cream butter and sugar, add chocolate (melted), vanilla, and beaten egg yolks. Add flour and buttermilk alternately. Fold in beaten egg whites. Makes three layers.

Butter frosting
1/4 pound sweet butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1 egg
6 level tablespoons cocoa

Mix cocoa and sugar. Add butter and cream together. Add whole egg and a little milk or coffee.

I have some cherries in the freezer, and I can always pit and sugar them, and put them in the bottom of the cake pans ...