Watch Out For the Tar Sands

 UPDATED:
I added the recipe at the bottom of the post. This is a delicious, easy to make cake whether you choose to adorn it with peeps or not.



I was watching the flocks of birds migrating back north...my first thought was to do this as a black gelatin, but cake won.

Can't you imagine the birds complaining to each other that if they'd gone east they could be eating fiddleheads right now?

Yes, I am a sick, sick person-but you already knew that.


The recipe comes from an ancient spiral-bound cookbook from Jewel grocery store in Chicago. Bernice Keller, whoever you are (wherever you are) this is one terrific cake! I admit the amount of margarine called for put me off a bit as I only use the stuff to grease baking tins, but  wow! Who knew you could make something this good out of generic .79 cents a pound hydrogenated vegetable oil? Well, obviously Bernice knew, and now you do as well. Gosh, this is a delicious cake.

You Will Need:

For the Cake:
2 sticks margarine (1 cup)
1 cup water
2 cups plain flour
2 cups granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees f. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Combine dry ingredients. In a saucepan, melt the margarine and water. Add margarine and water to dry ingredients, and blend with an electric mixer. Add eggs and sour cream, blending for 1 minute. Pour into prepared pan and bake 25 minutes, or until set (mine took just over 30). Let cool 20 minutes, meanwhile make the frosting.

For the Frosting:

16 ounces icing (powdered) sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons cocoa

Heat margarine and milk until margarine melts. Stir in vanilla, then the cocoa. Remove from heat, and add the sugar. Stir by hand until creamy. Be warned, it sets quickly, even on a still warm cake, so don't dally. Cover cake until ready to serve.