Recipe - Mocha Chocolate Torte

One half cup Unsweetened cocoa
One half cup Boiling water
2 One half cup All purpose flour
1 One half teaspoon Baking soda
One half teaspoon Salt
1 Three fourths cup Sugar
2/3 cup Butter or margarine
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 cup Buttermilk
FILLING:
5 tablespoon Flour
1 cup Milk
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Butter or margarine
One half teaspoon Instant coffee granules
2 teaspoon Water
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 teaspoon Unsweetened cocoa
1 cup Chopped pecans
FROSTING:
One half cup Shortening
One fourth cup Butter or margarine
2 One half tablespoon Evaporated milk
1 tablespoon Boiling water
1 One half teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 ds Salt
1 pound Sifted confectioners' sugar,
divided

CAKE:

Pecan halves, optional

For cake, make a paste of cocoa and water. cool and set aside. Sift
together flour, soda and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the
sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in cocoa mixture. Add flour
mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Blend until smooth. Pour into two
greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until
cake tests done. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack. For filling,
cook flour and milk in a saucepan over low heat,stirring constantly, until
thick. Cool. Meanwhile, cream sugar and butter until light. Dissolve
coffee in water; add with vanilla, cocoa and milk mixture to creamed
mixture. BEat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Fold in nuts. Split each cake
layer in half. Divide filling into thirds and spread between layers. For
frosting, cream shortening and butter. Add milk, water, vanilla, salt and
half the sugar. Beat well. Add remaining sugar and beat until smooth and
fluffy. Spread over top and sides of cake. Garnish with pecan halves, if
desired. Yield: About 16 servings.

Origin: Country Woman, Nov/Dec 1991 Shared by: Sharon Stevens

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini