DEPRESSION-ERA CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

What’s a good cake without a good icing too, right? Well, this icing is rich and decadent and so delicious that I may or may not have eaten several spoonfuls of it while I was frosting my cake.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups organic powdered cane sugar *
• 1 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup butter, ghee, or coconut oil (I decided to use ghee for my frosting this time, and it gave it a nice, slightly caramel flavor.)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup water
• pinch sea salt (unless using salted butter)

* If you don’t want to use refined sugar, you could make your own homemade powdered sugar using whole cane sugar. For times when I don’t want to go through the extra work of making my own, though, I just buy regular confectioner’s sugar. (Balance is key, and a little bit of white, refined sugar once in a while isn’t the end of the world. ) I make sure I get cane sugar, though, because if the bag just says “sugar” there’s a good chance that it’s made from genetically modified sugar beets rather than cane sugar. Buying organic is your best bet of finding non-GMO sugar.

Directions:

1. Combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add vanilla extract and butter, ghee, or coconut oil.
3. Gradually add water, stirring well to combine until icing reaches the right consistency for spreading. (I just stirred mine by hand because I was too lazy to dig out my mixer and I didn’t want to have to wash the beaters afterward, but using a mixer is the best way to get a smooth icing without any little clumps of cocoa powder.)