3 Layer Chocolate Cake

This recipe was my great-grandma's. I've made it once -- it's somewhat time consuming and the frosting is challenging to say the least. If you want to skip the homemade frosting, you can use regular white frosting.

Also - this is not a dark chocolate cake. It's more like a red velvet recipe without the red food coloring. The cake color is light brown.

Cake:
3/4 cup Crisco (regular crisco, NOT butter flavor)
3 squares Baker's Chocolate (melted)
3 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Cream together Crisco and sugar
Add melted chocolate
Add eggs
Mix flour and salt, add to mixture
Add buttermilk and vanilla
Mix baking soda and vinegar in small bowl; add to mix.

Beat well.

Place batter in 3 floured, round cake pans.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Frosting:
1 c Crisco
1/2 lb Margarine (ex: Parkay)
2 c sugar
1 1/3 c warm milk
2 tsp vanilla
- Beat all ingredients until creamy

- Yes, it does seem ODD to make frosting w/ Crisco...but this recipe is, um, an antique. I was very scared of the frosting when I made it....but it worked out OK. But again, you can use other frosting if you want.