Mother's oh and ah! cake

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
  
       Title: Mother's Oh and Ah! Cake
  Categories: Cheesecakes, Chocolate
       Yield: 1 servings
  
       3    Unsweetened chocolate;
            -(1-oz)
       1 c  Very hot water
       1 ts Red food coloring
   1 1/2 ts Baking soda
       2 c  Granulated sugar
     1/2 ts Salt
       3    Eggs
     1/2 c  Shortening
   2 1/2 c  Sifted cake flour
            (sifted before measuring)
       1 c  Sour cream
  
   Recipe by: St. Louis Post-Dispatch 3/18/96
   Grease and flour 1 (13-by-9-by-2 1/2-inch) pan or 3
   (8-inch) cake pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   Combine chocolate and hot water; stir until chocolate
   melts. Let cool, then add food coloring and baking soda.
   Stir and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar,
   salt, eggs and shortening until fluffy. Mix in a third of
   the flour, then 1/3 cup sour cream; repeat twice. Add
   chocolate mixture; beat about 2 minutes on medium speed of
   mixer.
   Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake about 45 minutes for
   13-by-9-inch pan (less for cake pans), or until toothpick
   inserted near center of cake comes out clean. Remove from
   pans and let cool on rack before frosting.
  
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