Empress chocolate cake

INGREDIENTS:
  1 1/2 c  Sifted cake flour
      1 c  Ghirardelli Sweet Ground
           -chocolate
    3/4 c  Sugar
  1 1/2 ts Baking soda
    1/4 ts Cream of tartar
    1/2 ts Salt
    2/3 c  Shortening
      1 c  buttermilk
      2    Eggs
      1 ts vanilla
 
  DIRECTIONS: Heat oven to 350-F. Into large mixer bowl, sift flour with
  Ground chocolate, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Add
  shortening and 3/4 cup buttermilk. Beat on low speed to combine
  ingredients. Beat on medium low speed for 2 minutes. Add remaining
  1/4 cup buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Beat additional 2 minutes. Line
  two 8 by 1 1/2" round cake pans with waxed paper. Spread batter into
  pans. Bake at 350-F for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on racks 10 minutes;
  remove layers from pans.
  
  After completely cooled, frost with Empress Frosting*.
  
  *separate recipe
  
  Source: Recipes from Ghirardelli chocolate Company of San Francisco;
  recipe from box of "Sweet Ground chocolate and Cocoa"
  
  From: Sallie Austin