Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Icing

My coworker Debbie always bakes all of us a cake for our birthdays. She always goes to great lengths to try to surprise us each year with a lit cake and office serenade. We each try to act surprised like we forgot that the same thing happened to each of us last year.

Anyway, she always makes this cake and it is always gone by the end of the day. I never thought I'd be making a cake from scratch but with this recipe its just as easy as those box cakes. The cake is incredibly moist and the buttercream is amazing! Not too sweet....just right.

Debbie's Chocolate Cake
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Ingredients-
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup cocoa
1 cup oil
2 cups water
2 tbsp. vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put all ingredients together and beat until smooth. Bake for 35-45 min. (until toothpick comes out clean)

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients-
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 lb (4 cups) confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp. milk (or water)
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions-
1. Cream shortening and butter. Add sugar, milk, and vanilla.

2. Blend on medium until all ingredients all well mixed. Blend a minute or two more until creamy.

(If using a hand mixer and icing is not creamy, use high speed or add more liquid.Icing can be refridgerated in an air tight container for 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.)