Mix chocolate, 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup sugar in saucepan. Cook and stir until thick and smooth. Stir in applesauce and vanilla. Cool. Combinad and sift dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream shortening with remaining 1 cup sugar, blend in eggs one at a time. Alternately add dry ingredients and remaining 3/4 cup milk to creamed mixture, blending well after each addition. Blend in chocolate mixture. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8 inch layer pans. Bake in 350F oven for 40 minutes, or until tested done. Cool. Split each cooled layer. Frost cake with APPLE FLUFF FROSTING or APPLE CREAM FROSTING (see separate recipes) From Birmingham News Food Section, 1986 Formatted by Linda Caldwell ----