Eisenhower's Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

1/2 c butter
3 1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 c sour milk
2 1/2 c sifted flour
1 ts baking soda
1 ts baking powder
5/8 c cocoa
1/2 c boiling water
1 ts vanilla
1/4 ts salt
1 frosting
2 egg whites
5 tb water
1 pn salt
1/2 ts cream of tartar

Instructions

Sift flour, baking powder & salt. Cream shortening. Slowly beat in sugar. Add egg yolds & vanilla. Add cocoa, then flour mixture alternately with milk. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour in 2 greased 9" layer cake tins. Bake 25 minutes in 375~ oven. FROSTING:Combine 2 egg whites, unbeaten with 1 1/2 cups sugar, finely sifted. Add 5 tbsps. cold water, a few rains salt and 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tarter in top of double boiler. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Place over briskly boiling water. Beat with egg beater until stiff enough to stand in peaks, about 6-10 minutes. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and beat until thick enough to spread while frosting is cooling. Keep sides of double boiler scraped down with spatula. ----