• 3/4 cup shortening
• 3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tbs. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/3 cup dairy sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Grease 3- 9 inch layer cake pans and set aside. Preheat oven to350 degrees. In large mixing bowl beat shortening, brown sugar and eggs on high speedfor 5 minutes. Blend in vanilla, cocoa, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add flouralternately with sour cream, beating on low speed until smooth. Pour in boiling watermixing until blended. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until done.Cool in pans 10 minutes.

Light Chocolate Icing:

• 2/3 cup soft butter
• 2 lb. confectioner's sugar
• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbs. vanilla
• about 1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter gradually; blend in 1 poundconfectioner's sugar. Stir in melted chocolate, egg yolks and vanilla. Graduallybeat in remaining 1 pound confectioner's sugar. Add enough whipping cream to bringto spreading consistency.

To assemble, spread tops of 2 cake layers with frosting. Sprinkleeach with half of chopped cherries and nuts; stack layers top with remaining cakelayer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.