Aunty Brinda and Cuckoo Masi's Chocolate Cake

1 & half cups flour (200 gms)
1 tsp soda bicarbonate
3 tblsp cocoa
1 cup sugar
half tsp salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Sift flour, salt, soda and cocoa powder

Blend butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat thoroughly. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk.

Bake in a well greased square tin in a medium oven for about 45 mins.

Ice with a glazed chocolate butter icing
400 gms icing sugar
half cup butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
Very hot water, as much as needed
Sift the icing sugar with the cocoa

Cream the butter till light. Add the icing sugar mixture. The mixture will look lumpy. Start adding the hot water very slowly, mixing vigorously, till icing sugar reaches the needed consistency.
It should be soft and spreadable.

The nice thing about this icing is that it sets with a light crust, but maintains its softness. When sandwiched in the middle of the cake, it keeps the cake soft and moist

This is easy, and most importantly, really economical and foolproof. I got this from your Aunt Noella, Pallavi. We were constantly looking for recipes which not only made food tasty, but also were economical. When our kids were growing up, basic ingredients like cocoa, or mushrooms, or fresh herbs etc. were not readily available in Kolkata, and we would always buy in bulk if we were travelling and found things we wanted...and always bought a little extra to share with 'cooking' friends. Many in our generation didn't necessarily cook, as there were always people available to cook and clean...but Noella and I always found cooking a relaxing and thoroughly creative activity!