“This recipe has been passed down through our family, generation after generation, and it is absolutely delicious. The cake melts in your mouth and the fudge frosting…gives me chills thinking about it! Every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we have this dessert. It wouldn’t be the same without it! From what I
understand, this is very Southern and a recipe that is becoming harder and harder to find. A staple for decades at Thanksgiving gatherings, it is becoming a distant memory and I would like to put a stop to that! :)

Enjoy my Great-Grandmother’s recipe for 7-Layer Fudge Cake.”

photo courtesy of Chef Angela McKeller

Cake Layers:
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. Baking soda
¼ c. apple sauce
2 c. self-rising flour
1 ½ c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
1 c. buttermilk

Directions:
Combine flour and baking soda.
Add eggs, apple sauce, sugar, vanilla and buttermilk.
Mix until well blended, but do not over mix.
Pour ¾ c. batter into 6 or 7, 9” round cake pans (depending on how much batter you have and how well you scrape the bowl) and use anodized aluminum, so as not to burn the edges.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.
Cool on wire racks while making fudge frosting.

Fudge Frosting:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 c. cocoa
1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
½ c. margarine
7 oz. Evaporated milk

Directions:
Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat without boiling.
Add sugar, cocoa, vanilla and evaporated milk.
Stir well and bring to a boil.
As soon as it comes to a boil, time for five minutes (ONLY five minutes) and then immediately remove from heat.

Ice your cake layers immediately or the frosting will harden into fudge, rendering it impossible to spread. Serve warm, if possible, and you have the most decadent, Southern tradition that will melt in your mouth and be remembered for generations to come!

About Angela McKeller: Chef, Kookbook Author, Couture Aprons and Host of “Kick Back and Kook!”, Angela McKeller appeared in many tv shows and her recipes have been featured on numerous websites. Check out her radio show and website for more delicious recipes!