Starlight Double Delight Cake

I got this recipe from my ma. I'm pretty sure she clipped this recipe from a magazine during the late 50s or early 60s. The cool thing about this recipe is part of the batter becomes the frosting. The cake is very dense.

Ingredients:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. shortening, softened (I use butter or margarine though I think this refers to something like Crisco*)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. peppermint extract (I'm not crazy about peppermint so I subsitute either orange extract or raspberry extract and I increase the amount to 1 - 3 tsp. depending on taste)

6 c. Confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)

1/4 c. hot water

4 sq. (4 oz) melted chocolate

2 1/4 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. shortening (see note about shortening above)

3 eggs

3/4 c. milk

1 tsp.salt

1. Preheat oven to 350o F. and grease and flour 2 nine inch cake pans

2. Cream together cream cheese, 1/2 c. shortening, vanilla and extract flavoring of choice until fluffy.

3. Blend 3 c. confectioner's sugar into the mixture. Add hot water with balance of confectioner's sugar

4. Blend in melted chocolate. Reserve 2 c. of chocolate mixture for frosting for cake

5. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt

6. Combine 1/4 c. shortening and remaining chocolate mixture.

7. Blend in eggs one at a time. Beat for 1 minute.

8. Add milk alternately with dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Use low speed.

9. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30 - 35 min. Cake is done when cake tester or toothpick inserted into middle comes out dry.

10. Cool in pans for 15 minues. Remove from pans and cool thoroughly on wire rack.

11. Frost with reserved chocolate mixture.

12. Enjoy!