Cream together: Sugar, shortening and eggs. Mix together: Cocoa and hot water. Sift together: Flour, soda and salt. Add cocoa mixture to milk. Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to creamed mixture. Add vanilla. Pour into well-greased cake pans dusted with sugar. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.
Taken from: It Never Turns Out The Same Way Cookbook A Collection of Recipes from the Kitchen of Joyce & Clem Kohl