Traditional Birthday Cake With Chocolate Icing (Kitchenette Cake

I adapted 2 recipes from my Betty Crocker cookbook that was handed down to me from a friend who is in her 80s. The cookbook belonged to her mother. The original recipes were called "Kitchenette Cake" and "Quick as a Wink Icing." I like this recipe because they make 1 layer of cake, which is perfect for my family of 4. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make more.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄3 cups  sifted flour
• 1  cup sugar
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄3 cup applesauce
• 2⁄3 cup milk
• 1  teaspoon vanilla or 1  teaspoon  almond flavoring
• 1  egg
• 6  ounces  semisweet chocolate pieces
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 3  tablespoons milk
• 1  cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a square or round 8-9" cake pan. Combine first 8 ingredients well in a large bowl. Pour into pan. Bake 15 minutes. Turn 180 degrees and bake 15 minutes more or until golden brown on top and pulling away from edges. Let cake cool completely.
2. For the Icing, combine chocolate chips, butter and 3 tablespoons milk in a saucepan. Melt over low heat. Add sifted powdered sugar to chocolate mixture and combine well until it is thick and spreadable.
3. Turn cake out on serving dish or ice in the cake pan. This cake looks very pretty with sprinkles along the sides and edges and the center left clean for candles.