Teen Age Birthday Supper

I really enjoyed Louisa Edwards' post and the comments with people's food stories. My shows on Preserving Family Recipes are filled with folks sharing just such stories and it is a wonderful bond we all have - food and memories! And her new book Just One Taste - was excellent. While I enjoyed the others, I really think that was the best of the three. The heroine is a chemical scientist and the hero an adult student chef. Lots of sizzle, but pretty realistic relationship fumbles among great food and recipe story lines.
Just One Taste (Recipe for Love)

Here is a spread from the Foodarama cookbook. I particularly like the record stirrers in the glasses and the duck basket with the bananas. If I put those out at the teen group events at my library I don't know that they would know what records are, and I don't want to think about the comments on that duck thing.

So the menu - if you can make it out:
Teen Age Birthday Supper (I wonder when it became one word...)
Assorted sandwiches
Pickles   Olives   Celery
Real Crazy Cake
Make Your Own Sundaes
Milk

Wow - after that menu, you may have some 'real crazy' teens hyped up on sugar.
Nevertheless, enjoy Real Crazy Cake:
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
6 Tbsp. cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup melted shortening
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups cold water
Chocolate Butter Frosting

Set oven for moderate, 350F. Mix dry ingredients together in mixing bowl; then sift into an ungreased 13x9x2 inch pan.  With the back of a mixing spoon, make 3 depressions in the dry mixture; pour the shortening in one depression, vinegar in the second and vanilla in the third.  Pour water over the top of the mixture.  Mix and blend thoroughly until batter is smooth.  Bake 50 - 60 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched with fingertip.  Cool slightly; remove from pan and cool on a rack.  Frost with Chocolate Butter Frosting.

Chocolate Butter Frosting:  In a bowl combine and beat 2/3 cup softened butter or margarine, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 egg yolk and 3 squares (1 oz. each) melted unsweetened chocolate. Beat in 5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (holy cow - 5 more cups) a little at a time, alternately, with 1/2 cup milk or light cream, beating after each addition until smooth and creamy.  Beat in 1 Tbsp. vanilla.  If thinner frosting is desired, add a little more milk or cream by teaspoonfuls.