Yummy Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups Boiling Water
1 cup Uncooked Oats (regular or quick)
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Soda
3 tbsp Cocoa
German Chocolate Frosting (below)

Pour boiling water over oats, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Uncover, stir and let stand 10 minutes more. Beat butter until fluffy; add sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add eggs and oats mixture and mix well. Sift together flour, salt, soda, cocoa, and add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans, pour mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before frosting.

German Chocolate Frosting
1 cup Evaporated Milk
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3 Egg Yolks, Beaten
1 Stick of Butter
1 cup Chopped Pecans
1 cup Flaked Coconut

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT nuts and coconut in saucepan and cook for 12 minutes, stirring constantly (usually my job when a kid and my mom made this). Add nuts and coconut and beat until mixture is of spreading consistency. Spread on cake when ready.

Strawberry Trifle

1 quart strawberries hulled*

2 Tablespoons  confectioners sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

1 package (3 3/4 oz) vanilla instant pudding

1 package (10 3/4 oz) pound cake frozen

4 tablespoons sherry or orange juice

1 cup heavy cream

2 table confectioners sugar

Slice strawberries transfer to a bowl & combine with sugar.

Add milk, sour cream and pudding mix.  Do not over mix. Should  thicken in about 1 minute.

Slice pound cake into 1/4 inch slices.  Position  half the slices into the bottom  and partially up sides of a 3 qt casserole or trifle bowl. Slices may overlap slightly.

Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons sherry.  Cover with half of the pudding, and then half of the strawberries. Repeat layers using remaining cake slices, sherry, pudding and fruit.

In small mixing bowl combine heavy cream and confectioners sugar. Using mixer, whip cream until stiff. Decorate surface of trifle with large dollops of whipped cream or flute through pastry tube.  (I just put on top and decorate with some strawberries).

Refrigerate until ready to serve.   Makes 12 ( 3/4 cup) servings

*Peaches, blueberries or various combinations may be used  Do not slice blueberries.