Grandpa Kline's Poppycock {Not Your Average Caramel Corn}

This cake was Grammie's frequent contribution to tailgate gatherings. To this day, when I taste that sweet icing, the memories flood my mind of fall afternoons under the trees near Cemetery Hill, right outside the stadium!

I tried making it for the first time tonight. I now realize what a labor of love Grammie's cake and icing making efforts were! The cake is pretty simple; the icing is a little work. If you like sweet icing, this one's for you!

Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks Margarine/Butter
• 4 Tablespoons cocoa
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Hot Water
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

1. Melt Margarine/Butter and Cocoa together in the microwave.
2. In a large bowl, combine Butter/Cocoa mixture Sugar to the butter mixture and stir
3. Add eggs and stir
4. Combine flour, soda and salt in a separate bowl
5. Combine hot water, buttermilk and vanilla in a separate bowl
6. Add the flour mixture and the liquid mixture alternately, beating into the sugar mixture
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes
8. Cool before icing.

Icing (warning...not for the faint of heart!!)
Ingredients:

• 2 cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/4 cup light Karo Syrup
• pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 egg whites

Directions:

1. Beat egg whites until they form a stiff peak and set aside
2. Combine sugar, water, Karo syrup, salt and vanilla. Boil until it spins a thread or reaches 240 degrees
3. Beat the sugar mixture slowly into the egg whites and beat until a spreading consistency.

Carrie