Melt chocolate in double boiler first. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs. Sift flour and add alternately with milk. Then add 1/2 cup hot water to melted chocolate. Put other 1/2 cup water in a pan and bring to a boil (THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT). To this add soda and immediately add this to chocolate mixture. Pour chocolate mixture into the batter, add vanilla. Bake in greased loaf pan at 325 degrees. Cake will pull away from sides of pan when done.
Not necessary to frost the cake. Best by the third day, grows more moist with age. Wrap in foil and keep it indefinitely in refrigerator.
