CAKE:

5 1/3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, preferably Guittard or other very good quality chocolate
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups water
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
2 3/4 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 1/3 tsp. baking soda
1 1/3 tsp. salt

Grease a Bundt pan, dust with fine bread crumbs, and chill.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt chocolate with shortening. Combine chocolate mixture, eggs, lukewarm water, vanilla, and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl. Blend well.

Mix together thoroughly sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients, blending on low speed of mixer until just mixed, scraping bowl well.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F until done, 50 to 65 minutes. Cool in pan 30 minutes.

GLAZE:

3/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp. evaporated milk
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, preferably Guittard or other very good quality chocolate
1 1/2 tbsp. butter

While cake is cooling, melt together chocolate and butter. In top of boiler, heat remaining sugar with evaporated milk until sugar is dissolved. The mixture will not feel grainy when rubbed between fingers.

When sugar is dissolved, combine with chocolate/butter mixture which have been melted together. If necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons hot water to icing to enhance sheen. Turn cake out onto cake rack and pour icing over cake.