Tennessee Dark Mocha Cake

For Cake: In pan, combine bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 cup milk. Stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Stir in the one cup of sugar and one egg yolk. Cook stirring constantly for three minutes or until custard is thick and smooth. Cool.

Cream the 1/2 cup butter until soft. Gradually add light brown sugar; cream together until mixture is light and smooth. Beat in two egg yolks, one at a time.

Sift and measure cake flour. Re-sift with baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture in three parts, alternately with the water, remaining 1/2 cup milk and teaspoon of vanilla. Stir in custard.

Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry and fold into cake batter.

Divide batter into two buttered nine inch layer cake pans and bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until layers test done.

Turn cakes out onto racks to cool, then put together with French coffee ice. Frost top lavishly or frost top and sides smoothly with remaining icing.

For Icing: Beat butter until soft; add salt and the instant coffee which has been dissolved in the boiling water. Gradually add unsifted powdered sugar. Beat for two minutes. Add rum and allow to stand for five minutes, then beat again.