Instructions: Combine in saucepan sugar, lard, raisins, spices and water. Let come to a boil and boil 3 minutes. Cool thoroughly. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt; add to mixture. Bake in a 13x9-inch greased and floured pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Lucile Says: We made this cake a lot while I was growing up on the farm during the Depression. We rendered our own lard, so it was our standard shortening. It didnt need frosting, as it was like an inexpensive fruit cake. It stayed moist for a long time, if you could keep it around for that long.

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