MY GRANDMOTHER'S DEPRESSION ERA SOUTHERN CHOCOLATE CAKE (beware, the original recipe called for

For my mother's 90th birthday, I am making HER mother's chocolate cake whose recipe has been in the family since the 1930's. However, even after many attempts at baking it both by myself and other family members, the taste of the original cake's flavor remains elusive. First of all, it is almost impossible to find lard. I tried the Walmart grocery and a very large branch of the Giant Eagle supermarket. I might as well be asking for powdered unicorns' horns. I ended up substituting KERRYGOLD IRISH BUTTER. I also feel that the readily available commercial cocoa's potency has been altered over the decades. I used HERSHEY'S EXTRA DARK for this cake. Thus, with these caveats, here is the recipe:

CREAM 1/2 # LARD (I SUBSTITUTED KERRYGOLD IRISH BUTTER) with 2 CUPS OF SUGAR, ADD 2 JUMBO EGGS AND CONTINUE CREAMING UNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY

IN A SEPARATE BOWL SIFT TOGETHER 2 1/2 CUPS OF FLOUR, 2 TSPS OF BAKING SODA, 1/2 TSP OF SALT, AND 1/3 CUP OF EXTRA DARK COCOA POWDER (I ADD AN EXTRA TABLESPOON) THEN SIFT THE DRY INGREDIENTS INTO THE FIRST BOWL AND MIX WELL.

ADD 1 CUP OF BOILING WATER AND MIX WELL. ADD 1 CUP OF BUTTERMILK AND CONTINUE MIXING. STIR IN 1 1/2 TSPS OF VANILLA.

BAKE IN A 9 BY 13 PAN (GRANDMA USED AN ORDINARY PYREX BAKING DISH) AT 300 FOR 45 TO 50 MINUTES OR UNTIL TESTER COMES CLEAN FROM THE CENTER.

FROST WITH ORDINARY BUTTERCREAM ICING.