There’s something about those supersaturated colored photos in the glossy spiral-ringed depths of a cookbook that takes you back to a moment. Outside of listening to a song, food is one of the very few things in this world that acts like a time machine, transporting to something that only memories can imagine. Here, this recipe for Feathery Fudge Cake does just that, recreating a mid-century treat that has a magic-worthy level of texture and contrast.

There are some staples, and this Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook of the 1950s harbors one gem of a recipe. Within the depths of the dessert section, a recipe in the far left-hand corner is a recipe for Feathery Fudge Cake. With no description and no hint, this recipe does little to convey the unique and amazing qualities of this cake.

Unlike other chocolate cakes, this Feathery Fudge Cake relies solely on melted baking chocolate and is in contrast to many cakes of then and now that require some amount of dry cocoa powder. The second oddity about this cake is the fact it uses water, or more precisely, ice-cold water instead of regular boiling water, coffee, or room temperature milk.

After the cake batter has been mixed up, it’s transferred into two eight-inch baking pans and baked until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few moist, not wet, crumbs. Once coated in the complimentary Chocolate Satin Frosting, the cake is ready to slice and serve! The cake is unexpectedly moist and has no harsh dryness to its cake crumb.

The chocolate flavor in this cake is mellow but not muted, allowing you to enjoy the complimentary texture of the cake and frosting without being punched in the face with astringent chocolate acidity. Feathery Fudge Cake is homey and comforting in a way you don’t expect it to be. It’s a chocolate cake that doesn’t take too heavy on the chocolate, embodying a chocolate flavor that can be enjoyed by young and old alike.

Find the Chocolate Satin Frosting here.