Instructions:
One of the basic rules for making a butter cake is that all ingredients be at room temperature. If eggs are cold, place them in a bowl of hot tap water for a few minutes to warm them up. If the shortening or butter is cold, cut it into small pieces and beat in the large bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. For the lightest-textured cake, use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. If you do not have a sifter, put the cake flour from the box into a sieve placed over a bowl. With a spoon stir the flour until it is sifted into the bowl. Spoon into a dry-measure cup and, with the straight edge of a knife, level off the top.
- 1⁄2 cup shortening or butter, at room temperature;
- 1 cup sugar;
- 1 teaspoon vanilla;
- 2 eggs;
- 2 cups sifted cake flour;
- 21⁄2 teaspoons baking powder;
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt;
- 3⁄4 cup milk;
- Rich Custard Filling
;
- Whipped Cream Frosting
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 8- or 9-inch layer cake pans.
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening or butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually and continue beating. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, beating all the time. Combine the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to the creamed ingredients alternately with the milk. Beat to keep batter smooth.
- Turn batter into the cake pans and spread until smooth and even. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until tops of cakes are golden. Remove from oven, cool on rack 10 minutes, then remove from pans. Fill with Rich Custard Filling and frost with Whipped Cream Frosting, or fill and frost with your favorite icing.
- CHOCOLATE-NUT FUDGE CAKE: Melt three 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, and beat into the creamed mixture after adding the eggs. Increase the milk to 1 cup. Add 1⁄2 cup finely chopped walnuts to the dry ingredients when incorporating them in the creamed mixture.
MAKES TWO 8- OR 9-INCH LAYERS
