Yellow Cake
Yield: 12 servings
2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening, butter or margarine, softened 1 1⁄4 cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup milk Silky Chocolate Frosting, recipe follows
Heat oven to 350 degrees for round cake or 325 degrees for square cake. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans or one 9-inch square metal baking pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, with mixer on medium speed, beat shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until smooth, scraping bowl frequently with rubber spatula.
Spoon batter equally into prepared pans. Bake round layers about 30 minutes, or bake square cake 40 to 45 minutes; toothpick inserted into center of cake should come out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. With small knife, loosen layers from sides of pans; invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
For layer cake, place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on cake plate; spread with 2⁄3 cup frosting. Top with second layer, rounded side up. For both round and square cakes, frost sides and top of cake.
Nutrition per serving: 588 calories; 33 g fat; 20 g saturated fat; 121 mg cholesterol; 7 g protein; 68 g carbohydrates; 47 g sugar; 2 g fiber; 237 mg sodium; 114 mg calcium
Recipe from “The Baker’s Book of Essential Recipes,” by Good Housekeeping