Jeanne's Style Birthday Cake

Total Time: 3 hrs 50 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 dash salt

Recipe

• 1 to prepare base, cut shortening into dry ingredients, mix well.
• 2 pat firmly and evenly into an 8 inch square pan and bake at 350 deg. f. for 10-12 minutes. cool.
• 3 note: the base and cake are baked separately.
• 4 for cake: cream shortening, and sugar; add eggs and vanilla, beating well until fluffy.
• 5 sift flour, baking powder and salt together; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.
• 6 pour batter into a greased and floured 8 inch square pan.
• 7 bake at 350 deg. f for 25 - 40 minutes.
• 8 frosting: in small saucepan, stir tog. milk and flour.
• 9 cook, stirring constantly, until mixute is thickened and smooth. cool.
• 10 on highest speed of mixer, beat cooled flour mixture with butter, shortening and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.
• 11 blend in icing sugar and salt; continue beating until frosting is very fluffy. this will take at least 15 minutes.
• 12 to assemble cake: place shortbread base on serving plate; spread with small amount of frosting.
• 13 place cake on base. (you can split the cake for layers).
• 14 cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. if desired, garnish sides of cake with shaved semi-sweet chocolate.