Birthday Cake Recipe

So I forgot to add a Birthday cake to this week's menu plan. It was Daddy's birthday on Wednesday. However, with both of our work schedules as crazy as they are we didn't get to celebrate it till Monday. In the morning, I made him his favorite breakfast of all time, a good southern breakfast of bacon, fried eggs, homemade biscuits, and gravy. Then after dinner we had a birthday cake. With Sassy's milk allergy however, I cannot exactly go to the store and pick up a cake. (Plus they are expensive) So off to the Grandma's cookbooks I went. My favorite is the Woman's Home Companion Cook Book published in 1944.

If you can get your hands on a good cookbook from the 40's it's well worth your money. These books were printed during the war and right after the depression, so all most all the recipes contain staples that are in your pantry everyday; are not expensive to buy and have modifications to them in case you have already used your ration of sugar, etc. These are the books, I ALWAYS find the best recipes in. Plus since we can't use any milk products in the house, it has a ton of recipes with shortening instead of butter, which is a bonus!!

So I made the TWO EGG BUTTER CAKE- YUMMY and then I made a SEVEN MINUTE ICING - another YUMMY!! Daddy and Sassy both had TWO pieces. Recipes below.

Two Egg Butter Cake
Cake flour - 3 cups
Baking Powder - 5 tsp
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Shortening - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Eggs - 2
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Milk - 1 cup (we used plain soy)

Sift the flour; measure; add baking powder and salt; sift again. Cream shortening; add sugar gradually; cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs (Unless beating by hand and then well beat eggs prior to adding); beat thoroughly; add vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk, stirring only enough after each addition to blend thoroughly. DO NOT BEAT (DO BY HAND) Pour into greased 8 or 9 inch pans. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 -25 minutes. When cool, put layers together with filling or frosting; frost top and sides.

Seven Minute Icing
Egg whites - 2
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 1/3 cup
Light Corn syrup - 2 tsp ( I wasn't paying attention and this time around I actually used 2 TBSP of corn syrup but it still turned out really good)
Vanilla 1 tsp or almond extract 1/2 tsp

Combine unbeaten egg whites, sugar, water and corn syrup in the top of a double boiler; beat just enough to blend ingredients. Place over a rapid boiling water and beat with a hand beater or electric mixer until mixture is light and fluffy and will hold its shape. (This requires about 7 minutes by hand or 3-4 minutes by electric mixer.) Remove from heat; add vanilla or almond extract. Continue beating until frosting is stiff enough to stand in peaks. Makes enough frosting for filling, tops and sides or two 9 inch layers, three 8 inch layers or two dozen cupcakes.

Below is what it looks like. Ohh it is soooo yummy. I can't wait to make it for Sassy's birthday which is in a couple of weeks.

Check out some other great yummy recipes at Grocery Cart Challenge