Basic Two-Egg Cake

Basic Two-Egg Cake
MAKES TWO 8- OR 9-INCH LAYERS

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.

l/2 cup shortening or butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups sifted cake flour
2 L/2 teaspoons baking powder
l/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
Rich Custard Filling (see recipe)
Whipped Cream Frosting (see recipe)

Preheat oven to 350°F. 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 l/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
to the dry ingredients when incorporating them in the creamed mixture.


Whipped Cream Frosting
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
By adding a little gelatin to the whipped cream, the cream will
hold up for several hours when refrigerated and at least 2 hours at
room temperature once the cake is being served.
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons water
2 cups heavy cream
2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small metal bowl, soften the gelatin in the water. Place over
a pan of hot water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved and clear. In
a large chilled bowl, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks. Beat in
the powdered sugar and dissolved gelatin. Flavor with the vanilla.