Make Your Own Cake Mix

Ingredients

• 1 7/8 cups cake flour (I used all purpose flour and it was fine)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening

Directions

1. 1

   Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt; stir to blend.

2. 2

   Mix in sugar.

3. 3

   Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly.

4. 4

   Label and store in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature.

5. 5

   Makes 1 pakage mix. Each package makes two 8 or 9 inch layers or one 9 x 13 x 2 inch rectangle.

6. 6

   To Use:.

7. 7

   Pour 1 package of mix into a mixing bowl;.

8. 8

   add 3/4 cup milk and 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract.

9. 9

   Using either an electric or manual rotary beater, beat at slow to medium speed for two minutes (by hand, beat 3 minutes averaging 135 strokes per minute). Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently as you beat.

10. 10

    Add 2 eggs; beat 1 minute more (2 minutes by hand).

11. 11

    Grease and dust with flour your choice of pan(s); spread batter evenly in pans.

12. 12

    Bake round cake pans at 375 degrees F. for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

13. 13

    bake the 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

14. 14

    Cool cake(s) for 10 minutes in their pan(s) before turning out on racks.

15. 15

    Variations:.

16. 16

    WHITE CAKE.

17. 17

    Follow the same directions as for Yellow Cake replacing the 2 eggs with 3 unbeaten egg whites. Use an electric mixer for beating.

18. 18

    SPICE CAKE.

19. 19

    Add to the package of Yellow Cake Mix: 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and a pinch of ground allspice. Follow Yellow Cake directions.

20. 20

    EXTRACT FLAVORED CAKES.

21. 21

    Replace the vanilla in either the Yellow or White Cake recipes with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the extract of your choice. You may want to add a few drops of food coloring for the flavors like lemon, orange, or cherry, etc.

22. 22

    FRESH ORANGE CAKE.

23. 23

    Pour 1 package of Yellow Cake Mix into a bowl; add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel (1 teaspoon dried). Squeeze the juice from 1 large orange and add to it enough water to measure 1 cup. Add this orange juice to the mix, beat for 2 minutes as directed previously; add 2 eggs; beat and bake as directed.

24. 24

    CUPCAKES.

25. 25

    Pour cake batter into greased cupcake tins or tins lined with paper baking cups; fill 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

26. 26

    Makes about 2 dozen.

27. 27

    NOTE: To prevent a cake from sticking to its pan, put the pan on a wet towel to cool as soon as you take it out of the oven.