The Most Amazing Cake Ever!!!

I got this recipe out of a 1950's era Betty Crocker cookbook. It is amazing! It tastes very light- like a muffin almost. I love adding fresh berries to this.....it is so delicious!

1/2 cup shortening (palm)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons milk

Stir shortening to soften (no need to do this with palm shortening...its really soft!)
Gradually add sugar and mix on med-high speed until creamed.
Add vanilla
Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each
Sift flower with baking powder and salt (ok- for this step, I measure the flour out in the bowl, add the bp and salt and stir with a fork until mixed)
Add flour mixture gradually, alternating with milk, beating after each addition.
Recipe calls for paper lined cake pan(s) but I've done fine with rubbing the pans in shortening& dusting with flour.
Bake @ 375 for about 23 mins.
This cake is really moist, so I usually try to make sure it is light/golden brown before I take it out.

Here are some suggestions with this (but it tastes really good plain)

• I make mini muffins with this for Lilly, putting 1 raspberry in the center of the muffin. Make sure the raspberry doesn't go close to the edges- it causes the "cupcake" to tear when taking it out of the pan (or stick to the paper). We freeze them and make sure we have plenty on hand so that if there is a party or someplace where we'll have dessert, she'll get a cupcake.
  
• Add chocolate powder or Enjoy Life choc chips to the cake/muffin pan.
• Add fresh fruit to the cake/muffin pan.
• Use Coconut milk instead of rice milk
  

One more thing, every time we've gone to make 1/2 a recipe, we get all the way to the end and we forget to half the milk. So then, we have to go and add the remaining 1/2 of everything else. Even when Owen's gone to make the recipe himself- he's done it too. (we call it the curse of the cake! LOL) So, I'm going to write down the half recipe so that we (and you) can have it!

• 1/4 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 1/8 cup flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon milk