Recipe: Heritage Nut Cake with Primrose Frosting (Spry recipe, 1955)

HERITAGE NUT CAKE

2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour (or 2 1/2 cups all-purpose)
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, unbeaten
1 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch tube or Bundt pan.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl. Drop in shortening. Add milk, extracts and 1 egg; beat 2 minutes on mixer at low speed, or 200 strokes.

Scrape bowl and beaters or spoon. Add 2 remaining eggs and 1 egg yolk; beat 2 more minutes on low. Add nuts and mix. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until cake tests done. Cool on wire rack.

PRIMROSE FROSTING
Makes enough frosting for 8-inch layer cake, tube cake, loaf cake or 30 cupcakes

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, divided use
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
5 tablespoons half-and-half (about)

Blend shortening with butter, vanilla and salt. Beat in 1/2 cup of the sugar. Beat in the almond extract and orange rind. Add the cream a tablespoon at a time alternately with the remaining confectioners' sugar, adding only enough to make nice spreading consistency.

Makes 1 tube or Bundt cake
Source: Vintage recipe booklet: Spry's 20th anniversary booklet - Old and New Favorites, 1955