Recipe: Tuca Ogle: yellow cake recipe

From Fannie Farmer Baking Book

Basic Master Recipe - Yellow Cake

2 1/4 C cake flour (use "scoop & sweep" method to measure)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 C vegetable shortening
1 1/4 C sugar
2 eggs
2/3 C milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease & flour two 8 inch round
cake pans.

Combine dry ingredients & sift. Combine shortening & sugar,
begin beating w/portable mixer on low speed, moving mixer
all around. Take several seconds to reach highest speed & beat
for about 1 to 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended. It will
look very gritty & almost crumbly. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Crack one of the eggs into the shortening-sugar mixture, and
beat again at high speed, until it has lost the crumbly look
and is the consistency of commercial mayo. Stop & scrape down
sides of bowl. Add the other egg & beat at high speed for
about 30 seconds or longer, until mixture is light, fluffy &
almost white.

Stir the milk & vanilla extract together in a 1 C measure or
small cup or bowl.

Sprinkle 1/3 of flour mixture over shortening/sugar/egg mixture.
Beat on low speed until just blended. Then beat on medium speed
until batter is perfectly smooth with no unblended drifts of
flour. Pour in half the milk & mix again on low speed until just
blended, then circulate mixer on medium speed for several more
seconds until perfectly smooth. Continue to add the milk & flour
alternately in 3 more parts - flour, milk, flour, beating until
batter is well blended & smooth, scraping down bowl & beaters
after each addition. it will be quite thick, about the
consistency of softly whipped cream.

Pour & spread half the batter (about 2 C)into 1 of the prepared
cake pans. Spread evenly, pans should be about 1/2 full.

Bake for 20 minutes, then begin testing for doneness. Insert a
toothpick or wooden skewer into the cake, if it comes out clean,
the cake is done. If it doesn't come out clean, & the top
doesn't spring back when touched, bake a few minutes longer &
test again. Total baking time is more often about 25 minutes.

Remove layers from oven & set them on a rack to cool for about
5 minutes. Remove from pans, set on rack to completely cool for
an hour or two before filling & frosting.