Recipe: Walnut Cake Augusta

WALNUT CAKE AUGUSTA
Source: The White House Chef Cookbook: Over 500 recipes and menus by the man who was White House Chef during the Kennedy Years by Rene Verdon
Makes 16 squares

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, 1 of them separated
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in whole egg and additional yolk.

Sift together the flour, salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder. Add to the egg mixture alternately with the milk. Add vanilla extract.

Pour the batter into a greased 8 inch square baking pan. Cover the top with the nuts.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.

While cake is baking, beat remaining egg white until stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in brown sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder until white is very stiff.

Spread over baked cake and bake 10 minutes longer. Cool. Cut in squares to serve.