I am a cheater.

What's the first thing I make, when faced with all those books? Something I've made a dozen times before. But I wanted cake. And I wanted a specific cake. (Can you tell - my period approacheth.)


This is Starlight Yellow Cake from the Betty Crocker "Best of Baking". It's a good basic cake, great for cupcakes, layers or a sheet cake. I made the Caramel frosting (page 244) to go with it, and wish I'd had walnuts to sprinkle on the top, because that would have been even yummier. This frosting ROCKS. It's like penuche fudge, but spreadable. The entire thing is much better than it looks in this photo- nowhere near as bland and anemic looking.


As you can see, I've made this quite often over the years.

STARLIGHT YELLOW CAKE

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/4 cups milk
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of 13 x 9 rectangular pan, 2 9" round pans or 3 8" round pans with shortening; lightly flour.

Beat all ingredients together with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan(s).

Bake rectangle 40 to 45 minutes, 9" rounds for 30 to 35 minutes, or 8" rounds 20-25 minutes. (You'll have to guess for cupcakes. I forget how long they took. Sorry.)

Cool on rack. Cool rounds for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on rack.

Frost. Eat. Yum.

CARAMEL FROSTING

1 stick butter (I used salted. It helps cut the sweet a bit.)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Heat butter over medium heat in 2 quart saucepan until melted. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm. Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Place saucepan of frosting in bowl of cold water. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. If frosting becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, a teaspoon at a time.


This first piece was, immediately after this picture was taken, licked by my dog. What an opportunist. And no, I probably shouldn't have given it to her, but she liked it! She really liked it!