Golden Bundt Cake and Butter Cream Icing

I made this cake for Anna and Aaron when we went to New Haven to visit them this past weekend. This cake can be dry, so be sure not to over bake. I like the recipe because of the extracts that it uses. I have used vanilla and almond (1 1/2 t. each) and I have also done the recipe as printed. I think you could use any combination of flavorings that you would like. The cake is very sweet. It is so sweet that I cannot eat it on an empty stomach or my blood sugar crashes! I can't have this cake for breakfast! But it sure is good. And of course, I used the bundt pan that John and I found in the dump!

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
3 c. sifted all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 c. milk, room temperature
Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1. Grease a 3 quart Bundt pan or 10 inch tube pan.

2. In large bowl, with electric mixer on high, beat butter and shortening together. Add sugar gradually; beat until fluffy.

3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scrape sides of bowl frequently. Beat in flavorings.

4. Sift flour with baking powder, add in thirds to creamed mixture, alternately with milk, beating at low speed beginning and ending with flour.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for one hour (1) and ten minutes or until cake tester poked in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, invert onto cake rack and cool completely.

6. Sift confectioners' sugar over surface, if desired. Makes one large cake. NOTE: If using Teflon lined pan set oven for 300 degrees.


Ingredients:
* 2 pounds of 10x powdered sugar
* 3/4 pounds of butter (3 sticks)
* 1 cup of vegetable shortening
* 1 TS. vanilla or almond extract
* 1/2 TS salt
* 1/4 cup milk

Step 1: Cream butter on medium/high speed for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Add shortening and cream again for 2 minutes. The mixture should be fluffy now. If it is not, cream some more
Step 3: Combine milk, salt and vanilla together
*Step 4:With mixer still on med/high, slowly add
the milk mixture blending completely.
Step 5: While that is blending, sift the 10 x sugar and start spooning it into the blender small amounts at a time. Be sure that each addition is combined completely before you add the next scoop.
Step 6: Continue adding and scraping the bowl until all the sugar is incorporated and has a beautiful smooth texture.

The appearance of this icing is more like a stabilized whipped cream than regular butter cream icing. It is delicious and light. I hope you try it.





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