Basic Cake Recipe

Everyone should have a basic made from scratch cake recipe on hand. Sometimes you just never know when company will show up from out of nowhere. Or how about when someone's birthday is accidentally forgotten. Not to mention being able to control the quality of the ingredients inside your cake.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour, sift for best results
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening, softened
• 4 egg whites (just the whites for a white cake, add the yolks for a yellow cake)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Want a chocolate cake - add 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup of cocoa
  

Directions:

1. Start the oven out to preheat at 350 degrees.
2. Then grease/flour your choice of 2 - 8" cake pans or a 9X13" - Use a mixture of shortening and flour to grease the pans for best results.
3. Add all the dry ingredients into a big mixing bowl and mix it together.
4. Add in the wet ingredients - shortening, egg whites/yolks and vanilla extract.
5. Stir the mixture enough to keep the batter from splattering out of the mixing bowl.
6. Turn on the mixture to beat the cake batter on medium until smooth.
7. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do the toothpick test if you must.

Easy Breezy! I love this cake with just about any topping. To make a yummy topping that is light and fluffy, mix up a box of vanilla pudding. Then, combine it with a small tub of whipped topping. Spread on the cooled cake and enjoy!