1-2-3-4 Cake

Spicy Little Sister's Note:

This is the cake my mother's mom made frequently. It is so easy, the cake was always in her memory. When someone had good news, she made the cake. When someone died, the cake always went to the family on a beautiful glass plate with her name written on adhesive tape so she would get it back. We rarely frosted it because it is a pound cake and is moist and tastes just fine without embellishment. Originally from Mrs. Cowell, Oakdale, California.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 40 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 cup butter (real butter, do not substitute or change the amount)
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour (Gold Medal Kitchen Tested Enriched)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (Calumet)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon lemon extract

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar until very pale yellow.
2. Beat at high speed until grain is gone.
3. Then add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add vanilla; beat well.
5. Sift dry ingredients three times and add alternately with milk, just until mixed.
6. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff.
7. Gently fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
8. Grease small angel food pan with Crisco or margarine.
9. Bake at 325 F, approximately 1 hours 10 minutes.
10. When cake in done, it bounces back when pressed.
11. Cool upside down on cake rack.
12. Run knife around edges of pan to loosen.
13. OPTIONAL:.
14. If you have a lemon, it is very good with the grated zest of the lemon added to the batter.

Reviews

[LoriLee in TX]

My Sunday School teacher, Cecil Smith, shared this recipe with me eons ago. It was one of the cakes my sisters and I used to make for almost every church social we attended. We usually frosted it with a thick creamy chocolate frosting. I've also served it with berries and whip cream. It is a sure-fire winner.

[Chef #570804 Halifax Liz]

This is the best butter type cake I have ever found and have been making it for years. My mother also made it. The only difference being that I make it in 9 inch layers (or 9 x 13) and use pre-sifted cake flour. The cake flour makes a lighter cake and more suitable for layers. Never thought of making it like a pound cake but will certainly do so now. The reason I gave it a 4 is because we like the lighter version. No one can go wrong with this cake and it should be in everyone's files.