Alan's Favorite Triple-Layer Birthday Cake

Growing up, my brother and I each had our favorite birthday cakes that our mother would make. This 3-layer cake was my favorite.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 1 Cake

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup  Crisco
• 2  cups sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 3  cups  sifted cake flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄8 teaspoon clove
• 4  teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄4 cups water
• 4  beaten  egg whites
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  almond flavoring
• 1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2  tablespoons  cocoa
• 1⁄8 teaspoon baking soda
• 3  drops  red food coloring (for middle layer of cake)
• 1  confectioners' sugar (for icing)
• 1  orange juice (for icing)
• 1  lemon juice (for icing)
• 1  butter (for icing)
• 1  drop  red food coloring (for icing) or 1  drop  blue food coloring (for icing)

Directions

1. After mixing the Crisco, sugar, salt, cake flour, baking powder, 1 1/4 cups water & egg whites together, divide evenly into 3 soup bowls, so that you can add something different to each layer.
2. In the 1st layer add 1/2 teaspoon almond flavor.
3. In the 2nd layer add 3 drops red food coloring & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
4. In the 3rd layer add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, 2 tablespoons cocoa & 2 tablespoons water.
5. Grease & lightly flour 3 round layer cake pans & pour contents of each bowl into each pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 360 degrees about 30 minutes or until when the cake is punctured with a wooden toothpick the toothpick comes out clean with no cake crumbs sticking to the toothpick.
7. Do not open oven door prior to 30 minutes, or the cake may fall.
8. Place a cake plate on top of the brown layer & turn upside down, so that the cake will easily drop out of the pan onto the cake plate.
9. Spread a thin layer of icing on top of the brown layer.
10. Carefully drop the pink layer on top of the iced brown layer, & then spread a thin layer of icing on top of the pink layer.
11. Carefully drop the white layer on top of the pink layer, & then thickly ice the entire cake on top & around the sides.
12. Place cake, uncovered, into refrigerator so that the icing will become even more firm.
13. Also, do not allow icing to be too runny, as it must be very firm.
14. Remember, you may use canned/store bought icing if you desire.