Homemade Yellow Cake Mix

1 7/8 cups cake flour
2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ cups vegetable shortening

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; stir to blend; resift with sugar. Cut shortening into dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly. Label and store in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature.

Makes 1 package mix. Each package makes two 8 or 9 inch layers or one 9x 13 x 2inch rectangle cake.

To use:
Pour 1 package mix into a mixing bowl; add ¾ cup milk and 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract. Using either an electric or manual rotary beater, beat at slow to medium speed for two minutes (by hand, 3 minutes).

Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently as you beat. Add 2 eggs; beat 1 minute more (2 minutes by hand). Grease and dust with flour your choice of pans; spread batter evenly in pans. Bake round cake pans at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

White cake: Follow the same directions as for Yellow Cake, replacing the 2 eggs with 3 unbeaten egg whites. Use an electric mix for beating.

Spice Cake: Add to the package of yellow cake mix: ¼ cu sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, and a pinch of ground allspice. Follow Yellow Cake directions.

Fresh Orange Cake: Pour 1 package of yellow cake mix into a bowl; add 2 Tablespoons sugar and 1 Tablespoon freshly grated orange peel (1 teaspoon rind). Squeeze the juice from 1 large orange and add to it enough water to ensure 1 cup. Add this orange juice to the mix, beat for 2 minutes as directed previously, add 2 eggs , beat and bake as directed.

Cupcakes: (makes about 2 dozen) Pour cake batter into greased cupcake tins or tins lined with paper baking cups; fill ½ to 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.