Vintage Recipe---Spanish Cake

To make Spanish Cake:

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans. Sift together first four ingredients. Cream shortening until soft. Add sugar gradually and continue to beat. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.  Add dry ingredients to egg mixture alternately with milk. Beat only enough to blend well. Pour into pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brown. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack. Frost with brown sugar frosting. Sprinkle with grated chocolate, if desired.  Makes 1 cake.

Brown Sugar Frosting: Put 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2 unbeaten egg whites and 6 tablespoons water in the top of a double boiler.  Cook over boiling water for 7 minutes, beating constantly with a mixer. If frosting does not hold its shape, continue cooking and beating a minute or two longer. Remove from heat; stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread between the layers and on outside of cake.