This traditionally Southern cake is delicious to the last bite.
CAKE
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ cups vegetable shortening
5 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour (White Lily)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1¼ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pecan halves
CARAMEL
3 plus ¼ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup boiling water
½ cup (1 stick) butter
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 325°. For the cake, grease and lightly flour four 9-inch cake pans. Cut a piece of wax paper to fit the bottom of each of the pans and grease and flour them. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and shortening together, beating with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. In another bowl sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder three times. Alternately, add about one-fourth at a time of the flour mixture and one-fourth of the milk to the shortening mixture. Beat after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until the mixture is smooth. Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool. After the cakes have cooled, remove from the pans and peel off the paper.
For the caramel, melt ¼ cup of the sugar in an iron skillet on medium-high heat until it is a golden brown. Add the boiling water and cook until the caramel mixture is well blended and no lumps remain. In a large saucepan on medium heat bring the remaining 3 cups sugar, the butter, baking soda, vanilla, and milk to a boil. Add a little of the milk mixture to dissolve and remove all the caramel from the skillet. Then pour the caramel into the boiling milk mixture. Boil rapidly, stirring constantly, to the soft-ball stage (240°). Remove the pan from the heat and place it in a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking. Beat until the icing is very thick and creamy. Cool and spread between the cake layers and on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate the top and sides with pecan halves.
YIELD: 1 (9-INCH) FOUR-LAYER CAKE