Cake Recipe

Ingredients
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. For a Yellow Cake: Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in shortening until fine crumbs are formed. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat at low speed for 1 minute, then high for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl frequently.
2. Pour batter into greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Variation for a White Cake: Prepare as for the basic cake except use 3 egg whites for the 2 whole eggs. Whites may be beaten separately and added for a lighter cake.
4. Variation for a Chocolate Cake: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the basic cake mix prior to adding the milk.
5. Variation for a Spice Cake: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice to the basic cake mix.
6. Variation for a Pineapple Upside Down Cake: Melt 1/2 cup butter in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add 2/3 cup brown sugar, stirring into the butter. Arrange pineapple slices in the pan. Top with the basic (yellow cake) mix recipe. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, cool 5 minutes, and invert to serve.

Banana Bread Recipe

Freeze overripe bananas in their skins in a plastic bag - when you've got 6, you're ready to make the best banana bread you've ever tasted.
You can add frozen blueberries but don't mix them into the batter - the colour runs. Just alternate batter and blueberries as you fill the bundt pan.

Ingredients:
1 cup (250 mL)butter
2 cups (500 mL) sugar
3 cups (650 mL) mashed ripe bananas (6)
4 eggs, well beaten
2 1/2 cups (625 mL)flour
2 tsp. (10 mL)baking soda
1 tsp. (5 mL) salt
1 tsp. (5 mL) nutmeg

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add bananas and eggs and beat until well mixed. Mix dry ingredients and blend with banana mixture, but do not overmix. Pour into 2 lightly greased loaf pans or a bundt pan. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour; test for doneness (toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean) and cool on rack for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Freezes beautifully.

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