Yellow "Lard" Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

This recipe came from the same source as my blog post 

for yesterday...from a compilation of recipes put 

out by the folks at Farm Journal, Inc. way back in 1973.

"This is a 2-egg cake with an old-time 

country taste made in a new way."

(See my personal comments about using 
lard in the blog post I entered yesterday.)

Like the recipe I posted yesterday, this was another recipe with directions that seemed very different to me.   This must have been the "way to go" in those days before we began opening boxes of cake mix and containers of "stir 'n spread" frosting. 

I will say that I am impressed with how "light" 

this cake turned out.  Light, but still not dry!  (I wonder if gently folding the egg whites into the batter at the 
end is what made it so light.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup lard, softened to room temperature
• 2 and 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 additional cup of sugar
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Beat only the egg WHITES until frothy.  G-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y beat into them the first 1/2 cup of sugar. Continue beating until very stiff and glossy.  Set aside.
2. In another bowl, stir softened lard.  Add the sifted-together dry ingredients (cake flour, the last 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt).  Stir in the vanilla and only 3/4 cup of the milk.  Beat 1 minute at medium speed on mixer.  Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl frequently.
3. Add remaining milk and the two egg yolks.  Beat for 1 more minute, scraping the bowl frequently.
4. With wide spatula or wooden spoon, g-e-n-t-l-y fold the beaten egg white/sugar mixture into the batter.
5. Pour into a 9x13x2" baking pan/dish that has been greased and floured-- bake at 350-degrees for about 30-35 minutes or only until toothpick comes out clean.  OPTIONAL: Pour batter into two greased and floured 9" round layer cake pans and bake at 350-degrees for about 25-30 minutes or only until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool baked cake(s) on a rack for at least 10 minutes before removing them from pans.
6. Frost with Peanut Butter Frosting.  The recipe for that is below.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:

Whip just 3/4 cup of chunky peanut butter until smooth.  Slowly add 3/4 cup of  cold "Basic Sugar Syrup*".  Continue beating until the frosting looks very creamy and smooth.  Put it on cake.

The recipe for this sugar syrup is also on the posting 

I entered yesterday.  If you don't want to 

look for it there, here it is:

*BASIC SUGAR SYRUP:

Ingredients:  2 cups sugar, and 1 cup water.

Boil sugar and water together.  After it reaches boiling stage, continue for only ONE minute. Remove from heat. Pour into a jar.  Cool, cover and keep refrigerated.  Makes about 2 cups.  

(If you don't think you will be making any more things that call for this, make just a smaller batch of this.)