MAKING MY OWN BIRTHDAY CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare three 8 inch cake pans with shortening and a dusting of flour. Line pans with parchment or wax paper. Mix cake mixes together according to box instructions.  Then add remaining ingredients.  Bake at 325 degrees until cakes spring back when touched in the center. This makes a lot of cake batter.  You can bake up and freeze any extra layers, tightly wrapped, or you can half the recipe.  If you half the recipe, I would use the spice cake mix rather than the white.

Steps:

• This recipe uses the reverse creaming method.)Preheat oven to 350. Grease & flour three 8 inch pans.
• In your mixing bowl add the dry ingredients (flour and the next seven ingredients). With the mixer on low speed, mix the dry ingredients for 30 seconds so all will be well blended. Add the pieces of butter a few slices at a time. Mix until the dry ingredients are moistened by the butter and look like coarse sand. If you pinch some of the mixture between your fingers it will stick together. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• In another bowl combine eggs, oil, pumpkin, milk and vanilla. Whisk until well blended, set aside.
• Method is important in this recipe so with the mixer on LOW speed, SLOWLY add approximately 1/2 of the egg mixture. Increase to medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating 20 seconds after each addition.
• Bake at 350 degrees 30 - 35 minutes, let cool in pans 10 minutes then turn out.
• Using your mixer beat the butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add the vanilla and spices. With the mixer on low speed gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until it is a good piping consistency.