New Duchess Spice Cake W/ Maple Buttercream F

2 1/2 c Sifted cake flour OR

2 1/3 c Sifted all-purpose flour

1 c Sugar

1 t Baking soda

1 1/2 ts Cinnamon

3/4 ts Nutmeg

3/4 ts Cloves

1 t Salt

1 c Brown sugar

2/3 c Shortening

1 c Buttermilk

3 Eggs

Grease and flour 2-9" layer cake pans or one 13x9" oblong pan. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt together. Add the brown sugar, shortening and buttermilk. Beat 2 minutes. Add eggs. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake layer pans for 30 to 35 minutes, oblong pan 45 minutes until cake tests done. Cool. Frost. MAPLE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING: 1/2 cup Crisco shortening (regular only) 1/2 cup

butter, softened 1 tsp. maple flavoring (like vanilla extract) 4 cups (1 lb.) powdered sugar 2 Tbsp. milk Cream butter and shortening. Add maple flavoring. Gradually add powdered sugar. Gradually add milk and continue beating until light and airy. Add more milk if needed. Color with paste colors. This icing is a light yellow and colors you add will be affected by this. For pure white icing, use 1 cup regular Crisco shortening and 1/2 tsp. Wilton butter flavoring. This icing is somewhat stiffer. For blazing white, add Wilton White White. Wilton White White will also make the first buttercream recipe whiter, but be careful with colors as they will still tend to be yellowish. Note: Excellent cake and frosting! Cake from the old '50's Betty Crocker Cookbook Frosting from ?? Posted by: Debbie Carlson - Cooking Echo