Butterscotch Cake

Another weekend of football, so another dessert is needed. I kept passing up this recipe because it seemed somewhat complex for a Mary recipe. Most of her recipes call for the standard ingredients in two bowls. I am wondering if this recipe was actually one of her mothers due to the age of the recipe card and the printing which is similar to Mary's with a little more elegance.

Butterscotch Cake
(written on yellowed-with-age recipe card)

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cup hot milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs, well beaten
3 cup sifted cake flour
3 tsp baking powder

Combine 1 cup brown sugar, butter and 1/4 cup milk in a pan and cook, stirring constantly, until a small amount forms a hard ball in cold water (this took about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/4 cup hot milk. Cool. Combine shortening, salt, and vanilla.  Add 3/4 cup brown sugar gradually and cream until light and fluffy. Beat eggs until light and beat into caramel mixture, gradually. Sift flour and baking powder 3 times and add gradually to cream mixture, alternating with butterscotch mixture beating until smooth after each addition. Pour batter into 9X13 pan and bake @ 350 for @ 30 minutes.

This cake, despite the 17 pounds of sugar was not overly sweet. I decided to make a quick icing for the top using:

4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
Melt the butter, brown sugar, and milk in saucepan stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla and powdered sugar. Cool slightly and then drizzle over cake.

Since it is Saturday, I will be partaking in one of the $3 bottles of wine from Trader Joe's...not only is that store amazing, but they also sell pretty decent $3 wines. Life doesn't get much better! My words of advice, do not drink until after baking this recipe! If you decide to do both simultaneously, you will end up with a burnt clump of caramel. This is one of those recipes that requires concentration and attention! :)