HARVEST CAKE

HARVEST CAKE
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, separated
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt and sift three times. Set aside. Cream butter, then add sugar gradually. Cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat well. Add flour alternately with milk. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Spoon batter into a 9-by-9-inch square pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Remove pan from oven, place on rack. Cool completely before frosting.
HARVEST MOON FROSTING
2 egg whites or the equivalent powdered egg whites
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
Dash salt
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup almonds, blanched, toasted and chopped
Beat egg whites, sugar, salt and water until thoroughly mixed. Place ingredients in top of double boiler filled with boiling water or a stainless steel bowl set in a deep skillet filled with about 1 inch of boiling water. Beat constantly (if you don't, the egg whites will be overcooked) for seven minutes until frosting peaks. Remove from heat, add vanilla, then beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes more to cool and so frosting is thick enough to spread. Spread over cooled cake. Sprinkle frosted cake with the almonds.