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1
For cake, cream together shortening and softened butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.
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2
Add eggs and beat well.
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3
Combine flour, baking powder and salt, and add dry ingredients alternately with milk (3 additions of dry, 2 of milk).
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4
Beat only until well blended but do not overbeat.
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5
Fold in vanilla extract.
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6
Pour into two well greased and floured 10 inch layer pans (or 3 9 inch pans) and bake in a preheated 350 degree (Fahrenheit) oven for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
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7
Remove from oven, turn cake pans upside down on counter on waxed paper.
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8
In a few minutes, remove pans from cake layers and let them cool completely before making the frosting.
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9
When cake layers have cooled, make frosting. Melt butter in a heavy pan over medium heat.
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10
Add brown sugar and continue cooking until it melts, stirring and watching carefully.
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11
After sugar is melted, add 1/3 cup milk and stir in well.
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12
Turn burner to medium high, and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Boil for at least one minute, but not more than two minutes.
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13
Remove from heat and pour over powdered sugar in a metal or heat proof bowl.
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14
Beat well for about 10 minutes, adding more milk as needed if mixture is too thick (it will set up and get thicker as it cools).
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15
Mix in vanilla extract.
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16
Fill and frost layers immediately before frosting sets and becomes very hard to spread.
