RAINBOW BUTTER CAKE

3/4 c. butter (or half butter, half vegetable shortening)
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar, sifted
3 lg. whole eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla (or 1/2 tsp. vanilla & 1 tsp. lemon flavoring)
3 c. sifted cake flour
4 tsp. single acting baking powder (or 3 tsp. double acting)
1 c. milk

Cream shortening; add sugar, a little at a time, and beat until light. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat each egg about 2 minutes. If using electric mixer, add all the eggs at one time and beat entire mixture about 5 minutes, or until very fluffy. Add flavoring, then add combined flour and baking powder alternately with the milk, and beat only until batter is smooth. Do not overbeat when adding flour and milk.

Separate batter into 3 even portions (about 2 cups for each). To one part, add several drops of green coloring, and to the other two, add red and yellow colorings. Pour the pink batter into tube pan that has been well greased at bottom and around tube, but lightly greased on sides, then sprinkle with sifted bread flour. Pour green batter over the pink, and the yellow over the green. Spread each batter into pan smoothly and gently. Pan should be a little more than half filled.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, then raise heat to 375 degrees and bake about 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until done. Test cake toward end of baking period so as not to dry out. When done, remove from oven, let stand in room temperature on cake cooler about 15 minutes before removing from pan. Loosen around tube and side of pan, place cake cooler over it and invert carefully. Let stand until cool, then store in tightly covered container or place back in pan in which it was baked and cover well.

Just before serving, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar or ice with strawberry or raspberry fluff icing. Slice and arrange on platter to show rainbow effect.

For an unusually moist cake, omit sweet milk and baking powder. Use 1 1/4 cups buttermilk and 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda plus 1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar. If this cake is to be baked in a large pan, about 9 1/2 x 4 inches, increase batter accordingly. 1 1/2 recipes will be sufficient for large tube pan. It is imperative to use a tube pan for the swirl rainbow effect. For best results, have pan little more than half filled before baking. Bake large cake 1 hour at 325 degrees, then 15 minutes at 375 degrees. One recipe will serve 12 to 15.

FRESH STRAWBERRY OR RASPBERRY FLUFF ICING:

1 c. fresh strawberries, washed, drained very thoroughly & then hulled

Combine with: 1 egg white 1/8 tsp. salt A little red food coloring

Place all these ingredients in a No. 8 bowl, and with electric mixer at high speed, beat until light and stiff, about 10 minutes, more or less.

For fresh raspberries, wash drain well, combine with other ingredients and beat in same way.

If using sweetened quick-frosted strawberries or raspberries, use only 1/2 cup sugar. If using unsweetened quick-frosted strawberries or raspberries, use 1 1/4 cups sugar.

It is better not to prepare this icing more than several hours before needed. The fresh berries will hold up longer.