Pop's B'day cake: Coconut with cherries on top!

Nana has made this cake for Pop's birthday for as long as I can remember!!
The seven minute frosting is a bit tricky, but you can bet the cake is absolutely the best white cake recipe you'll EVER find! Below, in Nana's own words,
THE RECIPE!

Pop's birthday cake is from a Betty Crocker cook book I (Nana) received as a wedding gift I think from Aunt Betty but I could be wrong about that . Anyway it has to be over 57 years old.
(PS... Aunt Bette gave me the revised version of the same cookbook as her wedding gift to me and Troy... why change a good thing?)

Rich Silver Cake

2 9" layers 350 degrees ( I bake at 325 because my ovens are convection ovens) 30 to 35 minutes I grease and flour and line the pans with wax paper.

cream together until fluffy: 1 cup soft shortening

2 cups sugar

sift together : 3 cups sifted SOFTASILK flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

stir in alternately with : 1 1/3 "thin" milk ( now that we

have low fat milk I use 2%

2 tsp almond flavoring ( the recipe

calls for vanilla but we prefer

almond

fold in : 6 egg whites stiffly beaten

I chill these layers in the refrigerator over night and they will be easier to work with! This is a very tender cake. This will make a 9" cake , when I want to do a 12" I half again the recipe.

Canadian Cheese Soup

Helen Corbitt's Canadian Cheese Soup

*this is one of Nana's best!!!

(I think she got the recipe from a cafeteria we frequented EVERY Sunday after church)

(recipe for 8 servings... so we usually doubled the recipe)

1/4 C butter

1/2 C finely diced onion

1/2 C finely diced carrots

1/2 C finely diced celery

1/4 C flour

1 1/2 T cornstarch

1 QT chicken stock (use organic free range best!.. )

1 QT milk

1/8 t soda

1 C shredded cheddar cheese (I use a bit more)

salt and pepper to taste

2 T parsley (chopped fine)

Melt butter in the pot in which you will cook soup.
(to chop veggies, I pour 1/2 stock in blender and then veggies... pulse on chop... then scoop the veggies out of stock from blender into the melted butter in pan, reserve the stock in blender)

Saute veggies in butter over low heat until soft.

Add flour and cornstarch and cook until bubbly.

Add stock and milk to make a smooth sauce.

Add soda and the grated cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add parsley a few minutes before you serve.

hint: if you cook this at too high a temp, it will separate instead of being smooth.

After you've added the soda and cheese.... just let it melt into a smooth hearty soup.

*we like to serve with Sister Shubert rolls and a fruit salad.... Enjoy one of our family favorites!