Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter and lightly flour 2 round cake pans or 1 bread loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt). Add butter and shortening, milk and vanilla or lemon extract.
Beat for 1 minute. Scrape bowl down. Stir in eggs. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Bake 30-35 minutes for round pans or about 45 minutes for loaf pan or until cake tests done when a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before running a butter knife along edges to release cake from pan.
Turn out and frost with your favorite icing, or serve as-is, decorated with canned fruit, syrup and ice cream or vanilla pudding.
Coconut Rum Cake Variation: Use coconut rum (1 tablespoon) instead of vanilla extract; top cake with coconut icing and sprinkle with flaked coconut.
Coconut Rum Cake Variation II: Spread Marshmallow Fluff between cake layers. Sprinkle center and top with flaked coconut. Combine equal amounts of coconut rum and confectioners' sugar; bring to a boil and allow to cool. Drizzle over cake.
Submitted by: CM
