SPIRIT OF AMERICA CAKE RECIPE

1/2  cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla  extract
4 egg whites

Red and blue filling
Frosting

Beat sugar and creamed shortening together.  Combine salt, baking  powder, and flour and set aside.  Water and milk should be combined.  To creamed mixture add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Stir in vanilla.

Using room temperature egg whites, beat until stiff (forming peaks).  Bake in 3 greased and floured 9 inch round pans 22-25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool 15 minutes;  remove layers and cool completely.  Spread filling between layers.  Reserve 1/4 cup red and 1/4 cup blue filling to drizzle on tope of cake or freehand draw designs (such as stars).

Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup red grape juice or cranberry juice
1 cup dark grape juice
2-3 drops blue food coloring

1/2 lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Using half sugar, half salt, half cornstarch,  add red grape juice in saucepan, bring mixture to a boil while stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute.  Remove from stove and add half of lemon juice, stirring.  Cool.

Repeat with other half of ingredients, using the dark grape juice and adding the blue flood coloring.

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon corn syrup
1/4 cup water
2 egg whites

At room temperature combine egg whites and sugar, water and syrup in top of double boiler.  Using mixer,  beat  on low speed until blended, then place over boiling water, continuing to beat on high speed about 7 minutes (stiff peaks), remove from heat, continue beating until thick and spread.