Neiman Marcus Seven Layer Cake

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Neiman Marcus Seven Layer Cake
Categories: Cheesecakes, Chocolate
Yield: 1 servings

3/4 c Shortening
3 1/3 c Cake flour
2 1/4 c Sugar
4 1/2 ts Baking powder
1 1/2 ts Salt
1 1/2 c Milk
3 Eggs
2 ts Vanilla
Chocolate butter frosting:
3 c Confectioners' sugar; sifted
1/3 c Hot water
4 oz Unsweetened chocolate
; melted, 4 squares
1 Egg; slightly beaten
1/2 c Butter; or margarine;
-softened
1 1/2 ts Vanilla

Stir shortening just to soften. Sift in dry ingredients.
Add 1 cup of milk; mix until all flour is dampened. Then
beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Add remaining milk, eggs and
vanilla. Beat vigorously 2 minutes longer. Pour 2 cups
batter into a lightly greased and floured 9x1 1/2- inch
round pan. Tip pan so batter runs over bottom. Invert pan
over baking sheet and tap edges on baking sheet, allowing
as much batter to run out of pan as will do so easily.
Turn pan right side up, scrape down sides to prevent
burning and even out batter remaining on bottom. Repeat for
other 6 layers, baking as many at a time as you have pans
and oven space. Bake at 400~ for 8 minutes or till done.
Cool in pans for 3-5 minutes, then invert on rack to cool
Put layers together and frost with Chocolate Butter
Frosting. While baking first layers, keep remaining cake
batter in refrigerator.

Chocolate Butter Frosting. Blend sugar and hot water into
melted chocolate. With spoon beat half of egg into
chocolate mixture; beat in remaining egg; beat in butter, a
tablespoon at a time. Blend in vanilla. Frosting will be
thin at this point, so place bowl in pan of ice water and
beat until spreading consistency.

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