Mincemeat Cake

Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon; set aside.

Cream shortening until light and fluffy. Slowly add sugar. Beat until creamy. Add eggs 1 at a time, blending after each addition.

Combine milk and vanilla. By hand, stir into creamed mixture alternately with the dry ingredients, starting and ending with the dry. Blend thoroughly after each addition. Add mincemeat and nuts. Stir to blend.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

Remove from oven. Invert pans onto cooling racks. Leave for 10 minutes.

Remove cake from pans; cool completely. Frost with caramel or your favorite frosting.

To make caramel frosting: In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, shortening and salt. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Slowly add milk. Bring back to boil and cook 3 minutes. Cool slightly. Add confectioners' sugar. Beat until creamy and of spreading consistency.

Colombo writes: "This mincemeat cake is one of our family favorites." From Alice Colombo's 09/21/94 "Cook's Corner" column in "The (Louisville, KY) Courier-Journal."