Champagne celebration cake

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
  
       Title: CHAMPAGNE CELEBRATION CAKE
  Categories: Liquor, Cakes
       Yield: 20 Servings
  
       4 c  Flour
       3 c  Sugar
       5 ts Baking powder
     1/2 ts Baking soda
   1 2/3 c  Milk
       1 c  Shortening
     1/2 c  Champagne
       1 tb Vanilla
      12    Red food coloring (optional)
       8    Egg whites
       9 tb Champagne
            Edible carnations
            -----champagne buttercream--
     3/4 c  Shortening
     3/4 c  Butter or margarine
       1 tb Champagne
   4 1/2 c  Powdered sugar
            Red food color
  
   Grease and lightly flour one 9" round pan and one 13x9x2 pan; set aside.
      In a very large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda,
   and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add milk, shortening, 1/2 cup champagne, vanilla,
   and, if desired, red food coloring. Beat on low to medium speed about 30
   seconds or just till combined, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium
   speed 2 minutes.  Add unbeaten egg whites; beat 2 minutes. (Batter may
   appear slightly curdled.)    Spread 2-3/4 cups batter in 9" pan and
   remaining batter in 13x9x2 pan. Bake at 350~F 30-35 minutes for round cake
   and 40-45 minutes for rectangular cake or until cake tests done. Cool cakes
   in pans on racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Using
   cardboard circle patterns of 4 and 6 inches, cut one 4-inch and one 6-inch
   cake layer from the 13x9x2 cake. If desired, drizzle 3 tablespoons of
   champagne over the top of each round cake layer. Place the 9-inch cake
   layer on a serving plate; frost sides and top. Lining up the backs of the
   layers, place the 6-inch cake on top of the 9-inch cake; frost sides and
   top.  Repeat with remainging 4-inch cake. If desired, tint any remaining
   frosting; decorate with tinted frosting and flowers. Serves 24. CHAMPAGNE
   BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:  In a bowl beat shortening and butter or margarine
   until combined. Beat in champagne or cream sherry. Beat in sifted powdered
   sugar and a few drops red food coloring. If necessary, beat in additional
   champagne or cream sherry to make frosting spreading consistency. Makes
     3-3/4    cups.
  
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