Spice Cake with Sea Foam Frosting

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of black pepper*
3/4 cup shortening, butter or margarine
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Start your oven at 350F or moderate, Grease three-8-inch cake pans with shortening, coat pans with a thin film of flour.
Sift flour several times with baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon and pepper. Work shortening, butter or margarine until it looks like whipped cream. Then start working in both brown and granulated sugar a little a time. Add vanilla extract and continue working or creaming the mixture until very fluffy and smooth as possible. This important step assures a fine-textured cake. Add unbeaten eggs, one a time, and beat vigorously after each addition.

From here on in work fast. Mix one third of the flour mixture into batter. Don't beat. Add half the buttermilk or sour milk and stir again. Repeat these operations ending with flour. Pour batter into pans, dividing it equally. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cake leaves sides of the pan. Remove from oven and cool about 5 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool completely.
*This is an old-fashioned trick that accents the flavor of Spice Cake.

Sea Foam Frosting
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir the unbeaten egg whites, sugar and water together in the top of a double boiler or saucepan until smooth. Cook over briskly boiling water, beating with a rotary beater, for 7 minutes or until frosting looks fluffy and holds a soft, gentle shape. If you use an electric mixer cut down beating time to 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from boiling water, add vanilla extract and continue beating until frosting holds definite peaks. Spread a layer of frosting between cake layers, then frost sides and top of cake generously.