Family Birthday Favorite

My brother and his wife and baby were home over the weekend for his and my dad's birthdays.  So, I made them our family favorite birthday cake.  It is a double layer spice cake with caramel icing.  The icing is "to die for!"  I'm going to share the icing recipe with you at the bottom.  I hope your family loves it as much as we do.  Also, this is an icing that hardens as it cools, so it takes a little practice.  Work quickly, and if it doesn't turn out great the first time, try again--it's worth it! 

Really, our favorite part is eating the leftover icing out of the saucepan with a spoon!

Mom gets a LARGE spoonful!

Dad just takes the whole pan!

Cole gets his first taste of caramel icing.

He didn't like the icing--he'll stick with the cookies!!

 (Carol Butler made the boys to-die-for Butterscotch Oatmeal cookies.  As soon as I get that recipe I'll have to share that one too.)

Birthday Boys! Nate 33, Dad 64

(Dad is wearing BOTH of the hats my sister made him for his birthday at the same time.)

Caramel Icing:

In saucepan combine the following ingredients:

1 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup + 1 Tblsp shortening

3 Tblsp butter/margarine

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

Heat to boiling over med-high heat;stir frequently.  Reduce heat and simmer 3 min.  Remove from heat, let cool 5 min.  Combine cooled mixture with 3 cups confectioner's sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla.  Beat on high speed until thick enough to spread.  Work quickly to ice your layer cake--this icing hardens as it cools.