LouLou's Birthday Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three cake pans or one sheet cake pan (what I used), or line with parchment paper (what I did--worked great).

Sift together the flour, spices, salt and baking powder, twice. In your working bowl--the one that goes on your mixer--cream together the butter, 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, molasses and orange zest on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, reserving the whites.

Add the vanilla to the milk. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk mixture in two parts, beating at low speed until combined with each addition. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula now and again.

In another bowl, beat the reserved egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue beating on high speed until the peaks are stiff but not dry. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold a quarter of the egg whites into the batter. Once combined, add the rest. Fold JUST until combined.

Bake until a toothpick or cake probe comes out clean. "Joy" says 25 to 35 minutes with the cake pans, but I came out closer to 45 minutes in the sheet pan. Let cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.