Chocolate Twinkie Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cocoa (optional)
1 cup milk
Filling
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 drops lemon extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350; grease a 13x9 pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, shortening, vanilla and eggs; beating until very smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine remaining DRY ingredients; set aside.
Pour milk into a measuring cup.
In three or four portions, alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the sugar mixture in the mixing bowl, beating well after each addition; scrape sides of bowl, and beat for one more minute (or so).
Pour into prepared pan, smooth out the top, smack pan firmly against countertop (removes bubbles), two or three times.
Pop it into the oven; bake for 25-30 minutes (springy top or clean toothpick); cool 5-8 minutes on rack.
While cake is cooling, prepare filling: Cream butter & shortening, then add sugars, then milk, vanilla and lemon extract; beat until very fluffy & creamy; set aside.
When cake is cooled, use bread-cutting (serrated) knife and slice in half, depth-wise.
Remove top half of cake (slide hands between two layers and lift up--voila!); liberally spread filling over the bottom section, keeping edges clean.
Place top half of cake on filling, press gently.
Cover and allow to sit for a day to develop flavors (and to test your willpower!); altho' we've had good results eating right away!
This recipe is easily halved and made in an 8- or 9-inch pan, too (and much easier to do the filling!).
Cut into rectangles to sort-of resemble the traditional twinkie-cake shape.