LADY BALTIMORE CAKE

Lady Baltimore Cake image

Provided by Julia Reed

Time 1h15m

Yield 12 to 16 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

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Ingredients

1 cup butter, at room temperature, plus additional for greasing pans
2 cups sifted sugar
3 1/2 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
8 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins, finely chopped
6 dried figs, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon brandy or sherry (optional)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans with butter. Line bottoms with parchment. Grease parchment.
To make cake: Beat butter and sugar in a bowl at high speed until fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Mix milk and extracts in a measuring cup. Add flour mixture into butter mixture a little at a time, alternating with milk. Beat after each addition.
In a bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff. Fold into butter mixture. Divide batter among pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and cakes pull away slightly from pan sides. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes before turning out.
To make frosting: Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan, bring to boil and cook 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg whites with salt in a bowl until frothy. Continue to beat and add hot syrup in a thin stream. Keep beating at high speed until the frosting forms stiff peaks.
Mix in nuts, raisins, figs, vanilla and liqueur together and stir.
Spread frosting between layers on top and on sides. Serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 532, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 93 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 225 milligrams, Sugar 64 grams, TransFat 1 gram