Being from Baltimore I’d love to think this recipe is from there
The Lady Baltimore Cake is a classic Southern dessert, known for its delicate white cake layers and rich, fruit-and-nut filling, all enveloped in a fluffy, meringue-like frosting. It’s a truly special occasion cake, perfect for celebrations.
Ingredients:
Cake Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Cake flour, sifted | 3 cups |
| Baking powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Unsalted butter, room temperature | 1/2 cup (1 stick) |
| Granulated sugar | 1 1/2 cups |
| Vanilla extract | 1 1/2 teaspoons |
| Almond extract | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Buttermilk | 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon |
| Water | 1/2 cup |
| Egg whites | 3 |
Filling Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Raisins, chopped | 1/2 cup |
| Pitted dates, diced | 1/2 cup |
| Water | 1/2 cup |
| Honey | 1 tablespoon |
| Rum extract | 1 teaspoon |
| Walnuts or pecans, chopped | 1/2 cup, plus extra for garnish (optional) |
Frosting Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Granulated sugar | 2 cups |
| Salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Cream of tartar | 1 teaspoon |
| Egg whites | 4 |
| Water | 1/4 cup |
| Vanilla extract | 2 teaspoons |
Instructions:
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Combine sifted cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
- Combine buttermilk and water. Alternate adding the buttermilk mixture and flour mixture, ⅓ at a time, to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined; do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
- Divide the batter between two greased and lined 9-inch cake pans. Level with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove them to cooling racks to cool completely.
For the filling:
- Combine raisins, dates, water, and honey in a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat until bubbling, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed into the fruit.
- Remove from heat and stir in rum extract and chopped walnuts or pecans. Set aside.
For the frosting and assembly:
- Add sugar, salt, cream of tartar, egg whites, and water to a clean saucepan.
- Heat the mixture over medium-low heat while beating with an electric mixer for 5-7 minutes, or until stiff peaks form and the sugar dissolves.
- Once the proper texture is achieved, remove from heat and fold in vanilla extract.
- Reserve ½ cup of the frosting and mix it with the fruit filling. Set aside.
- Level the cakes by cutting off any uneven areas. Place the bottom layer on a plate or serving platter.
- Top with some of the fruit filling mixture and add the second cake layer. Repeat until the filling is used up, ending with a cake layer. Alternatively, each cake can be horizontally sliced into two layers for a 4 layer cake.
- Frost the cake generously on the sides and top, creating peaks with the back of a spoon.
- Top with extra nuts for garnish, if desired.
- Cut into slices to serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.
