Lady Baltimore Cake

Name: Lady Baltimore Cake
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12 to 16 servings
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)

By Julia Reed

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Rating: 4(16)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: FOOD; Rich and Famous

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Ingredients

Yield:12 to 16 servings

For the Cake Layers

1cup butter, at room temperature, plus additional for greasing pans
2cups sifted sugar
3½cups cake flour
4teaspoons baking powder
¼teaspoon salt
1cup milk
2teaspoons vanilla extract
½teaspoon almond extract
8large egg whites, at room temperature

For the Frosting

2cups sugar
4large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
½cup raisins, finely chopped
6dried figs, coarsely chopped
1teaspoon vanilla extract
1teaspoon brandy or sherry (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans with butter. Line bottoms with parchment. Grease parchment.
Step 2
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.
Step 3
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.
Step 4
To make frosting: Combine sugar and ½ 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.
Step 5
Mix in nuts, raisins, figs, vanilla and liqueur together and stir.
Step 6
Spread frosting between layers on top and on sides. Serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5

16 user ratings

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Comments

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Berks County Baker11 months ago

I made this cake and had to double the fruits so it would work for the cake. The icing melted after 15 minutes and went from stiff peaks to a soft, foamy blob. I cribbed some notes from Martha Stewart’s recipe and poured in the sugar syrup at 238 degrees Fahrenheit. I also put in 1/2 tsp of light corn syrup. The result was perfect.

Susie1 year ago

Perfect recipe. I cut it out of the New York Times magazine in 2002 and only just made it for my own birthday in 2024. It was totally worth it.

Becky7 years ago

Delicious and pretty. I made this for my son on his birthday, it was a big hit. I swapped amaretto for the brandy/sherry. Also, I omitted the figs and raisins in the frosting; instead, I layered strawberries in the middle of the cake (on top of a layer of frosting). Also, I couldn't find cake flour in my grocery store, but did find a pastry flour (Bob's Red Mill) that was lower protein than all purpose.

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