Southern Heirloom Cake CakeCentral.com

Southern Heirloom Cake

Serves/Yields: 16
Prep. Time:
Cook Time: about 35 minutes
Category: Yellow Cakes
Difficulty: Moderate

This yellow butter cake is one of the finest of our Southern cakes. It has smooth, close-grained texture and an exquisite flavor. The flavor, of course, will vary with the liquid that is chosen, but this is what makes baking interesting. One can make this cake quite plain or very fancy - the variations are endless. Fresh coconut with orange filling is a happy Christmas choice.

Cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into pieces
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk, heavy or whipping cream, or sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract or cognac vanilla

Orange Filling (for layers; recipe follows)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
tiny pinch of salt
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
2 large egg yolks
3 Tbsp. butter

2 oranges for garnish, optional

Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease and dust with flour then line with wax paper 2 round or square
9-inch cake pans, or one 8-inch springform pan, or an 8 x 12-inch
rectangular pan.

3. Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly with an electric mixer. Add
the egg yolks, and beat hard until the mixture is smooth and looks
like mayonnaise. The sugar crystals should be almost dissolved.

4. Combine the sifted flour with the baking powder and salt, and sift
again. Add this to the egg mixture alternately with the milk or
cream, folding it in by hand.

5. Beat the egg white until they are stiff but not dry and grainy. Fold
them into the batter. Add the vanilla, and give the batter several
hard strokes with a rubber spatula to rid it of air bubbles.

6. Fill the pan(s) not more than three-quarters full with the batter.
Place the pan(s) on the middle shelf of the oven and bake until the
cake springs back at once when lightly touched, about 35 minutes.
The timing varies with the size of the pan.

7. Let the cake sit for 5 minutes, then remove it from the pan(s)
and cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

8. If you are making a layer cake, spread the top of 1 cake layer with
the Orange Filling. Center the second layer on top of the first.
Frost the top and sides of either version of this cake with Rich
Chocolate or Seven-Minute Frosting. Press coconut generously into
the Seven-Minute frosting. To serve, place the cake on a cake
stand and garnish around the bottom with orange sections.

Orange Filling:

1. Mix the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan or in the top
of a double boiler. Add the orange and lemon juices and the orange
peel. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring with a whisk to keep the sauce
from lumping, until the mixture has thickened and is clear, 3 to 4
minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand a few
minutes.

2. Stir in the egg yolks and place the pan in the bottom of the double
boiler over hot water. Cook gently until thick. Remove the pan
from the heat and stir in the butter. Cool, then refrigerate until cold.

3. Spread the filling between layers of cake.

Source: Heritage of Southern Cooking

Contributed by: JanH on Thursday, November 02. 2006 at 01:51:16

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