Lady Baltimore Cake
This American classic is said to have been created toward the end of the 19th century by Florence and Nina Ottelengui who ran Charleston’s Lady Baltimore Tea Room. I
Lady Baltimore is made of several layers of white sponge cake and a rich, marshmallow-like divinity frosting mixed with chopped nuts and dried fruits like raisins, figs, and dates. Also, apart from the egg-whites-only Lady cake, there is a version called Lord Baltimore which is made with leftover yolks and filled with toasted almonds, crushed macaroons, and candied cherries.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
For the Cake:
1 cup raisins
1 cup sherry
2 cups cake flour
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
1¼ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup milk
1 tsp almond extract
3 large egg whites room temperature
For the Soft Icing:
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
For the Hard Icing
2 large egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup water
½ tsp cream of tartar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup chopped walnuts lightly toasted
DIRECTIONS ON LADY BALTIMORE CAKE
For the Cake:
Add raisins and sherry in a bowl, let soak for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray (2) 8” round cake pans with nonstick baking spray; set pans aside.
Sift together cake flour, salt and baking powder; set mixture aside
Using a countertop mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes on medium speed).Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar; mix until well combined.Add the milk and almond extract; mix until well combined. Add the remaining flour mixture; mix until well combined.
Using a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the beaten egg whites into the batter. Repeat with remaining egg whites. Divide batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out mostly clean.
For the Soft Icing:
Add sugar and water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until sugar has fully dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
Once the cakes have baked, let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cakes to a wire rack. Slowly spoon soft icing evenly on top of warm cakes; let cakes cool completely.
For the Hard Icing:
Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer; set bowl aside.
Using a small saucepan, add sugar and water. Place over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until temperature reaches 240°F.
With an electric mixer (fitted with whisk attachment) running, pour the sugar mixture in a slow stream over the egg whites.
Add cream of tartar, lemon juice and almond extract. Continue beating for 8-10 minutes, or until mixture cools and thickens noticeably. (Note: This icing will begin to harden fairly quickly, so plan on frosting the cake as soon as the icing is ready.)
To Assemble
Place one cake layer on a large plate. Spread ~½ cup of hard icing on top of cake.
Drain raisins and sprinkle half of the raisins and half of the chopped walnuts on top of the hard icing.
Place second layer of cake on top. Spread remaining hard icing on the top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining raisins and chopped walnuts on top. Let icing harden before slicing and serving.
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Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 cup raisins
1 cup sherry
2 cups cake flour
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
1¼ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup milk
1 tsp almond extract
3 large egg whites room temperature
For the Soft Icing:
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
For the Hard Icing
2 large egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup water
½ tsp cream of tartar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup chopped walnuts lightly toasted
Instructions
- For the Cake:
- Add raisins and sherry in a bowl, let soak for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray (2) 8” round cake pans with nonstick baking spray; set pans aside.
- Sift together cake flour, salt and baking powder; set mixture aside
- Using a countertop mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes on medium speed).Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar; mix until well combined.Add the milk and almond extract; mix until well combined. Add the remaining flour mixture; mix until well combined.
- Using a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the beaten egg whites into the batter. Repeat with remaining egg whites. Divide batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out mostly clean.
- For the Soft Icing:
- Add sugar and water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until sugar has fully dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
- Once the cakes have baked, let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cakes to a wire rack. Slowly spoon soft icing evenly on top of warm cakes; let cakes cool completely.
- For the Hard Icing:
- Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer; set bowl aside.
- Using a small saucepan, add sugar and water. Place over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until temperature reaches 240°F.
- With an electric mixer (fitted with whisk attachment) running, pour the sugar mixture in a slow stream over the egg whites.
- Add cream of tartar, lemon juice and almond extract. Continue beating for 8-10 minutes, or until mixture cools and thickens noticeably. (Note: This icing will begin to harden fairly quickly, so plan on frosting the cake as soon as the icing is ready.)
- To Assemble
- Place one cake layer on a large plate. Spread ~½ cup of hard icing on top of cake.
- Drain raisins and sprinkle half of the raisins and half of the chopped walnuts on top of the hard icing.
- Place second layer of cake on top. Spread remaining hard icing on the top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining raisins and chopped walnuts on top. Let icing harden before slicing and serving.
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Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 cup raisins
1 cup sherry
2 cups cake flour
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
1¼ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup milk
1 tsp almond extract
3 large egg whites room temperature
For the Soft Icing:
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
For the Hard Icing
2 large egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup water
½ tsp cream of tartar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup chopped walnuts lightly toasted
Instructions
- For the Cake:
- Add raisins and sherry in a bowl, let soak for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray (2) 8” round cake pans with nonstick baking spray; set pans aside.
- Sift together cake flour, salt and baking powder; set mixture aside
- Using a countertop mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes on medium speed).Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar; mix until well combined.Add the milk and almond extract; mix until well combined. Add the remaining flour mixture; mix until well combined.
- Using a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the beaten egg whites into the batter. Repeat with remaining egg whites. Divide batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out mostly clean.
- For the Soft Icing:
- Add sugar and water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until sugar has fully dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
- Once the cakes have baked, let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cakes to a wire rack. Slowly spoon soft icing evenly on top of warm cakes; let cakes cool completely.
- For the Hard Icing:
- Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer; set bowl aside.
- Using a small saucepan, add sugar and water. Place over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until temperature reaches 240°F.
- With an electric mixer (fitted with whisk attachment) running, pour the sugar mixture in a slow stream over the egg whites.
- Add cream of tartar, lemon juice and almond extract. Continue beating for 8-10 minutes, or until mixture cools and thickens noticeably. (Note: This icing will begin to harden fairly quickly, so plan on frosting the cake as soon as the icing is ready.)
- To Assemble
- Place one cake layer on a large plate. Spread ~½ cup of hard icing on top of cake.
- Drain raisins and sprinkle half of the raisins and half of the chopped walnuts on top of the hard icing.
- Place second layer of cake on top. Spread remaining hard icing on the top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining raisins and chopped walnuts on top. Let icing harden before slicing and serving.