Author: Susan Murray, www.awomancooksinasheville.com
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
8egg whites
1cupbutter
2cupssugar
2 ¾cupscake flour
3tspbaking powder
¾tspsalt
¾cup+ 2 tbsp milk
1 ½tspvanilla
For the Filling
8egg yolks
1cupsugar
½cupbutter
1/3cupbourbon
¾cupdiced maraschino cherries
¾cupraisins
1cupchopped pecans
1 1/3cupflaked coconut
Instructions
To make the cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease the bottoms of 3 9” cake tins.
Whip the egg whites until they hold a peak when the beater is removed. They should be moist, not dry.
In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for about 4 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
Sift the cake flour together with the salt and baking powder. Measure the milk and add the vanilla to it.
In turns add the flour mixture and the milk to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing well between each addition.
Put a large spoonful of the egg whites into the cake batter and stir it together to lighten the mixture.
Add the rest of the egg whites and gently fold them into the batter until just mixed in.
Divide the batter between the three cake tins and bake at 350 degree for about 20 minutes until the top springs back and a toothpick comes out dry.
Rest the cakes for ten minutes in the pans and then turn them out onto a cooling rack to dry completely.
Make the filling
Prepare all of your ingredients.
Put the egg yolks in a medium saucepan and whisk them together well. Place them over a medium burner and add the butter and sugar.
Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches a temperature of 165-175 degrees. It should coat the back of a spoon and leave a line when a finger is drawn through it.
Remove from the heat and stir to cool a bit.
Slowly pour in the bourbon then add the rest of the ingredients. Cool in the refrigerator for an hour or more.
Assemble the cake by placing 1/3 of the mixture between the layers and finishing with filling on top.
Recipe Notes
The Lane Cake can be eaten immediately or allowed to “ripen” in the refrigerator for one or two days.