Lane Cake

(Jennifer Davick)

A fresh vanilla cake with a filling of creamy walnuts, golden raisins, and coconut.

Cook Time:

Prep Time:

Total Time:7 hours30 min

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Vegetable cooking spray

Parchment paper

3 1/2 cup all-purpose soft-wheat flour (such as White Lily)

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cup sugar, sifted

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 Egg whites

1 Wooden skewer

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup dark rum

1 cup sugar

8 Egg yolks

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Prepare Lane Cake Filling through Step 2.

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.Line bottom of each pan with parchment paper; coat paper with cooking spray.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt 5 times, sifting from one bowl to another as you work.

Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture to butter mixturealternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat just until blended.

Beat egg whites with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool cake in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Peel off and discard parchment paper.

Meanwhile, continue to prepare filling as directed in Steps 3 through 5.

Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Poke dozens of holes in top of cake using a wooden skewer, poking about halfway through cake and wiggling the skewer a little to widen the holes.

Slowly pour half of filling over cake, letting the filling soak in. Top with remaining cake layer. Poke holes into top cake layer with skewer, poking all the way through and again wiggling the skewer to widen the holes. Pour remaining filling over top cake layer. (Filling will run over sides of cake.) Let stand 1 hour before serving. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake walnuts in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Combine raisins and rum. Cover and soak 4 to 24 hours.

Place egg yolks in a stainless-steel bowl, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and salt, and beat until very light yellow.

Pour water to depth of 1 inch in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low, and maintain at a simmer.

Stir butter into egg mixture; place bowl over pan of simmering water, and cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 160° (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in raisins and rum, walnuts, coconut, and vanilla.