Alabama Lane Cake Recipes

LANE CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour four 9-inch cake pans. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk.
• In a clean mixer bowl, using the whisk attachment, whisk 8 egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into cake batter. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until it springs back but has no color on top, 15 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, and return to racks to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, whisk together yolks, whole eggs, and sugar until thick, glossy, and sugar has dissolved. Transfer bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk until mixture is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. Add butter, one piece at a time, whisking until thoroughly combined. Add bourbon and whisk until incorporated. If frosting separates, continue beating until it comes back together, about 5 minutes.
• Assemble the cake: Soak raisins in warm water to cover until plumped. Let soak 15 minutes; drain. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Brush with bourbon to moisten, about 2 tablespoons. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting and top evenly with 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut. Repeat process with 2 more cake layers, frosting, raisins, and coconut. Top with remaining cake layer. Brush with remaining bourbon. Spread a thin coat of frosting over the top and sides of cake to cover. Chill for 20 minutes.
• Use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake. Combine 1 cup each coconut and pecans, and use it to coat the side of the cake. Combine remaining 1/4 cup pecans, 1/2 cup raisins, and 1/4 cup coconut in a bowl. Sprinkle over top of cake to cover. Garnish with kumquats; chill until serving. This cake improves with age and can be made up to 3 weeks in advance. Keep well wrapped in the refrigerator.

ALABAMA LANE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheated oven to 375 degrees. Measure flour and sift; then re-measure flour by spooning lightly into cup. Re-sift flour with baking powder and salt; set aside. In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light. Alternate adding milk, vanilla, and flour mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. In a separate bowl, beat the room temperature egg whites until very stiff. Gently fold the egg whites in the cake batter until just barely blended. Using 3 different cake layer pans, prepare pans with Baker's Joy. Pour the batter evenly divided in the 3 pans; bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until cakes test done. After baking, allow cakes to cool 20 minutes before turning out of pans; cool cakes completely before frosting. Filling: After soaking the raisins in the bourbon for 1 hour, begin the filling. In an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks until a light lemon color. Slowly add the sugar and the soft butter until well blended. In a double boiler over boiling water, cook the filling until thick, stirring constantly. Add the raisins with bourbon, vanilla, and pecans. Stir to mix; then immediately remove the top of the double boiler to allow filling to begin to cool. Cool completely before spreading between cake layers. If using the coconut, it will be used later in the cake assemble step. Seven Minute Frosting: 2 egg whites, 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, 1-1/2 teaspoons white corn syrup, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, Additional ingredients may be used and added at the same time as the vanilla, such as: chopped pecans, dried fruit tidbits, thawed frozen grated coconut, food color tint, etc: Be very careful while making this frosting since it requires using a mixer over boiling hot water. Place the double boiler top over the boiling water in the base pot. Beat all of the frosting ingredients, except vanilla and any additions with a rotary or electric beater for seven minutes or until frosting stands in peaks. Remove from boiling water; add vanilla and continue beating until frosting is a good spreading consistency. Add additional ingredients selected at this time. Cake Assembly: After cake layers cool, spread the cooled filling evenly between 2 of the layers; then sprinkle each layer on top, and frost the entire cake. Refrigerate cake overnight before cutting; keep cake refrigerated.

LANE CAKE

Steps:

• To make the cake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-by-2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment and butter it as well. Lightly dust the pans with flour, tapping the pans on the counter to shake out the excess.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
• In a large measuring cup or small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the speed down to low and add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour, mixing until just combined; scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. If using a stand mixer, transfer the mixture to another large bowl (unless you have a second mixer bowl).
• Wash and dry the mixer bowl and wipe the inside of the bowl (or another large mixing bowl) with the lemon juice to make sure the bowl is squeaky clean. Attach the bowl to the mixer stand (if using) and fit it with the whisk attachment.
• Put the egg whites in the mixer bowl (or large mixing bowl) and beat (with clean beaters if using a handheld mixer) until the whites hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until incorporated.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a large wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto another rack, peel off the parchment, and turn right side up to cool completely. Leave the oven on.
• While the cake is cooling, make the frosting: Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Let cool, then chop into ¼-inch pieces.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from the heat and let cool to tepid, then whisk in the sugar and egg yolks until smooth.
• Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the frosting has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon; it should read 180°F (80°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Be careful not to let the mixture come to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and add the toasted pecans, coconut, golden raisins, and bourbon, stirring well. Transfer the frosting to a heatproof bowl to cool; it will continue to thicken as it cools. It will be gooey, and that is exactly what you want.
• To make the vanilla milk soak: In a measuring cup, combine the whole milk and vanilla extract.
• To assemble the cake: Level the tops of two of the layers with a serrated knife to make them flat. Place one layer cut side up on a serving plate (you can keep the edges of the plate clean while you frost the cake by sliding strips of parchment underneath the cake). Brush the top of the layer with half of the vanilla milk soak. Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, spread the layer with one-third of the frosting. Place the second cake layer cut side up and brush with the remaining vanilla milk soak, then spread with another third of the frosting. Place the final layer right side up on top and frost the top with the remaining frosting, leaving the sides of the cake naked.
• The cake can be stored, loosely covered, at room temperature for up to 1 day or refrigerated for 5 days. If it has been refrigerated, bring to room temperature before serving.

LANE CAKE

Steps:

• FOR CAKE:Cream butter: gradually add sugar, beatin well.
• Combine dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Mix well after each addition.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Fold in egg whites.
• Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9 in round cake pans.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.
• FOR FILLING:Combine egg yolks, sugar and butter in a 2 quart saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 20 minutes until thickened.
• Remove from heat, and stir in remaining ingredients.
• Cool completely.
• FOR Frosting: Combine the first 5 ingredients in top of a double boiler; beat 30 seconds at low speed of electric mixer or just until blended.
• Place over boiling water; beat constantly on high speed 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
• Remove from heat.
• Add vanilla; beat an additional 1 minute or until the mixture is thick enough to spread.
• To assemble cake: Spread filling between layers and on top of cake; spread sides with frosting.
• Garnish with pecan halves, if desired.