Whereas lounging in a frothy bath reading magazines (an oft-indulged responsible pleasure for which I in actuality feel no longer a pang of guilt,) I got right here at some point of mention of Girl Baltimore cake in an editorial. Intrigued by this Southern confection, I fervently sought for records on its origins, handiest to determine up that its origins are in actuality hotly contested, even supposing most stamp Owen Wister’s Charlston-essentially essentially based eponymous unusual, Girl Baltimore. I filed this records to the wait on of my mind, making a psychological gift to determine up an occasion for this kind of festive cake within the plan future. When, about a weeks later, our correct pals at 11Alive asked us if we had any particular Easter dessert recipes to fragment, I straight belief to be this spectacular cake and am overjoyed that we were succesful of movie it for his or her Easter-themed Saturday morning cooking segment.
“>
This dessert is comprised of layers of downy white cake sandwiching a fruit- and nut-studded filling and piled high with ethereal mounds of boiled meringue icing. Whereas the frequent recipe calls for raisins and figs, we selected to consist of a medley of rum-laced dried fruits for a celebratory twist. When combined with the icing, the fruits and nuts build an practically nougat-savor filling that presents a horny complement to the featherweight cake. As garnish, we candied jewel-savor orange slices to crown the conclude, an opinion that I had viewed in a fresh Southern Residing anxiousness.
Almost presently after wrapping filming on this segment, I bought a reward from my mother who had true returned dwelling from Charleston, a reproduction of Nancie McDermott’s Southern Cakes. Flipping by, I became bowled over and joyful to determine up that she had integrated Girl Baltimore in her esteemed array of quintessentially Dixie sweets. I’m hoping that this new, unparalleled cake gains an increasing number of recognition as it in actuality is an noteworthy dessert to grace a desk, Easter or in every other case.
Girl Baltimore Cake
Recipe Form: Dessert
Creator: Squash Blossom Kitchens
- 3 ½ c cake flour
- 1 T baking powder
- ½ t Kosher salt
- 1 c unsalted butter, softened
- 2 c granulated sugar
- 1 c complete milk
- 1 t vanilla
- 8 egg whites + pinch salt
- ¾ c dried fruits of assorted, e.g., cherries, raisins, figs, candied citrus peel, etc.
- ¾ c chopped walnuts, toasted
- ¼ c rum (or substitute orange juice)
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 c sugar
- ¾ c water
- 4 pleasant egg whites + pinch salt
- 1 t vanilla
- Candied orange slices for garnish, optional
- CAKE:
- Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and flour 2 x 8” cake pans.
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Build apart. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together butter and sugar except very gentle and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix flour and vanilla. Add in flour mixture, alternating with milk, in three formula, beginning and ending with flour.
- The spend of a handheld mixer, beat egg whites except foamy. Add salt and whip except stiff peaks build. Gently fold egg whites into batter in three formula. Divide amongst cake pans and bake except wood toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. If cakes turn out to be too shadowy while baking, tent loosely with foil. Allow to frigid on racks quarter-hour. Hold from pans and permit to produce cooling.
- ICING & FILLING:
- Quandary dried fruits in bowl with rum or orange juice and permit to sit down down down for 30-60 minutes. In the intervening time, elevate sugar and water to a boil in miniature saucepan. Boil except syrup reached ~235 levels on sweet thermometer (sugar mixture will build “strings” when dropped in a glass of frigid water.)
- Beat egg whites and salt in a stand mixer the spend of dart attachment except foamy. Add salt and continue to beat except stiff peaks build. Whereas mixer is working, add sugar syrup to whites in a behind, in style accelerate. Beat on high for 5-7 minutes. Add vanilla.
- Drain dried fruits from any remaining rum and add to bowl with nuts, zest, and 1/3 of icing. Mosey to combine and spend to grasp the layer cake. Ice cake with remaining icing (the icing without fruits and nuts.) Garnish with candied orange slices, if desired.
Tagged in ~ baking, baking recipes, cake recipes, charleston cakes, charleston truffles, charleston recipes, easter cakes, easter truffles, lady baltimore, lady baltimore cake, feeble fashioned cakes, owen wister, southern cakes, southern truffles, southern recipes, new cakes