Lord Baltimore Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The South will rise again, but it's going to take some time if they keep making cakes like this. In a kingdom long, long ago there lived a chef who had a culinary dilemma. His employer loved Lady Baltimore cake, but on those occasions he made the cake, he was left with a perplexing number of egg yolks that his frugal nature insisted must be used. He decided to create a companion cake to keep the "lady" company and,  hence,  the Lord Baltimore cake was born. I'm happy to report the cake portion of this dessert is extremely simple to make. It is only a bit more involved than a dump cake, but it is delicious and looks far more complicated than it actually is. The cake is very sweet, so it will be off-putting to fans of barely sweet European desserts, but those who have a demanding sweet tooth will be in heaven, or sugar shock, whichever might comes first. The icing is a variation of the old seven minute variety, but it is made with brown rather than white sugar and that gives it some attitude. I am sorry to report that the cake is not a great keeper. The icing dries and cracks as it sits, but this will not be a problem if the cake is served the day it is made. Chances are, if you have a family of sweet lovers, there will be no leftovers to worry about. While the Lord Baltimore cake lacks the lightness of his female counterpart, it has a wonderful richness that I think you will enjoy. I do hope you'll give this simple recipe a try. Here is how the cake is made.

Lady Baltimore Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This striking version of an old Southern cake is three layers high and made with a batter that's infused with rose-water. It's layers are bound with a mixture of dried fruit, candied orange peel and pecans and it's frosted with an Italian meringue. The cake originated at The Lady Baltimore Tearooms at the turn of the 20th century , but it became popular following the release of Owen Wister's 1906 romance novel Lady Baltimore. The book's narrator describes the cake in this way: "It's all soft, and it's in layers, and it has nuts — but I can't write any more about it because my mouth waters too much." It definitely is not a delicate confection. The finished cake uses 14 egg whites and 6 cups of sugar, and while its layers have a fine crumb, the rich filling keeps it from being too light and dispels any notion that it's comparable to an angel food cake. Interestingly enough, clever cooks created a male companion cake that uses all the egg yolks left following the "Lady's" construction. The Lord Baltimore Cake is a decadently rich counterpart to the sweet, easy eating version we are featuring here. This is not an easy cake to make, but its history overrode my need for simplicity. If you have never made or tasted a Lady Baltimore Cake, you might want to give this version a try. Here is how its made.