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.
