general robert e. lee cake i

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 4 lemons, juiced
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup butter
• 6 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons grated orange zest

Recipe

Cook Time: 1 hr

Ready Time: 2 hrs


• grease and flour four 9 inch cake pans. preheat oven to 325 degrees f (165 degrees c). sift together flour, cream of tartar, and baking powder four times. set aside.
• beat 8 egg yolks with a rotary or electric beater until very thick, light, and creamy. add the 2 cups sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, and continue beating until mixture is smooth and pale yellow. stir in 1 grated lemon rind and juice of 1 lemon. quickly fold in the flour mixture until well incorporated.
• in a large glass or metal mixing bowl, whip the 8 egg whites until peaks form. fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
• spoon into cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pans. loosen edges with a knife and turn out on cake racks to cool while you prepare the filling and frosting.
• to make lemon jelly filling: mix 6 egg yolks with 2 cups sugar, grated rind of 2 lemons, and juice of 4 lemons. cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. add 1/2 cup butter and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes or until filling is smooth and very thick. cool, then spread between layers of cooled cake.
• to make lemon-orange frosting: beat the 1/4 cup butter until it has the appearance of thick cream, stir in 6 cups confectioners sugar, a little at a time, and continue working until mixture is very smooth. beat in 1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. stir in enough orange juice to make a spreadable frosting, then add grated rind of 1 lemon and 2 grated orange rinds. spread on sides and top of cake.