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White Mountain Cake with Lemon Filling

paula

My daughter usually wants me to bake her a cake for her birthday.  I always want to buy her one as cake baking and decorating is not my forte.

She usually wants strawberry cake, but this year she wanted one with raspberries (I usually put strawberries between the layers of the strawberry cake).  After some debate, I decided to attempt a recipe in my Taste of Toronto (Ohio, that is) cookbook for White Mountain Cake with Lemon Filling and White Mountain Icing.

I thought the fresh raspberries would be a compliment to the lemon filling.

I was correct about the raspberries, but I still had several “learning experiences” making this cake.  Here are my lessons learned:

1. Check your pans well ahead of time to make sure you have the correct size for the recipe.  If not, go to the store or take a chance on calculating a new baking time…and live with the results.

2. Sometimes it is not you or how you are doing something when things are not working out right; sometimes the recipe is just wrong.  (I tried to make the frosting 3 times before I went with my gut that the recipe I used was not correct in its technique).

3. Some cakes, like angel food and this one, are better the next day.

Here is the recipe for the cake:

 

: White Mountain Cake
  1. 2 1/2 c. flour
  2. 1 2/3 c. sugar
  3. 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  4. 1 tsp. salt
  5. 2/3 c/ shortening
  6. 1 tsp. vanilla
  7. 1 1/4 c. milk
  8. 5 egg whites
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry.
  2. Put remaining ingredients in a mixer bowl, and blend on low speed, then beat on 2 minutes on high speed.
  3. Fold egg whites into cake batter until no egg whites show.
  4. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8″ round pans, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
  5. When done, it should bounce back when pressed lightly with finger.


This recipe did not specify what type of flour to use in the cake.  I generally use cake flour unless all-purpose or another is specified.  I understand that pastry flour may work even better than cake flour, but I have never tried it.

This type of cake should only cool slightly before removing it from pan.  If it cools too much, you will not be able to get it out easily.  Lining the greased pan bottom with parchment and then lightly greasing it will help the cake release easily as well.

Here is the recipe for the filling:

: Lemon Filling
  1. 3/4 c. sugar
  2. 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
  3. 3/4 c. water
  4. 1 egg yolk
  5. 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
  6. 1 Tbsp. butter
  7. 1/3 c. lemon juice
  1. Whip egg yolk in water and add to a saucepan with sugar and cornstarch mixed.
  2. Cook until it boils and thickens.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in butter until it melts.
  4. Add rind and slowly stir in lemon juice until well blended.
  5. If too soft, cool until it thickens more.
  6. Spread between layers of cooled cake.


After spreading the filling, I added fresh fruit to it and put on the top layer.  Then, I placed the cake in the refrigerator while I made the icing.

The filling is not especially sweet. The lemon is rather pronounced. It does off-set any excessive sweetness in the icing, which is basically homemade marshmallow.

Here is the corrected recipe for the icing:


 
: White Mountain Icing
  1. 1/2 c. sugar
  2. 1/4 c. white corn syrup
  3. 1/8 tsp. salt
  4. 2 Tbsp. water
  5. 2 egg whites
  6. 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  1. Put the sugar, corn syrup, salt and water into a saucepan.
  2. When mixture stars to boil, brush own sides with a wet pastry brush.
  3. Put room temp egg whites in a mixer bowl and beat to a soft peak as sugar mixture boils.
  4. When sugar mixture reaches 238 (soft boil) remove from heat and pour as a thin stream into egg whites with the mixture on medium to medium high.
  5. Add vanilla.
  6. Beat until shiny peaks form, but not for too long or the icing will not be smooth.
  7. Ice top and sides of cake while icing is still warm.
  8. If you want to add decorations, do so before the icing cools too much.


 

 

 

 

 

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