Alabama Lane Cake
This rich, old-fashioned 3-layer cake is a perfect make ahead recipe. It tastes its best 2 to 3 days after making it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened, plus more for preparing the pans
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 ¼ cups sifted cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 egg whites (reserve yolks for filling)
Filling
- 8 egg yolks
- 1 `cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter (1 stick)
- 1 ½ cup golden raisins, finely chopped
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup cold water
- 4 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 4 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter and flour 3 9-inch cake pans. (You can also use parchment paper.) In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk. Stir in the vanilla.
- In the clean bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whisk the 8 egg whites until stiff. Save the egg yolks for the filling. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, divide batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cakes spring back, but have very little color on the top. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and allow them to cool completely.
- While the layers are cooling, make the filling. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, whisk together yolks, sugar, and butter for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Remove mixture from the heat and stir in raisins, coconut, pecans, bourbon, and vanilla. Allow mixture to cool before spreading over the layers of the cake.
- To make the frosting, fill a saucepan with 2 inches of water and set a metal or glass mixing bowl over the top, creating a double boiler. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water but should be just under the bowl. Bring the water in the saucepan to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer. Add sugar, water, corn syrup, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and the egg white mixture is stiff and glossy, or about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat.
- To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Add 1/2 of the filling to the top of the layer. Repeat with the second layer, then place the third layer on the top. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the frosting. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Lane Cake is the official cake of Alabama, and rightly so! Mrs. Emma Lane of Clayton, Alabama entered her cake in the county fair and took the prize. The cake has been a favorite ever since. I have fond memories of my granny standing in her kitchen making her version of the Lane cake for birthdays, potlucks, and for her family and friends.
If you have leftover icing, bake it at 200°F until it gets crunchy all the way through and serve with your favorite fruit.
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