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Robert E. Lee Cake on crystal dish with black background

General Robert E. Lee Cake

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients
  

For Cake

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 16 eggs separated and at room temperature
  • cups sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • Pinch of Kosher Salt

Lemon Filling

  • Orange Frosting
  • 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
  • Lemon Jelly Filling
  • 12 egg yolks
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup cold butter

Orange Frosting

  • 2/3 cup butter softened
  • 8 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup orange zest
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Instructions
 

For the Cake

  • Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, and baking powder.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until lemon colored and thick. Add sugar slowly until incorporated. Pour half the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture and beat well, then repeat with the rest of the flour mixture beating well. Gently stir in lemon zest and lemon juice.
  • In a large bowl, combine room temperature egg whites and salt. Beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Fold 1/4 egg white mixture into the flour mixture until just incorporated. Continue adding the egg white mixture to the flour mixture in fourths until all is incorporated.
  • Grease and flour 4 9-inch round cake-pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for at least 10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack. When the layers are cool, cut the layers horizontally to make 8 layers.
  • On a cake stand, add a cake layer and spread lemon filling over the top and continue to add the cake layers. Chill cake in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Remove from the refrigerator and spread Orange Frosting over the top and sides of cake. Gently sprinkle coconut on the top of the frosted cake.

Lemon Filling

  • In a double boiler, combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Stir constantly for about 20 minutes or until mixture thickens.
  • Add butter one pat at a time and incorporate into the lemon mixture. Cool filling completely before spreading on cake layers.

Orange Frosting

  • In a medium-sized bowl, cream softened butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, orange zest, and juices and beat until smooth. Stir in coconut. Spread the frosting over the entire cake.
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