This is an intensely southern cake that combines light sponge with a heavy filling. I prefer to make it in three separate divisions.
DAY ONE: THE SPONGE
- 1 cup butter, barely room temperature (you can depress it with your finger but it has some stiffness still)
- 2 cups sugar
Beat these together until very light in color and graininess is not as pronounced.
- 1 cup room temperature milk with 1 tsp vanilla (I use clear vanilla)
Beat the milk and vanilla into the butter and sugar until well mixed.
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Alternate the dry and wet on low speed (should end up very pale in color)
- 8 egg whites *large eggs*
Whip until stiff peaks form.
Add in two editions to the batter above, by hand.
You will need three 8" round pans, prepped with butter, flour, and a disc of parchment on the bottom
Divide equally among the three, then tap the cake pans lightly on the table.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, cool in pans for 30 minutes, then turn out on a rack to cool the rest of the way.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; do not refrigerate.
DAY TWO: THE FILLING:
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 8 egg yolks
Whisk the above together in your mixing bowl.
Place over a warm bath (medium heat) and whisk for six minutes until thickened
Remove from the heat and add:
- 1 cup chopped, toasted pecan nuts
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup sweet coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup candied orange peel
- 1 tsp bourbon or vanilla
Fold the above into the filling and set aside at room temperature until completely cooled.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
You can take it out and microwave it if it becomes solid.
DAY THREE: THE MERINGUE FROSTING and ASSEMBLY
The meringue is the most difficult part and must be done carefully! Make sure your mixing bowl, metal, is very clean. Wipe down with vinegar and dry off (do the same with your whisking tool)
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup corn syrup
Whisk together, then bring to a boil over high heat until it reaches 240 degrees.
Remove 1/4 cup of the syrup, then run the stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Begin whisking the whites of 2 large eggs, slowly pouring in the 1/4 cup as you whisk until the whites reach stiff, glossy peaks.
Then carefully drizzle the syrup down the side of the bowl while whisking on medium, turning up to high speed until the bowl cools to room temperature.
Add in the vanilla and beat until completely cooled.
ASSEMBLY:
Begin with a bottom layer of cake, topped with filling, topped with the second cake, and so forth.
Once assembled, spread the meringue on the top and up and down the sides
Stop spreading it when it pulls or gets hard.