Lady Baltimore Cake

Ingredients:
Cake Ingredients:
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 TBS vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
8 egg whites, beaten

Lemon Filling Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
3 TBS cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 TBS butter
1/3 cup lemon juice

White Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 TBS water
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:
Cake Preparation:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Grease and flour 3 round layer cake pans
3. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry
4. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl
5. Blend in butter, milk, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat 2 minutes on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally
6. Fold in egg whites, blending thoroughly
7. Pour into pans and bake about 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Lemon Filling Preparation:
1. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Stir in water and cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils.
2. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
3. Gradually stir in lemon juice. Cool.
4. Refrigerate until ready to use. Spread as filling between cake layers.

White Frosting Preparation:
1. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan. Heat to boiling and boil rapidly to 242 degrees on a candy thermometer (or until mixture forms a firm ball when dropped into cold water)
2. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Pour hot syrup slowly in a thin stream into the beaten egg whites, beating constantly on medium speed. Beat on high speed until frosting forms stiff peaks.
3. Add vanilla.
4. Frost sides and top of cake layers.
5. OPTIONAL: Cover frosting with shredded coconut.
~*~ From The Carolinas Cookbook ~*~