Lady Baltimore cake

Name: Lady Baltimore cake
Ingredients: 250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing; 275 g/10 oz/2½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour; 18 pecan halves, to decorate; 3 ready-to-eat dried figs, finely chopped; 85 g/3 oz/generous ½ cup raisins, chopped; 50 g/2 oz/½ cup pecan nuts, finely chopped; grated rind of 1 large orange; 350 g/12 oz/1¾ cups caster (superfine) sugar; 4 eggs; 12.5 ml/2½ tsp baking powder; 5 ml/1 tsp vanilla extract; 1.25 ml/¼ tsp cream of tartar; 2 egg whites; 250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup fresh orange juice

Preparation info

Serves
10–12

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cakes

By Ann Nicol

Published 2014

About

This recipe was published in the 19th-century novel Lady Baltimore by Owen Wister. The cake is a sponge that is covered with a fluffy white frosting that includes pecan nuts, figs and raisins. Make it for a special tea-time treat – it looks quite impressive. Store it for up to three days.

Ingredients

250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
275

Cake
Vegetarian

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Grease and line two 23cm/9in round shallow cake tins (pans) with baking parchment.
In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
Beat the eggs and sugar in another large bowl, using an