8 lg Egg; room temperature
2 1/4 c Flour, sifted
1/4 ts Baking soda
2 1/4 c Sugar
1 1/2 c Butter; room temp
2 T Lemon juice
2 1/4 ts Vanilla
1/8 ts Salt
1 1/2 ts Cream of tartar
1 c Walnuts; chopped very fine
Sugar, confectioners
Alex Patout writes, “This is a special-occasion cake that we like to
serve with whipped cream. It mellows with age, so make it at least
one day ahead of serving. It keeps well in the refrigerator for
several days and freezes beautifully.”
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a Bundt or tube pan.
Separate the eggs. Sift the flour with the baking soda and 1-1/4
cups of sugar. Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and
cream it well. Beat in the flour-sugar mixture by thirds, then beat
in the lemon juice and vanilla. Beat in the egg yolks one by one,
being sure each is absorbed before you add the next.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the
salt and the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks
form. Gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup of sugar, and continue
beating until the mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks.
Fold the nuts into the flour mixture, and gently fold in the beaten
egg whites. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and gently cut
through the batter once or twice with a rubber spatula to break any
large air bubbles.
Bake the cake for 1-1/2 hours, or until a knife or toothpick inserted
near the center comes out clean. Do not open the oven during the
first hour of baking. Turn off the heat and let the cake sit in the
hot oven for 15 minutes. Then remove and let cool in the pan for 15
minutes more. Remove the cake from the pan and sprinkle lightly with
confectioners’ sugar. Let cool thoroughly, then wrap tight in foil.
Serve in thin slices, with whipped cream, if desired, or with the ice
cream described in the previous recipe.
Yields
24 Servings