Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Lady Baltimore Cake Be the first to rate & review! Delicate and light in texture, this pillowy white cake is enhanced by the syrupy sweetness of dates and raisins and the rich aroma of rum. By Micah A Leal Micah A Leal Micah Leal is a chef and recipe developer with more than 5 years of professional experience in restaurants and bakeries such as Husk Restaurant and Harken Cafe & Bakery in Charleston, South Carolina. Micah Leal is an enthusiastic chef with a special interest in the food science and culinary histories that shape the recipes people make today. His reputation for making recipes accessible and thoughtfully teaching difficult kitchen techniques is informed by his experience as a pastry chef as well as his background as a high school teacher. He has also developed nearly 200 recipes for southernliving.com and Southern Living Magazine. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on April 19, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 50 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Ingredients Cake 2 1/4 cups cake flour 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature 1 cup buttermilk 2 eggs 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract Filling 1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup water 1 tablespoon honey 1 1/2 teaspoon rum extract, divided 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted Frosting 4 egg whites 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 cups sugar 2/3 cup water 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter and beat on low speed until completely dissolved into dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, oil, and extracts. Add half the liquid ingredients to the dry and beat on medium for 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl, add remaining liquid ingredients, and beat on medium-high for 2 minutes. Divide batter between cake pans, spread evenly, and bake until the cake springs back to the touch, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool in pans completely before removing. Make the Filling: Combine dates, raisins, water, honey, and 1 tsp. rum extract in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until water is absorbed and fruit is syrupy. Remove from heat; add 1/2 tsp. rum extract and walnuts. Make Frosting: With the whisk attachment in a stand mixer, beat egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup over medium-high; stir until sugar is dissolved, then stop stirring and allow to boil. Cook until a candy thermometer registers at 238°F. Continue whipping egg whites on medium speed as you slowly stream in the hot sugar mixture. Whip until frosting has cooled completely, 6-8 minutes. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Take 1 cup of frosting and fold in to fruit and nut mixture. Assemble Cake: Cut each cake layer in half horizontally using a long serrated knife. On one cake layer, evenly spread 1/3 fruit and nut mixture. Place another layer on top and repeat process of layering with fruit and nut mixture. Add third layer and cover with remaining fruit and nut mixture. Place final layer on top and cover entire cake with Frosting, using a spatula or spoon to create decorative swirls. Micah A. Leal Rate it Print