Shelly's Recipe

ELEGANT LAYER CAKE

Category: Cakes

3 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together margarine and sugar 2 to 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add egg yolks; beat until blended. Beating well after each addition, starting and ending with flour mixture, add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat in vanilla. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.

Cake Frosting
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can (21 oz) lemon cream pie filling
2 cups flaked coconut

*Crystallized Flowers (for decoration only):
Roses, Violets, or other fresh flowers
1 egg white
Superfine sugar

For frosting, combine sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat without stirring until candy thermometer reaches 232 degrees or a small amount of the mixture dropped into ice water forms a soft thread, 15 to 20 minutes. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. While beating on medium speed, slowly pour a thin stream of hot syrup mixture into egg whites. Add vanilla. Beat on high speed until frosting forms soft peaks and is fluffy.

To assemble cake, spread 1/2 cup lemon filling between layers, spreading filling 1/2-inch from edge of cake layer. Frost top and sides with frosting. Pat coconut on sides. Decorate with Crystallized Flowers* if desired. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

*Crystallized Flowers :
Place egg white in small bowl. Stir lightly. Brush egg white on flowers with small paint brush to cover all parts of petals. Remove all excess egg white that could cause petals to stick together. Sprinkle superfine sugar over petals to cover petals completely, shaking to avoid clumping.