By Staff
What's in a (recipe) name?
OK, after perusing my sources for recipes this week, I'm mad. Yep, furious. Well maybe a little more hurt than mad.
It seems there is not one recipe out there with my name on it. I've looked at everything from appetizers to main courses, desserts and drinks and couldn't find anything with my name on it. No Lisa's Mimosa. No Turkey Cutlets a la Lisa. No Tindell Toddy. No Lisa's Famous Cheesecake. Nope, not a one!
While I was searching I did find a whole bunch of interesting ones that you may find interesting enough to try out in your kitchen.
Most of the recipes that bear someone's name were either created by that person or at least in honor of that person.
The first recipe this week is more than a century old. I believe it is quiet obvious for whom this lemony cake was named. It sounds a little complicated and may take a little effort to make. But with a Southern name, this cake has to be worth every minute of work.
Robert E. Lee Cake
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
One-half teaspoon cream of tartar
1 and one-half teaspoons baking powder
8 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 and one-half tbsp. grated lemon zest
One-eighth tsp. salt
6 egg yolks
2 cups white sugar
3 tbsp. grated lemon zest
4 lemons, juiced
One-half cup butter
One-fourth cup butter
6 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. orange juice
1 and one-half tbsp. grated lemon zest
3 tbsp. grated orange zest
Grease and flour four nine-inch cake pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, and baking powder four times. Set aside. Beat eight egg yolks with a rotary or electric beater until very thick, light, and creamy. Add the two cups sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, and continue beating until mixture is smooth and pale yellow. Stir in 1 grated lemon rind and juice of 1 lemon. Quickly fold in the flour mixture until well incorporated. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, whip the eight egg whites until peaks form. Fold one-third of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Spoon into cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pans. Loosen edges with a knife and turn out on cake racks to cool while you prepare the filling and frosting.
To Make Lemon Jelly Filling: Mix six egg yolks with two cups sugar, grated rind of two lemons, and juice of 4 lemons. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Add one-half cup butter and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes or until filling is smooth and very thick. Cool, then spread between layers of cooled cake.
To Make Lemon-Orange Frosting: Beat the one-fourth cup butter until it has the appearance of thick cream, stir in 6 cups confectioners sugar, a little at a time, and continue working until mixture is very smooth. Beat in one egg yolk and two tablespoons lemon juice. Stir in enough orange juice to make a spreadable frosting, then add grated rind of one lemon and two grated orange rinds. Spread on sides and top of cake.
Whew