Phoodie Recipe Corner: Lord Baltimore Cake, Shrugging Off The Yolk Of Oppression

So, what exactly is Lord Baltimore Cake? We’re glad you asked because we just did like 10 minutes of research into this cake of which we’ve heard but never bothered to learn about. Here’s the folklore; and as you know, if some folklorist said it, then it’s pravda.

So Lord Baltimore was Governor of Maryland and like all good Colonial Governors he was frugal, or at least in this one instance. His wife loved this particular egg-white cake that came to be known as Lady Baltimore Cake. Trouble was, using all those whites left all those yolks which were going to waste. So Lord B gets all up in his lady’s business about wasting all the yolks. According to legend he gave her quite the tongue-lashing, then straightened his sartor and headed to the kitchen to find the chef. The Lord and his cook popped the cork on some sherry and racked their brains all night to concoct some sort of recipe that would utilize the yolks and not waste the half-pence or whatever the cost of some eggs used to be. There is no record of whether Lord B Tongue Lashed his cook as well or if that was just the kind of thing is did for Mrs. B and Mrs. B only, but when dawn broke they had created this weird yolk-laden cake with a frosting that you whip while in a double boiler like you would a custard. The filling had crushed macaroons and dried cherries and such in it and all in all provided a nice complement to the much lighter Lady Baltimore Cake. The Lord was happy as were the citizenry and Maryland with its capital, Baltimore is to this day a peaceful and content colony of Great Brittain.

Now all of that is just one origin story, there are other more mundane tales out there which may, in fact, have a higher probability of truth, but we chose this one because it had more panache.

Another little known fact; if The Wire had been renewed for season 6, The foci would’ve been on the scullery maids and kitchen staff that make up Baltimore manor…That and more Hampsterdam.

Anyways, here’s a pretty cool recipe for LBC from Better Homes and Gardens:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 3/4cup margarine or butter
• 3/4cup milk
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 1/2teaspoon lemon extract
• 8 egg yolks
• 1 1/2cups packed brown sugar
• 1/3cup water
• 1/4teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2cup crumbled soft macaroons
• 1/2cup chopped pecans
• candied cherries, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

Directions:

1. Grease and lightly flour two 9×1-1/2-inch round baking pans; set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add margarine or butter, milk, rum, and lemon extract. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Add egg yolks and beat 1 minute more or until combined. Pour into prepared pans.
2. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on wire racks. Remove from pans; cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, for frosting in a medium saucepan combine brown sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Cook and stir until bubbly and sugar dissolves.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine egg whites and vanilla. Add hot sugar mixture very slowly to egg white mixture, beating constantly with an electric mixer on high speed about 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form (tips stand up).
5. For filling, combine 1 cup of the frosting mixture, soft macaroons, pecans, and candied cherries.
6. Spread filling between cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Makes 12 servings.

[Image Via: Jenongen]