Lane Cake

While hanging out during one of my hospital visits while pregnant with Corban, America's Test Kitchen came on the tv.  One of the episode's featured recipes was for Lane Cake.  Josh and I both having To Kill a Mockingbird memorized, we decided to search for the recipe and try it.

This is now Josh's favorite cake! I've made the cake several times now.  A couple of tips:  while it calls for room temperature milk, don't let it sit too long or your cake with have a slightly sour taste to it.  I've used both regular and golden raisins, both work well.  With one attempt I realized I had no pecans, but I had some cinnamon-glazed pecans we were given from the Lions Club -- they really made the filling taste amazing!  Also, make sure to turn the cakes out onto cooling racks -- they will disintegrate if you leave them in the pans overnight.  Ahem.  Finally, keep the cake refrigerated or the frosting will slide.

Lane Cake
Recipe adapted from Cook's Country

Ingredients

	Cake
1	cup whole milk, just at room temperature
6	large egg whites, room temperature
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
2¼	cups cake flour
1¾	cups sugar
4	teaspoons baking powder
1	teaspoon salt
12	tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
	Filling
5	tablespoons bourbon -- the good kind :)
1	tablespoon heavy cream
1	teaspoon cornstarch
	Salt
½	cup sweetened shredded coconut
¾	cup cinnamon-glazed pecans
¾	cup raisins (regular or golden)
4	tablespoons unsalted butter
¾	cup sweetened condensed milk
½	teaspoon vanilla extract
	Frosting
2	large egg whites, room temperature
¼	teaspoon cream of tartar
¼	cup sugar
⅔	cup light corn syrup
1	teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. MIX BATTER Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Whisk milk, egg whites, and vanilla in large liquid measuring cup. With electric mixer on low speed, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until only pea-size pieces remain. Pour in half of milk mixture and increase speed to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Slowly add remaining milk mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. 2. BAKE CAKES Scrape equal amounts of batter into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack. {Don't skip this step!} Cool completely, at least 1 hour. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 2 days.) 3. MAKE FILLING Whisk bourbon, cream, cornstarch, and salt in bowl until smooth. Process coconut in food processor until finely ground. Add pecans and raisins and pulse until coarsely ground. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add processed coconut mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in bourbon mixture and bring to boil. Off heat, add condensed milk and vanilla. Transfer to medium bowl and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. (Filling can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 days. Bring filling to room temperature before using.) 4. WHIP FROSTING With electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, slowly add sugar and whip until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes; set aside. Bring corn syrup to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until large bubbles appear around perimeter of pan, about 1 minute. With mixer running, slowly pour hot syrup into whites (avoid pouring syrup onto beaters or it will splash). Add vanilla and beat until mixture has cooled and is very thick and glossy, 3 to 5 minutes. {It tastes like marshmallow!} 5. ASSEMBLE CAKE Place 1 cake round on serving platter. Spread filling over cake, then top with second cake round. Spread frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated, covered, for 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.)