Lane Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 1, 2013
Time
2¼ hours, plus 1½ hours cooling
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Cake
1 cup whole milk, room temperature6 large egg whites, room temperature2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 ¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour 1 ¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softenedFilling
5 tablespoons bourbon 1 tablespoon heavy cream 1 teaspoon cornstarch Pinch salt ½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) sweetened shredded coconut ¾ cup pecans ¾ cup golden raisins 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extractFrosting
2 large egg whites, room temperature¼ teaspoon cream of tartar ¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar ⅔ cup light corn syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extractBefore You Begin
We like bourbon, but any whiskey will work.
Instructions
- 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.
- 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. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 2 days.)
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.)
Time
2¼ hours, plus 1½ hours coolingYield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
Cake
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1 ¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
Filling
5 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch salt
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) sweetened shredded coconut
¾ cup pecans
¾ cup golden raisins
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 (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
⅔ cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Cake
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1 ¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
Filling
5 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch salt
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) sweetened shredded coconut
¾ cup pecans
¾ cup golden raisins
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 (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
⅔ cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Cake
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (9 ounces/255 grams) cake flour
1 ¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
Filling
5 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch salt
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) sweetened shredded coconut
¾ cup pecans
¾ cup golden raisins
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 (1¾ ounces/50 grams) sugar
⅔ cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Lane cake is a tall, fluffy, snow-white cake filled with a rich, sweet mixture of egg whites, butter, raisins, and “a wineglass full of good whiskey.” The original recipe can take hours to prepare, but we simplified our version by capping the number of layers at two and using a food processor for much of the tedious prep work. Replacing sugar with boiled corn syrup in our frosting quickly brought the whipped egg whites to a safe temperature without resorting to a candy thermometer or complicated (and unsafe) guesswork.
Before You Begin
We like bourbon, but any whiskey will work.
Instructions
- 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.
- 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. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 2 days.)
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.)
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