![Lemon Bundt Cake](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/05/17/dining/ya-lemon-bundt-cake/ya-lemon-bundt-cake-mediumThreeByTwo440-v2.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Lane Cake
![Lane Cake](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/12/12/dining/yk-lane-cake/yk-lane-cake-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours, plus cooling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus more for greasing
- 2¼cups/450 grams granulated sugar
- 6egg whites, at room temperature
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¾cups/355 grams cake flour, sifted
- 2½teaspoons baking powder
- 1¼teaspoons kosher salt
- 1cup/240 milliliters whole milk
- 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1⅓cups/270 grams granulated sugar
- 14egg yolks
- 1½teaspoons kosher salt
- 2cups/135 grams finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1¼cups/200 grams currants
- 1cup/100 grams pecans, chopped
- ½cup/120 milliliters bourbon
- ½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
- 2tablespoons bourbon
For the Cake
For the Filling
For the Bourbon Soak
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the cake: Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 13-by-18-inch baking sheet and line the bottom with a sheet of parchment. Cut 2 strips of acetate, each about 3 inches wide and 26 inches long. Set aside. (These will be used to help assemble the cake in Step 10.)
- Step 2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the egg whites and vanilla extract. Reduce speed to medium, then pour the egg mixture into the creamed butter in three additions, beating to incorporate after each and scraping the bowl as needed.
- Step 3
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Add the flour mixture all at once into the creamed butter and stir on low speed until just combined. Add the milk; use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the milk.
- Step 4
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake until cake is a pale golden brown and the surface is springy to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely before using. (The uncut cake can be made up to 1 day ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic or stored frozen for up to 2 weeks.)
- Step 5
Make the filling: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Turn off the heat and stir in the sugar, yolks and salt. Whisk together to fully incorporate. Turn the heat back on low and, stirring continuously, cook to 155 degrees or until the mixture thickens and turns a slightly more pale yellow, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Step 6
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the coconut, currants, pecans and bourbon, and fold them in using a rubber spatula. Let the filling cool completely. (Filling can be made ahead and stored refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)
- Step 7
Make the bourbon soak: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with ½ cup/120 milliliters water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, remove from heat and add the bourbon; set aside to cool.
- Step 8
Assemble the cake: Run an offset spatula along the sides of the cake to loosen the edges. Place a piece of parchment over the top and unmold the cake by flipping it upside-down onto a baking rack or large cutting board. Peel off and discard the parchment layer on top.
- Step 9
Orienting the cake vertically and starting with an 8-inch metal cake ring on the top left corner, punch out a full circle for the top layer. Move the ring to the bottom left corner and punch out the second layer. Move the cake ring to the top right corner of the cake, punch out a half circle and repeat the half circle on the bottom right corner. These half circles will form your bottom layer. (If you don’t have a cake ring, use a closed 8-inch springform pan without the bottom as a guide, and cut out the cake layers with a paring knife.) Reserve the leftover cake to fill in any gaps.
- Step 10
Wipe the cake ring clean. Place a 9-inch cardboard cake circle on a cake stand or plate and place the metal cake ring or a closed springform pan without the bottom on top. Line the inside of the cake ring with one of the acetate strips. Spread a tablespoon of filling around the middle of the cake board. (This will help the cake stick to the surface.) Move the cake half-circles to the inside of the cake ring, pushing them to the outer edges of the ring, and fill any gaps with cake scraps. Press down on any scraps to create a snug, flat layer.
- Step 11
Brush the bottom layer with the bourbon soak. Using a large spoon or an ice cream scoop, add three to four dollops of the filling, about 1 cup total. Spread evenly with the back of an offset spatula. If the entire layer is not covered and spread to the edges, add more filling.
- Step 12
Gently move the second cake layer and slide it into the ring. Press down gently on the cake layer to make sure it sits firmly on top of the filling. Brush the cake with simple syrup and cover with filling, repeating the process above.
- Step 13
Guide a second acetate strip between the cake ring and the top ¼ inch of the first strip, allowing slight overlap. Together, the rings should be about 5 to 6 inches tall. This will support the top layers of the cake when finished.
- Step 14
Add the third cake layer and press down into the filling to set. Brush your third layer with simple syrup and top with remaining filling. (If assembling the cake without acetate strips, once all the cake layers are in place, run the flat side of your offset spatula around the outside of the layer above the cake ring to create a smooth finish.) Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature until ready to serve.
- Step 15
To serve, slide the cake ring upward and remove it. Peel off the acetate layers and discard. (To remove the cake ring without acetate strips, remove the plastic film and run a warm knife or spatula between the ring and the cake. Slide the metal ring upward to remove.) Using a clean knife, cut the cake into desired number of slices and serve.
- Clear acetate cake collars are available in kitchen supply and cake decorating stores or can be ordered online. They can be found in strips, or sheets that can be cut to size.
- Wrap any leftovers in plastic and store refrigerated. Leftover cake scraps and filling can be used for snacking or stored. The full cake can be assembled, sealed with plastic wrap and frozen. To serve, defrost completely in the refrigerator, serve at room temperature.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Couldn't resist adding this: "Maycomb welcomed Aunt Alexandra. Miss Maudie Atkinson baked a Lane Cake so loaded with shinny it made me tight; Miss Stephanie Crawford had long visits with Aunt Alexandra, consisting mostly of Miss Stephanie shaking her head and saying, "Uh, uh, uh". Miss Rachel next door had Aunty over for coffee in the afternoons, and Mr. Nathan Radley went so far as to come up in the front yard and say he was glad to see her." –To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 13
If you dont have the equippment to slice it, just use strong and thin thread (or a thin fishing line) long enough for you to lay it around the cake were you want to cut, and the carefully cross the ends tight around the cake. Pull slowly and watch the tread dig into the cake, When you have straighen the thread, the cake is sliced. I have never used any other tactic to slice cakes in two.
Just out of curiosity, why not just bake 3 layers? The whole cutting process, stacking, etc., just seems like a lot of extra work. Is the point to have the white exposed sides?
I’ve been eating Lane Cake since I was a little kid-I’m 57. My mama’s recipe called for baking three layers of cake and used raisins and candied cherries for the fruit. No parchment or acetate was used; instead the filling was allowed to fall down the sides and was picked back up and placed on the sides using your hands. It makes for a rustic presentation that is actually quite pretty. Leah Chase’s recipe is nearly identical to Mama’s except Leah leaves out the candied cherries.
The whole assembly was so daunting to me but I wanted all these flavors in my mouth so I turned it into a trifle
That To Kill a Mockingbird quote is the best cooking note I've ever seen here. Well done, Judy TKAM fan! Could we please have more literary references in our comments, readers?
14 egg yolks is pretty intense!
I'm guessing because as written you get the attractive light colored sides, but I agree using three 8" cake pans would be easier and require less nonstandard equipment.
My mother's Lane Cake combined candied cherries, coconut and pecans in a carmelized gloopy icing, then slathered it between and on top of three layers of cake whose texture was like angel food cake. As the cake sat, the delicious icing seeped into it, so I always had my piece the second day.
Traditionally, the cake is made with an equal number of whites as the number of yolks you need for the filling. I have also never seen any other Lane Cake recipe that leaves the cake unfrosted--usually with a boiled white frosting or other meringue-type frosting for which you would also need egg whites. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/harper-lee-the-cake-that-made-maycomb-famous-the-lane-cake/2533/
Decrease the sugar in the cake by half; between the bourbon soak and the filling, it is more than sweet enough. I baked it in 3 8-inch circular pans for about 30 min at the specified temperature. Delicious!
This is an excellent recipe, but do not skip on flipping the cake over after it’s cooled. It increases the surface area needed for making the circled layers.
Just reading the recipe brings back fond memories. My beloved Aunt Rene made this for our Thanksgiving/Grandma's Birthday and brought it to Aunt Helen's home near Headland, AL. Ours had candied cherries and plenty of coconut though a little light on the bourbon for all us kids. The cake was always special, eagerly anticipated and a point of pride among my aunts.
Oh!!! The cake mentioned in To Kill a Mockingbird... so lovely. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
This is very similar to Lady Baltimore cake which I always requested for my birthday...minus the bourbon. This was always frosted with 7-minute frosting, but I'm fine without that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_cake I swear, if NYT Cooking can overcomplicate a recipe, they will! Just use cake pans, for heaven's sake! If you want the white edges, trim the layers.
"Orient the cake vertically." Really? Kind of hard to keep it from falling over if it's oriented vertically. If the instruction means that the short edge should be oriented towards the cook, then for what purpose? The cake rings could be more easily cut out of the cake if the long side were oriented towards the cook. Obviously "vertically" is one of those useless confusing instructions. Also, baking three 8" cakes is a better procedure as is using the egg whites for a meringue topping.
The recipe does not mention to soak the currants in bourbon before making the filling. Is this an omission or intentional?
The currents are added to bourbon in Step 6 (the filling). The currants will soak in bourbon while the filling cools--and possibly longer if the filling is made in advance.
Toying with the idea of making this (oh, horrors!) without the coconut, which gives me hives. While I imagine it will be delicious, does anyone have any wisdom to share other than renaming it?
Sometimes I find tears coming to my eyes when I read your lovely notes. So many stories from so many wonderful people about their families. Thank you everybody for sharing — I really do appreciate you!
This is an unusual recipe and I probably won’t make it again. I skipped the fuss of cutting out the circles and just used round cake tins. Also skipped the acetate strips. This is incredibly sweet and only needs about 1/3 of the sugar in the filling as written. I’m also now stuck with 6 egg whites—I considered making a boiled white frosting, but there is no way this cake could take on more sweetness.
Decrease the sugar in the cake by half; between the bourbon soak and the filling, it is more than sweet enough. I baked it in 3 8-inch circular pans for about 30 min at the specified temperature. Delicious!
This seems like a cake that should come with a how-to video.
Huh?! Why not, you know, bake a round cake and slice it in thirds?
Thanks Judy for that quote! Fun to add a literary layer.
I have wanted to make this cake, and waited for comments from people who actually made the recipe. Alas, only two seemed to have made this cake so far. I hoped for more feedback. Still I felt comforted by mj's idea of turning the whole thing into a trifle, as a fallback :-). Made the cake and filling as directed, but had difficulty with the assembly instructions on a crumbly sponge. I used a tall springform pan instead, which made things much easier. Waited one day to serve. Super good!
That To Kill a Mockingbird quote is the best cooking note I've ever seen here. Well done, Judy TKAM fan! Could we please have more literary references in our comments, readers?
Oh!!! The cake mentioned in To Kill a Mockingbird... so lovely. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Gorgeous but in a health conscious world most of us have left these southern traditions behind for obvious reasons. I’m from Atlanta, so I understand but will save the calories for once a year MAC AND CHEESE!!
What do you do with 14 egg whites afterwards?!?
Traditionally, the cake is made with an equal number of whites as the number of yolks you need for the filling. I have also never seen any other Lane Cake recipe that leaves the cake unfrosted--usually with a boiled white frosting or other meringue-type frosting for which you would also need egg whites. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/harper-lee-the-cake-that-made-maycomb-famous-the-lane-cake/2533/
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