General Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), one of the South’s most venerated heroes, was affectionately known to Southerners as Marse Robert. He was respected by leaders on both sides of the Mason-Dixon, and many historians believe that had he accepted Lincoln’s offer of command over the Union Army, the Civil War would have been over much more quickly. Others, however, have called into question his skill as a strategist. We will never know because ultimately Lee decided to resign from the Union army.
Lee surprised almost everyone by his resignation in 1861. In a letter earlier that year he had denounced secession as a betrayal of the Founding Fathers and thought a peaceful compromise was the best solution. Torn between competing allegiances, Lee asked commanding Union general Winfield Scott if he could stay home and not participate in the war. The general replied "I have no place in my army for equivocal men."1 Shortly thereafter, Lee made the difficult decision to take up arms in defense of his home state of Virginia.
Like General Lee, this cake prevaricates - it straddles the flavors of orange and lemon, trying not to choose one side over the other. Traditionally, the cake itself has lemon zest and juice and the filling is luscious "lemon jelly," aka lemon curd. Finally, orange, with a touch of lemon, perfumes the icing. I decided to take the ambiguity to Pat-like2 levels and stirred orange marmalade into the lemon curd. Many tasters had difficulty pinpointing the flavors, so I call the experiment a success.
This sponge cake has the unusual additions of baking powder and cream of tartar. I'm not sure if the cream of tartar was added because the baking powder was supposed to be single-acting, or if the recipe writer intended to use both double-acting baking powder and cream of tartar. I erred on the side of the latter, although I expect the recipe would turn out fine without the cream of tartar.
Sponge cake purists might scoff at the idea of chemical leavening, since highly whipped egg yolks and whites usually suffice as the leavening for this type of cake. However, I appreciate the help because I have baker's block regarding sponge cakes - they often turn out really flat for me. I haven't decided if I over-beat or under-beat the eggs to cause that problem. But add baking powder, and problem solved!
As for the icing, I feel this recipe, like most American buttercreams, has far too much sugar. It's a simple recipe: butter, powdered (confectioner's) sugar, a bit of liquid, and a flavoring agent (the liquid can double as the flavoring agent, as in this case). I used three times as much butter as the recipe directs to tame the sweetness, but even then I didn't approach the ratio in my traditional easy buttercream: 1 ounce of butter to each ounce of powdered sugar. Use more butter to suit your taste - this is an extremely flexible recipe. For this cake, lemon and orange juice add a bright citrus flavor in addition to making a spreadable consistency.
My conspiracy theory side is convinced that coconut and pecan growers financed the Southern Heritage Cakes Cookbook (possibly in collusion with Domino sugar). It seems every recipe calls for coconut, pecans, or both, whether integral to the cake's flavor or not. For this cake, I don't believe the coconut is essential so feel free to omit it.
Back to General Lee3: cake plays a role in Lee’s history. Allegedly Lee proposed to Mary Custis (granddaughter of Martha Washington) as she knelt to serve him a piece of cake. It is unlikely that Lee ever tasted his namesake cake, as no recipes for it were published until years after his death. However, legend has it that his wife passed down a favorite "receipt" (recipe) for a lemon cake to their daughter, so it can be deduced that Marse Robert would have enjoyed this cake.
General Robert E. Lee Cake
Yankee Version
2 cups (9 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
8 large eggs, separated
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
dash of salt
Lemon-Orange Filling (recipe follows; make this recipe first)
Lemon-Orange Frosting (recipe follows)
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut (optional)
Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line bottoms of two 9-inch round baking pans with parchment and butter sides of pans (alternately, butter and flour pans); set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and cream of tartar in a small bowl; set aside. Beat egg yolks in a large mixing bowl until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add the sugar and beat well. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
In another large bowl, combine egg whites and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture alternately with flour mixture until no white streaks remain.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with only a very few loose crumbs. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans and let cool completely. Split layers in half horizontally.
Spread Lemon-Orange filling between layers. Chill briefly. Frost with Lemon-Orange frosting and sprinkle top with coconut. Refrigerate cake until shortly before serving.
Lemon-Orange Filling
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
4 egg yolks from large eggs
1/3 cup (5 tablespoons, 2.5 oz) unsalted butter
pinch salt
1 cup prepared orange marmalade, room temperature*
Combine sugar and lemon juice in top of a double boiler (off heat). Stir to partially dissolve sugar; add zest and egg yolks and stir to combine. Place pan over simmering water. (If you are an experienced cook, feel free to use a heavy saucepan directly on the heat. But watch for curdling!) Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.
Add butter and salt and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes (if using double boiler) or until mixture is thickened and smooth, about 170 degrees F if using a thermometer (do not boil).
Pour filling into a medium bowl and stir in orange marmalade. Let cool completely; chill until ready to use.
Lemon-Orange Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (add additional 1/2 to 1 cup butter for richer frosting)
4 cups (16 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted or stirred with whisk to remove lumps
3 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
3 tablespoons freshly squeeze orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Cream butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar, beating until combined. Add remaining ingredients, beating until smooth. Store, covered, at room temperature until needed.
---------------------------------
1 Pryor, Elizabeth Brown (2011-04-19). "The General in His Study". Disunion. The New York Times.
2 Please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_%28Saturday_Night_Live%29 if you do not get the reference.
3 Every time I hear the words "General Lee" I don't think of the Civil War leader but rather of a certain '68 orange Dodge Charger.
Comments