Dolly Varden Cake

Posted in reply to a message board request for a "Dolly Vardens Cake recipe." Other than fish recipes, I did find one recipe in my file cabinet for a "Dolly Varden" cake. To be honest, I can't recall if I've ever made the cake, and I don't know where I got the recipe from (its hand written on a piece of very yellowed paper....at the top it says "from the 1922 cookbook"). Here it is:

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 1 Two Layer Cake

Ingredients

• 3  cups cake flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup  soft unsalted butter
• 2  cups sugar
• 4  eggs, separated
• 1  cup milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 cup currants, plumped
• 1⁄2 cup  finely chopped citron
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon clove
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1. Line the bottom of two 8 inch square or a 9 inch round baking pans with waxed paper.
2. Butter the sides of the pans.
3. Sift flour, measure and resift 3 times with baking powder and salt.
4. Beat egg yolks, and set aside.
5. Beat egg whites until stiff, and set aside.
6. Cream butter, and add sugar slowly; cream well.
7. Add beaten egg yolks and beat until light and fluffy.
8. Add sifted flour mixture alternately with milk in 4-5 portions, beginning and ending with flour; beat until smooth after each addition.
9. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
10. Divide batter into 2 equal portions.
11. Add vanilla to one portion, stirring just enough to mix.
12. Pour batter into prepared pan.
13. To the remaining half of the batter, add the fruits and spices, and stir just enough to mix thoroughly.
14. Pour batter into the second prepared pan.
15. Bake layers in a 350 degree oven, the white layer 30 minutes, the dark layer 35 minutes.
16. Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
17. Place spice layer on plate, and cover with a buttercream icing.
18. Place white layer on top, cover top and sides of cake with buttercream icing.
19. Slice with a very sharp knife.