Lane Cake

This is my absolute favorite cake ever. My family always went to my grandmother's house in Chattahoochee, FL for Christmas Day, and she's always had one of these waiting for as long as I can remember. I've been here in Texas for the past 2 Christmases, so I've missed out on them. This year, my parents arrived here on Dec. 26th, and my grandmother had baked an entire cake just for me and sent with them! The filling is very rich, but it's so good!!

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• CAKE

• 3 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1  cup butter
• 2  cups sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  cup milk
• 8  egg whites

• FILLING

• 8  egg yolks
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1  cup  chopped pecans
• 1  cup  shredded coconut
• 1  cup  candied cherry, chopped
• 1  cup  finely chopped seedless raisin
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  rum extract

Directions

1. CAKE: Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease, then line with wax paper, the bottoms of four 9" round cake pans.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
5. Add vanilla.
6. At low speed, beat in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, then add milk in 1/3 cup at a time.
7. Beat just until smooth.
8. In another large bowl, beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
9. Gently fold in batter mixture.
10. Divide evenly into the 4 baking pans.
11. Bake about 15-20 minutes, then cool completely.
12. Frost layers with Lane filling.
13. FILLING: In a saucepan, beat egg yolks slightly.
14. Add sugar and butter and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
15. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
16. Frost individual cake layers, then top and sides.