Lord Baltimore Cake

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This Lord Baltimore Cake, a variation on the Southern classic Lady Baltimore cake, is made with egg yolks instead of egg whites and packs a naturally sweet Fig & Nut Filling. For that decadent filling, we turned to Valley Fig Growers’ Dried California Mission Figs. These figs pack the concentrated sweetness we needed to make our Lord Baltimore Cake an instant holiday classic. Plus, we make sure we use every bit of the leftover egg whites to make a dreamy Italian Meringue frosting. This is the stunning layer cake you never knew you needed.

Located in the fertile San Joaquin Valley, Valley Fig Growers’ grower-owned cooperative has been packing delicious, nutritious California Figs since 1959. The best figs come from California, where fertile soil, hot dry summers, and cool and wet winters produce delicious fruit with a high nutritional content. Valley Fig Growers’ California dried figs are always GMO-free and undergo rigorous testing to ensure that the dried figs exceed quality expectations, making you reach for these dried figs again and again.

Find Valley Fig Growers California dried mission and golden figs in your favorite stores under the brands: Orchard Choice and Sun-Maid or online, where you can also find their commercial fig ingredients available under the Blue Ribbon brand.

 
Lord Baltimore Cake
 
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
  • 6 large egg yolks (112 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon (2 grams) almond extract
  • 3⅓ cups (417 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
  • 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk
  • Fig & Nut Filling (recipe follows)
  • Italian Meringue (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour.
  2. For cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and almond extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Divide batter among prepared pans.
  3. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
  4. Place one cake layer on a cake stand. Top with half of Fruit & Nut Filling. Spread ½ cup Italian Meringue on top of filling. Top with second cake layer, and repeat with remaining half of Fruit & Nut Filling and ½ cup Italian Meringue. Top with remaining cake layer, and spread remaining Italian Meringue on top and sides of cake.

 
Fig & Nut Filling
 
Makes 1½ cups
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, combine figs and currants. In a small saucepan, heat rum and vanilla bean paste over medium-high heat until bubbling. Pour hot rum mixture over dried fruit. Let stand for 1 hour.
  2. In the work bowl of a food processor, place fig mixture; pulse 3 to 4 times until roughly chopped. Place in a bowl, and stir in pecans.

 
Italian Meringue
 
Makes about 6 cups
Ingredients
  • 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (180 grams) water
  • 6 large egg whites (180 grams), room temperature
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and ¾ cup (180 grams) water to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cook until mixture registers 248°F on a candy thermometer.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase mixer speed to high. Pour hot sugar syrup into egg whites in a slow, steady stream, being careful to not let sugar mixture hit sides of bowl. Beat until smooth, glossy peaks form, 10 to 15 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

 

 

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