Southern Lane Cake

If you want an idea of just how classically Southern Lane Cake is, look out for its guest appearance in To Kill a Mockingbird. The original was first unveiled by cook Emma Lane at the turn of the 20th century for a county fair baking competition in Columbus, Georgia. It’s still supremely popular over a century later.

Emma Lane’s version featured just raisins and custard as the filling, but the modern Lane Cake recipe is a celebration of all things Southern, from pecans to bourbon via candied fruit and coconut. This cake might look complicated from a cook’s perspective, but it’s really just a layered sponge cake laced with bourbon that guests will love at Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Ingredients for Lane Cake

• Eggs: Separate large eggs and keep the whites for the sponge mixture. Use the yolks you separated from the whites to make a custard.
• Butter: Soften some salted or unsalted butter to whip into a sweet cream.
• Sugar: White or brown sugar gives the sponge its signature Southern sweetness.
• Vanilla extract: Lends a light, aromatic note to the cake.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour to provide the main substance for the sponge.
• Baking powder: This will allow the cake to rise and give it an airy texture.
• Salt: A little salt goes a long way in bringing out flavor in any cake mix.
• Milk: Use 2% or full fat milk, or your nut milk of choice, to form the batter.
• Butter and salt: As above, these will add texture and flavor to the sweet filling.
• Bourbon: Whiskey adds a festive touch, giving the cake that heady spirit aroma that signals celebration time.
• Orange zest: Wash and grate the zest to add some fruity citrus kick to the creamy filling.
• Raisins: These sweet, dense, chewy fruit pieces are the essential filling in an authentic Lane Cake recipe.
• Coconut: Add sweetened, shredded coconut for texture and aroma.
• Pecans: You can use a packet of pre-chopped pecans for baking.
• Candied cherries: Chop these coarsely to add a flash of color and burst of sugar into each bite.
• Whipping cream: Sweeten heavy whipping cream to make a short-cut frosting.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the baking tins

For a three-tier cake, line the bottoms of three greased round baking pans with greased parchment paper and set aside. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and allow them to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Make the sponge cake layers

In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugar for five to seven minutes until the texture is light and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla essence. In a separate large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together, then gradually add to the creamed butter mixture with milk, beating steadily to form a smooth batter. Beat the egg whites until you have stiff peaks and fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Transfer the whole mix into the greased pans.

Step 3: Bake the sponge cake

Bake the layers for 20 to 25 minutes at 325°F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool for 10 minutes and remove the sponge from the pan and rest on a wire rack. Remove the parchment paper and allow the cake layers to cool completely.

Step 4: Mix the filling ingredients

Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a large saucepan. Add the butter and stir over a medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the consistency is like a velvety custard. Remove from the heat and stir in the bourbon, orange zest, and salt. Then fold in the raisins, coconut, pecans, and cherries and allow the mix to cool.

Editor’s Tip: Use a cook’s thermometer to stop the eggs from scrambling, which they will do if they reach 185°. You want them to stay between 165° and 175°.

Step 5: Build the layers and add frosting

Place the bottom sponge layer on a serving plate and spread with a third of the filling using a spatula. Repeat with the other two layers. Frost the sides of the cake with whipped cream and refrigerate until serving.

Lane Cake Variations

• Skip the frosting: For convenience or to show off your filled layers, stick to just sponge cake and fruit and it will still be moist and sweet.
• Try a meringue frosting: Make a meringue frosting from egg whites, sugar, and corn syrup heated in a bain marie if you want an authentic frosting that wraps up the cake inside like a gift.
• Change the fruit filling: Keep the raisins at all costs! But you can use other fruits that go well in this recipe, including peaches or sliced strawberries.

How to Store Lane Cake

Steeped in bourbon and loaded with sugar and moist fruit, Lane Cake is made to last. In fact, it improves in flavor the longer you allow the bourbon to do its thing. Keep it for a day at room temperature or up to a week refrigerated, covered in both instances.

Can you make Lane cake ahead of time?

It’s quite common to prepare the sponge layers ahead of time. You can even freeze them (wrapped) and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The filling can be prepared in advance also and will refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Lane Cake Tips

Why is my cake heavy rather than light?

The most common reason for a dense sponge is overbeating the egg whites or not folding them gently enough into the cake batter. Both of these easy-to-make mistakes will cause the whites to deflate and give you a dense texture.

How do I avoid soggy Lane Cake?

The filling is meant to seep into the sponge but everything should still hold together. If you don’t allow the sponge or filling to cool completely, however, things can go south instead of southern fast. Take your time to avoid a soggy sponge that can fall apart once the layers are stacked.

Is there an alcohol-free version?

The alcohol in the bourbon will evaporate fully during baking. You can use apple juice instead if you don’t want any trace at all. Clearly, it’s not a like-for-like match but you’ll still get a whiff of fruit.