Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 3½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. fine sea salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• a few drops of fresh lemon juice
• 8 large egg whites
• 1½ cups pecans
• 12 Tbsp. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 12 large egg yolks
• 1½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 1½ cups golden raisins, finely chopped
• ½ cup bourbon or brandy
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F, butter three 9-inch round cake pans, line their bases with parchment, butter the parchment, and dust the pans with flour.
2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and fine sea salt together, and stir the 1 cup of milk with the 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla in a separate jug.
3. Cream the 1/2 pound of butter with the 2 cups of sugar for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy, then add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
4. Wipe a clean mixer bowl with the lemon juice, beat the egg whites to soft peaks, about 3 minutes, and fold a quarter of the whites into the batter to lighten it before folding in the rest.
5. Divide the batter among the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a tester comes out clean, then cool the layers in their pans for 15 minutes before turning them out to cool completely, leaving the oven on.
6. Toast the pecans on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes until fragrant, let them cool, and chop them into 1/4-inch pieces.
7. Melt the 12 tablespoons of butter for the frosting, cool it to tepid, whisk in the 1 1/2 cups of sugar and the egg yolks, then cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reads 180°F, without boiling.
8. Take the frosting off the heat and stir in the toasted pecans, flaked coconut, chopped golden raisins and bourbon or brandy, then let it cool and thicken in a heatproof bowl.
9. Stir the 1/4 cup of milk with the 1 teaspoon of vanilla for the soak, level two of the layers, and set the first, cut side up, on a serving plate.
10. Brush the first layer with half the soak and spread it with a third of the frosting, repeat with the second layer and the remaining soak, then set the final layer right side up and frost only the top, leaving the sides bare.

Cook: 1 hour and 5 minutes · Total: 1 hour and 50 minutes

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data