Last updated on October 29th, 2024

The inspiration for Classic Lady Baltimore Cake comes from my copy of the 1941 Better Homes & Garden Cook Book. The Lady Baltimore Cake appears in a full-color illustration among other vintage like the Lord Baltimore Cake, Dolly Madison Cake, and George Washington Cake. While I dream for the day to have all six cakes completed on the same day to take a photo such as that one, finishing all the steps involved for just one of these cakes takes a good bit of time.

I have taken this 1941 recipe for Classic Lady Baltimore Cake and baked it modern by using homemade buttermilk (1 T. vinegar with whole milk) instead of just milk and water, added oil in addition to the butter to keep it moist, added more salt which our modern palettes are accustomed to and some lemon zest to pump up the flavor.

Photo: Page from Better Homes & Gardens (1941)

What is a Lady Baltimore Cake?

Surprisingly, this cake actually has nothing to do with Baltimore. In 1903, author Owen Winster wrote a novel titled Lady Baltimore set in Charleston, South Carolina. The narrator is served a slice of Lady Baltimore cake at a local bakery and falls in love with the woman who made it.

“I should like a slice, if you please, of Lady Baltimore,’ I said, with extreme formality … she brought me the cake, and I had my first felicitous meeting with Lady Baltimore. Oh, my goodness!… It’s all soft, and it’s in layers, and it has nuts… Delighted surprise caused me once more to speak aloud and with my mouth full. “But, dear me, this is delicious!”‘

from Lady Baltimore by Owen Winster, 1903

The Lady Baltimore Cake is a variation on the popular Lord Baltimore Cake and, which surprisingly neither of the two cakes originated in Baltimore. The main difference between them has to do with the incorporation of the eggs. The Lady Baltimore recipe contains egg whites, while the Lord Baltimore contains egg yolks. The filling for cake is also slightly different. The Lady Baltimore calls for dried fruit and pecans, while the Lord Baltimore calls for crushed macaroon coconut cookies, nuts, and cherries.

How to make Lady Baltimore Cake:

INGREDIENTS

fat:

Using butter in a cake provides flavor, while using oil makes it super moist cake. Canola oil is perfect since it has a neutral and light flavor. I like to use a combination of canola oil mixed with extra light virgin olive oil. If your cake recipe calls for butter, you can always use all oil or if you still want to get flavor from butter use a combination of oil and butter together.

How to make the filling:

The ingredients for the filling for Lady Baltimore Cake vary among vintage recipes, but typically it has raisins, dried figs and pecans. The original recipe calls for candied cherries. To add more flavor, I soaked the raisins in 2 T. of rum before adding them to the filling. This will lend extra flavor and plump them up.

BAKER’S TIPS

baking sheet:

When baking, always use aluminum cake pans since they conduct even heat. My favorite brand of baking pans are Nordic Ware or Fat Daddios. Bake this cake in three 8″ round cake pans and place filling in between the layers.

After you pull your cakes from the oven, cover the cake pan with a baking sheet and let cool for only about 5 minutes. If your pan was well-greased, run a knife around the edges and turn the cake out onto a piece of parchment paper. Then wrap right away in saran wrap to seal in moisture. Since you are locking in the moisture, you can use later in the day or even freeze the cakes to make another time.

How to make Seven-Minute Frosting:

While searching for history on this cake, I found that Seven-minute Frosting was often referred to as divinity frosting. After tasting it I can see why, because once you add the fruity nut filling to the 7-minute frosting it tastes just like divinity candy typically made around Christmas. Many people find seven-minute frosting tricky to make especially if it is humid out. Some recipes call for the addition of corn syrup, however, looking through old recipes, they listed corn syrup or cream of tarter, so I choose to use the later. I also add cornstarch to help stabilize the frosting. Recipes suggest to beat the frosting the entire time over the stove, but I prefer to whisk it for a few minutes by hand and then move it to the stand mixer. Once you move the bowl to the mixer, just put on high speed and beat until it is shiny with stiff peaks.

simple decorating:

After you make the frosting, take out 1/3 to add to it the filling. Put first layer down on cake plate and place some parchment paper along the sides to keep plate clean. Use an off-set spatula and spread filling on the first layer. Place on the second layer and spread on filling. Place on the last layer (upside down) so you have a nice flat top layer to frost. Cover top with remaining filling and push down onto to the sides of the cake. To decorate, keep it simple by placing whole ingredients that were featured in the filling, such as pecans or dried figs over the cake.