Last updated on June 13th, 2025
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Lady Baltimore Cake is a classic vintage dessert made of a tender three-layer white cake filled with a rich fruit and nut filling, frosted with a fluffy seven-minute frosting. This fancy cake contains several ingredients and takes more than time than just a simple weeknight cake.
The inspiration for Classic Lady Baltimore Cake comes from my copy of the 1941 Better Homes & Garden Cook Book which appears in a full-color illustration among other vintage cakes 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 like this, finishing all the steps involved for just one of these cakes takes a good bit of time. I tend to think of this dessert as a “project” cake.
What I did to make it modern: used butter instead of shortening to add flavor and richness, added oil in addition to the butter, for added moisture, added more salt as our modern palettes are accustomed to, added vanilla for more flavor, added ClearJel for tender cake texture, and used buttermilk for a light texture and tangy flavor.
I also researched this cake in some of my other vintage cookbooks like “250 Classic Cake Recipes” by the Culinary Arts Institute (1952).
What is a Lady Baltimore Cake?
Surprisingly, this cake has nothing to do with Baltimore. In 1903, author Owen Winster wrote a novel titled Lady Baltimore set in Charleston, South Carolina. She was served a slice of Lady Baltimore cake at a local bakery and of course fell 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
How are Lady Baltimore Cake and Lord Baltimore Cake different? The Lady Baltimore cake recipe has egg whites, lending a lighter texture and has a dried fruit and pecan filling. The Lord Baltimore Cake recipe uses egg yolks, yielding a richer crumb along with a filling made of crushed macaroon cookies, nuts (walnuts and almonds), and cherries. Here is the recipe for my Lord Baltimore Cake.
Wet Ingredients
- butter: American butter is made from churned cream that contains 80% butterfat. European butter is churned longer and has a higher fat content (82%-85%), which is why it yields more flavor.
- sugar: Sugar is derived from sugarcane and provides sweetness to baked goods. The most common type being granulated white sugar. Cane sugar is a natural option that is less processed with a slightly courser texture.
- canola oil: Canola oil is perfect for baking as it has a neutral and light flavor. You can swap oil for butter and vice versa as oil provides moisture, and butter provides flavor.
- buttermilk: Buttermilk is a cultured dairy product that adds a tangy flavor and creates tenderness in baked goods. When purchasing buttermilk, look for simple, natural ingredients such as “cultured milk”.
- eggs: Eggs are important in baking because their protein provides structure, they are a natural leavener trapping air that expands during baking, and they add moisture to baked goods.
- vanilla extract: Vanilla provides hints of caramel and spice, enhancing the depth of flavor to baked goods. Always use a high-quality, all-natural brand that is made from real vanilla beans containing at least 35% alcohol.
Dry Ingredients
- Flour: Use all-purpose unbleached flour that contains between 10-12% protein. My favorite is King Arthur or Sir Galahad Artisan Flour (its name when purchased in bulk) which contains 11.7% protein. Do NOT use Bread flour as it contains 11-14% protein, thus producing more gluten and yields dense baked goods.
- ClearJel: For light and tender baked goods, I add Instant ClearJel to almost all of my baked goods. If ClearJel is hard to find, cornstarch is a good substitute. To swap: If the recipe calls for 1 T. cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. If the recipe calls for 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel.
- Baking soda: Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening agent that, when combined with an acid (like lemon juice, buttermilk, or vinegar) creates carbon dioxide gas to make baked goods rise.
- Baking powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid, like cream of tarter, and a base, like baking soda to help baked goods rise. Use a double-acting aluminum-free baking powder to avoid a bitter aftertaste.
- salt: Use a fine-ground pink salt which adds essential minerals and nutrients to baked goods.
Lady Baltimore Filling
The ingredients for the filling for Lady Baltimore Cake vary among vintage recipes, but typically it has raisins, dried figs and pecans and candied cherries. To add more flavor, I soaked the raisins in brandy before adding them to the filling. This will lend extra flavor and plump them up.
- brandy: French Brandy or Cognac, is high-quality 80-proof spirit, double distilled from grapes in the Cognac region of France. Brandy, produced worldwide, is a blend of fruit juices and grapes and ranging from 70-100 proof.
- pecans: Pecans are a tree nut that grown on pecan trees in the United States and Mexico. They add texture and sweet nuttiness flavor to baked goods.
- raisins: Raisins are sun-ripened dried grapes, made from either green or purple grapes. They are naturally sweet and add chewy texture to baked goods.
- dried cherries: Dried cherries are harvested in the summer from cherry trees and dehydrated to preserve their tart flavor and natural sweetness.
How to make Seven-Minute Frosting
I found that Seven Minute Frosting was often referred to as divinity frosting. Reason being that once the fruity nut filling was added to it, it tasted just like divinity candy. Many people find seven-minute frosting tricky to make especially if it is humid out. Some older recipes call for corn syrup or cream of tarter. I add both cream of tarter and cornstarch to help stabilize the frosting. Old fashioned recipes suggest that you beat the frosting the entire time over the stove with a hand mixer. It is really simple though to mix a few minutes by hand and then move to the stand mixer.
Make Your Own Ingredients
Vanilla: Purchase (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 oz. of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.
Buttermilk: Add 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes before use.
- When baking, always use light colored, aluminum cake pans since they conduct even heat. Dark pans can make your baked goods darken fast.
- For easy release from bundt pans, spray with non-stick spray or “paint” on very soft butter to all the crevices and then dust lightly with flour, shaking off the excess.
- To help retain moisture in your cakes, after taking them out from the oven, cover with a baking sheet. Let them cool for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and turn the cake out onto a piece of parchment paper. Then wrap right away in saran wrap.
- Keep decorating simple and natural, like using the ingredients featured in the cake.
- Beat egg whites separately in cakes: Set out the eggs before you start to come to room temperature. Beat the whites first before mixing up the rest of the cake since they need a clean, non-greasy bowl to help them whip up. To add them back into the cake, gently fold into the batter to help keep the cake light.
How to assemble the cake:
After you make the frosting, take out 1/2 to add to it the filling. Put the first cake layer down on cake plate and place some parchment paper along the sides to keep the 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 almonds or candied cherries or shredded coconut over the cake.
simple decorating:
To stay true to the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, they suggest covering the cake in pink frosting and using the buttercream frosting to pipe on a leaf decoration and add a fresh, small floral nosegay (shown in my image) to the center. Other renditions keep it simple by just covering in the white frosting.
Dietary Substitutions
For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.
TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE
- Use a premium gluten-free flour blend. This is my handcrafted blend I use in my bakery.
- Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons additional liquid (use the same liquid called for in the recipe) to help hydrate the flour.
- Reduce the oven temperature by at least 25° to bake low and slow, since gluten-free flour is delicate and tend to burn before the center is cooked through.
- Gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf-life than conventional baked goods and dry out faster. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days. The refrigerator tends to dry them out more, so it is best to freeze up to 6 months.
TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE
- Replace the dairy with unsweetened oat or almond milk.
- Swap out the butter with unsalted vegan butter sticks.
- To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
Equipment
Recommended tools: (affiliate links)
- stand mixer
- mixing bowl
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring cups and spoons
- (3) 8″ cake pans
- off-set spatula
- tipless piping bags
- Wilton Leaf & Flower Tip Set
Storage
If Baked: Cover in air-tight container and leave on counter up to 3 days. To freeze, cover in saran wrap and place in freezer-safe container up to 6 months. Thaw on counter in the container for 1/2 hour before opening up the container.
Unbaked Batter: Prepare batter and place in a sealed container up to 3-5 days in refrigerator.
Related Recipes
Lady Baltimore Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour (3) 8" round cake pans.
- Separate out 8 egg whites (6 for the cake) and reserve (2) egg whites to use in the 7-minute frosting.
- For the cake: whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- For the filling: finely chop, figs, pecans and candied cherries. Place raisins in a bowl with 2 T. brandy.
- Place egg whites in mixer and whip until stiffly beaten. Remove from mixer and set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add oil, vanilla and lemon extract and mix until combined.
- Add in dry ingredients and then the buttermilk and mix until combined.
- Lightly fold in the egg whites by hand.
- Pour 1/3 of the batter into each of the (3) greased cake pans. Bake for 25-28 minutes. Place toothpick in center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool before frosting them.
- Release cake from sides of pan with an off-set spatula. Turn cakes out onto parchment paper or cooling rack. Wrap in plastic wrap until cake assembly to retail the moisture.
- In a separate bowl, mix together raisins, figs, pecans and candied cherries.
- Boil a pan of water. Take the bowl from stand mixer and place on top of the boiling pan of water. Place egg whites, sugar, water, cornstarch, cream of tarter, and salt into the bowl. Whisk for about 5 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Move bowl to stand mixer and add vanilla. Beat on high until glossy with stiff peaks form, about another 3-4 minutes. Use gel coloring to tint the frosting to a pale pink color.
- Place frosting on cake right away or store covered until use. Frosting will crust once applied to cake, so be sure to cover with a glass cake stand or just cover with plastic wrap.
- Place butter, confectioner sugar, and cream in mixer. Beat together until light and fluffy. Use gel coloring to tint the frosting to a pale pink color.
- Take out 1/2 of the 7-minute frosting and add it to the filling mixture. The remaining 1/2 of frosting will be used to frost the cake.
- Put bottom layer of cake onto cake plate. Place wax or parchment paper around edges of cake in order to frost neatly.
- Place 1/3 of the filling on top of the first layer and spread with off-set spatula.
- Place middle cake layer on the cake. Place filling on top of the middle layer.
- Add the last cake layer with the bottom-side down so you have smooth top.
- Place remaining frosting on the top of the cake and swirl around pushing it down onto the sides. Use an off-set spatula to guide the frosting.
- Fill piping bags with buttercream frosting. Garnish cake with buttercream leaves using a leaf tip.
- Another vintage suggestion was to top cake with a tiny nosegay of real flowers. You could simulate this with buttercream flowers.
Notes
- Frost white with the 7-minute frosting and garnish with flowers in center.
- Tint the frosting pink and also add pink leaves made from buttercream flowers and then add real nosegay in center of cake.
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