On Sun 28 Aug 2005 12:39:02a, -L. wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>
>> I'd much rather have a pie any day than a cake, although I do like some
>> "specialty" cakes.
>
> Smae here. Cake? Ho hum!
>
>> Our family had some traditional cakes that are rarely made today;
>> Amalgamation Cake, Lord Baltimore and Lady Baltimore Cakes,
>
> Ok, what are these?

First off, these are typically Southern cakes, the cake layers themselves
rather simple white or yellow cake. The unique quality of each is
dependent on the rich fillings.

Amalgamation Cake is made with white cake layers, the rich filling is made
with egg yolks, sugar, butter, and obscene amounts of coarsely chopped
pecans, raisins, and coconut. The frosting is like an Italian meringue,
made with just egg whites, sugar, and water.

Lord Baltimore cake is made with yellow cake layers. The filling and
frosting is, again, rather like an Italian meringue, with the additions of
orange juice, lemon juice, quartered candied cherries, crumbled macaroons,
coarsely chopped pecans, and coarsely chopped blanched almonds.

Lady Baltimore cake is made with white cake layers. The filling and
frosting, once again, is rather like an Italian meringue, with the
additions of chopped pecans, chopped figs, raisins, candied cherries, and
candied pineapple, all cut in small pieces.

>> Fresh Coconut Cake (unlike any other I've ever had),
>
> Sounds delicioso!

The fresh coconut cakes my grandmothers and mother made used yellow cake
layers. The filling is actually a rather soupy mess made with the grated
flesh of two fresh coconuts, sugar, whole milk, and a dozen or so whole
standard size marshmallows. The mixture is cooked slowly at first to melt
the marshmallows, then cooked at higher heat for a few minutes until very
slightly thickened. The cake is baked in 4 layers and stacked
alternatively with generous spoonings of the hot filling. The filling
layers are a good 3/8" thick of very moist coconut, and the syrup soaks
into the cake layers making a very moist cake. The frosting, once again,
is like an Italian meringue.

All the above cakes are baked in 4 layers.

>> and Fresh Orange Cake.
>> All of those are labor intensive and I rarely make them.
>>
>> Wellesley Fudge Cake and Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake
>> are my two favorite chocolate cakes, and they're easy to make.
>>
>> Pies of almost any type; fresh fruit, chocolate, banana, and coconut
>> cream pies, chess pie, pecan pie, etc. To me, all pies are easy to
>> make.
>
> What is chess pie?

Chess pie is sometimes referred to as Transparent Custard Pie, but it is
far richer than a regular egg custard pie. The recipe I use contains a
stick of butter, 2 cups sugar, 6 egg yolks, and cream or evaporated milk,
and a spoonful each of flour and cornmeal. It's a killer!


> I would take a piece of pie - any kind - over any cake except for maybe
> Carrot (a good home-made one with walnuts and lots of spice) or Italian
> Wedding Cake. Other than that, I don't care if I ever eat cake.

I love Italian Wedding Cake if it's a good one. Some bakeries are making
poor imitations these days. I used to love carrot cake, but I must have
had a few pieces that weren't very good, as I don't care for it much
anymore.

> Cookies, OTOH...

Oh, don't get me started on cookies! :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.