Back to the cakes.....you see the women in Lake County always made these cakes for the holidays - and no two women made them the same...each trying to "outdo" the other with the best cake! Some added apples, put an apple beside them in the cooler to keep them moist, cinnamon, no cinnamon, salt or no salt, the differences are as many as there were women in Lake County....
Once the cakes were made and wrapped tightly in "foil paper"...they were set on the back porch or somewhere to keep them cool. The fresh coconut will spoil if not kept cool!
Grandmother always shipped her brothers a cake...or usually 1/2 of a cake. I remember that she sent one to my Uncle Sonny who was stationed in Italy during WWII.
When I was young I did not like them at all....it is an acquired taste.
Paul's Mother, like my Grandmother and later on with help from my Mother, would make several two or three layer cakes....a HUGE job!
Don't even try to make one in a day....it takes a day of prep just to get ready for baking day!
Amalgamation Cake (Lake County Style)
4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon ground Nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground Allspice
1 tablespoon ground Cloves
½ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups “real” butter (room temperature)
2 cups buttermilk
6 large eggs
1 pint seedless blackberry jam
1 cup ground dark raisins ( I use the blade in my Cuisinart to do this – process until raisins make a ball in bowl in the food processor)
Icing
8 egg yolks
4 cups sugar
2 heaping tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup “real” butter
2 ½ cups evaporated milk
4 cups ground raisins
4 cups freshly grated coconut (this is the hard part – if you must you may use frozen shredded)
2 cups chopped pecans
Cake Directions:
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs. Mix all dry ingredients, then add alternately with buttermilk. Add jam and raisins, beat until well mixed.
Divide equally between (3) 9” square baking pans that have been treated with “Pam”..(you may use round pans)
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 – 40 minutes until springs back in center.
Let cool for 30 minutes before icing!
THIS RECIPE MAKES 3 LAYERS – THE ICING RECIPE MAKES ENOUGH FOR 6 LAYERS…I MAKE THREE TWO LAYER CAKES WITH THIS – I DOUBLE THE CAKE RECIPE
Icing Directions:
In an extra large saucepan – combine flour and sugar. Add evaporated milk, slightly beaten egg yolks, and butter. Stirring constantly over low heat…bring to boil. Add raisins, pecans, and coconut to mixture. Remove from heat and beat until thick and creamy.
Allow icing to cool for several minutes before putting on cake.
After icing – wrap cake in waxed paper and then foil…refrigerate.
Homemade Boiled Custard
1 gallon sweet milk
8 eggs separate
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
dash salt
Beat egg whites and add ½ cup sugar.
Beat 1 ½ cup sugar in to egg yolks.
Bring milk to heat just before boiling (coats a spoon)
Add ¼ cup of hot milk to egg yolks then add egg yolks to milk
Add egg whites, vanilla and salt
Beat with wooden spoon until thick and creamy.
Refrigerate
*add Bourbon Whiskey if desired to each serving
