Lane Cake

 Learn all about the Alabama cake made famous by To Kill a Mockingbird.

Lane cake has a history that's almost as rich as its boozy, egg yolk-rich filling. What exactly makes this Alabama dessert so delicious – and how do you make it at home? Let's find out:

What Is Lane Cake? 

Lane cake, also known as prize cake, is a four-layer white cake with a bourbon-spiked raisin filling that originated in the American South. It's the official state cake of Alabama. 

The base for Lane cake is a variation of the old-fashioned 1-2-3-4 cake (a classic cake recipe with one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, and four eggs) that calls exclusively for eight egg whites instead of four whole eggs. This results in a more spongy texture. 

The boozy filling traditionally contains egg yolks, sugar, butter, raisins, bourbon, and vanilla. Modern versions frequently add pecans and coconut flakes to the mix. 

Lane Cake History

Emma Rylander Lane of Clayton, Alabama is credited with inventing the Lane cake in the 1890s. She won first prize with it at the county fair in Columbus, Georgia, then published the recipe in her very own cookbook under the title "Prize Cake" in 1898. 

Strangely enough, the decadent dessert has had quite the impact on American literature. Here are some of the most famous references: 

Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird includes arguably the most iconic mention of the Lane cake. In the novel, the Finch's neighbor, Miss Maudie, was famous for her Lane cake throughout the fictional town of Maycomb. "Miss Maudie baked a Lane cake so loaded with shinny it made me tight," Scout Finch tells the reader. The cake was referenced several other times throughout the book. 

"I guess it would be more accurate to say that Mama never liked to cook, and welcomed my father into the kitchen whenever he was willing," President Jimmy Carter wrote in his memoir Christmas In the Plains. "He was always the one who prepared batter cakes or waffles for breakfast, and he would even make a couple of Lane cakes for Christmas. Since this cake recipe required a strong dose of bourbon, it was just for the adult relatives, doctors, nurses, and other friends who would be invited to our house for eggnog."

How to Make Lane Cake   

IngredientsFor the Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

3 3/4 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup milk

8 large egg whites

For the Frosting

8 large egg yolks

4 whole large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups (5 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

1/4 cup bourbon

For the Assembly

2 cups raisins, preferably large, such as muscat or monukka

1/2 cup bourbon

2 3/4 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

1/2 cup candied kumquats, drained and chopped

Directions

Step 1

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour four 9-inch cake pans. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk.

Step 2

In a clean mixer bowl, using the whisk attachment, whisk 8 egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into cake batter. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until it springs back but has no color on top, 15 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, and return to racks to cool completely.

Step 3

Make the frosting: In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, whisk together yolks, whole eggs, and sugar until thick, glossy, and sugar has dissolved. Transfer bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk until mixture is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. Add butter, one piece at a time, whisking until thoroughly combined. Add bourbon and whisk until incorporated. If frosting separates, continue beating until it comes back together, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Assemble the cake: Soak raisins in warm water to cover until plumped. Let soak 15 minutes; drain. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Brush with bourbon to moisten, about 2 tablespoons. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting and top evenly with 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut. Repeat process with 2 more cake layers, frosting, raisins, and coconut. Top with remaining cake layer. Brush with remaining bourbon. Spread a thin coat of frosting over the top and sides of cake to cover. Chill for 20 minutes.

Step 5

Use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake. Combine 1 cup each coconut and pecans, and use it to coat the side of the cake. Combine remaining 1/4 cup pecans, 1/2 cup raisins, and 1/4 cup coconut in a bowl. Sprinkle over top of cake to cover. Garnish with kumquats; chill until serving. This cake improves with age and can be made up to 3 weeks in advance. Keep well wrapped in the refrigerator.