Grandmother's Cake Recipe

Whipped Cream Cake

10 to 12 servings

This is the cake that my grandmother served my mother for her 15th birthday and that I served my daughter when she turned 15. My grandmother would make this cake by hand, but I take advantage of modern electric mixers and parchment paper. The frosting, a seven-minute icing also from my grandmother's book, has a marshmallow-like flavor and consistency.

For an elegant presentation, you can create a four-layer cake by splitting each layer in half. If you do that, double the amount of frosting. Adapted from "The American Woman's Cook Book," by Ruth Berolzheimer (Avon Books, 1941).

For the cake:

3 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups heavy cream

4 eggs, beaten thick and lemon-colored

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting:

1 egg white

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cold water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 9-inch-round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Set aside.

Using a hand-held or stand mixer on high speed, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until light and foamy. Add the sugar, then the vanilla extract. Gently incorporate the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Place half of the batter into each of the prepared cake pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake has only loose crumbs attached. Transfer to a wire rack. After about 20 minutes, invert the cake layers on the rack to cool completely.

For the frosting: Place the egg white, sugar and water in the top of a double boiler or in a large bowl set over simmering water. With a hand-held mixer, beat on low speed for 7 minutes or until the mixture thickens and appears glossy. Add the vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.

Place one of the cooled cake layers on a serving platter. Spread on a thin layer of the frosting, then gently place the other cake layer on top. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides. Serve immediately or cover loosely with waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Per serving (based on 12): 437 calories, 5 g protein, 67 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 10 g saturated fat, 272 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Leigh Lambert; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com