Christmas Surprise Cake Recipe

This is a really delicious cake to serve anytime of the year, but especially at Christmas, because it has an unexpected and refreshing surprise inside: the lemon filling. Lemon is a little more popular in the spring and summer and used less often in the winter.

The outside of the cake is sprinkled with coconut, which is popular year round.

This beautiful white cake will fit in perfectly on your Christmas dessert table, especially if you are using a white winter wonderland as your decorating theme.

4 cups sifted cake flour
5 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
6 egg whites
½ cup sugar
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
Lemon Filling
Seven Minute Frosting
Flaked Coconut

Measure sifted flour, add baking powder and salt, and sift together 3 times.

Beat egg whites until foamy, add ½ cup sugar gradually, and continue beating until meringue will hold up in stiff peaks.

Cream shortening, add 2 cups sugar gradually and cream together until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, a small amount at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla.

Add meringue and beat thoroughly into batter.

Pour batter into 3 round 9-inch layer pans, which have been lined on bottom with paper.

Bake in 375° oven 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool layers.

Spread 2 layers with lemon filling and cover top third layer and sides of cake generously with fluffy Seven Minute Frosting. While frosting is still moist, sprinkle liberally with flaked coconut.

Lemon Filling

¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg yoke slightly beaten
1 cup water
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter cut into chunks
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in top of double boiler.

Blend together egg yoke, water, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add to sugar mixture gradually, blending well. Cook over boiling water about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir constantly.

Remove from heat. Add chunks of butter and grated lemon rind. Cool slightly before spreading on cake.

Seven Minute Frosting

2 egg whites, unbeaten
1 ½ cups sugar
Dash of salt
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, water and corn syrup in top of double boiler. Do not place over boiling water yet. Beat about 1 minute or until thoroughly mixed.

Place over boiling water and stir constantly with sturdy egg beater or at high speed of electric mixer 7 minutes, or until frosting will stand in stiff peaks. Scrape sides and bottom of pan occasionally during process.
Remove from boiling water.

For a very smooth and satiny frosting, pour at once into a large bowl for a final beating. Add vanilla and beat 1 minute or until thick enough to spread.